Lockdown started two years ago - what did you all think was ahead when it was announced?

[goaskmum]

So the very first lockdown started this day 2 years ago! I can’t believe that.

I remember hearing earlier that day that BJ was to do a big televised announcement in the evening and then being on edge not knowing what came next.

I also remember taking my dog out at half 7 that night for a walk because I wasn’t sure if it would be made illegal after he did his announcement!

What were you all doing and what did you make of it/think was going to happen?

I remember getting my shielding letter and being absolutely terrified. I've still not completely lost that fear 2 years on though it's much less. I went into isolation in my room and didn't come out for 4 months because my doctor told me to, I didn't even touch DH or the kids

I remember someone saying that if lockdown worked people would always say it was an overreaction because they wouldn't understand all the nuances of how it protected the health service etc. I was convinced by an ICU doctor friend that they were needed and he never changed his mind in all the other ones. It's easy for people to look from their perspective and say it was an overreaction but it was a novel virus. Vaccines changed the landscape.

*It was an odd time, but actually quite fun. The second lockdown was far harder for me

I’d agree with this. There was so much community spirit, we are all pulling together doing this. Optimism for a greener future, nature recovering.

Come the second one with everyone becoming key workers, more vague rules, barnard castle, it was all out the window.
I think that anger has stayed, the world seems a very selfish angry place now.

@Trinacham Awww at least you haven’t went back because of happy reasons!

We go at the end of June and have an additional couple of people joining us and a nicer villa so it’s all worked out well. Touch wood, anyway!

When we had a meeting at work (NHS frontline) and I was redeployed to covid ICU for the next 3 months I had an inkling “3 weeks to break the curve” wasn’t going to happen

Those months were some of the worst experiences of my life, made much much more by the FB/WhatsApp crowing of how great furlough was with Prosecco in the sunny gardens

I thought me and my unborn baby were going to die. I made a plan and told my husband when I died they were to save the baby. That he was not to even think about it WHEN it happened. Wasn't until a few weeks later that we realised that pandemic or not, I was extremely mentally unwell.

I hope at some point in the not so distance future that March doesn't feel quite so sad.

@AnyFucker

When we had a meeting at work (NHS frontline) and I was redeployed to covid ICU for the next 3 months I had an inkling “3 weeks to break the curve” wasn’t going to happen

Those months were some of the worst experiences of my life, made much much more by the FB/WhatsApp crowing of how great furlough was with Prosecco in the sunny gardens

I was working in customer service for a company whose suddenly couldn't provide the usual service so spent those first months being yelled at by customers and management. All while trying to homeschool.

I deeply resented the people sat in their gardens enjoying the sunshine while they were on furlough.

I imagine it felt even more infuriating for you.

My friend works in the NHS and the week before lockdown was announced she invited a group of us round for dinner as she knew it was coming. It was a lovely evening but felt strange. When it was announced my childcare business was shut down with immediate effect so I cried, poured wine and give my kids a big hug. It was horrible. We have been lucky though & other than my mental health being challenged we have come through it unscathed so I’m grateful.
Sorry for all those who lost people & had a hard time x

My family (husband and kids) all actually had covid (quite mild) right at the start, just before lock down, and as a result, the fear factor just wasn't there for ourselves, which massively helped with coping, due to no fear of the unknown. We were anxious for others though, and were sticking closely to the rules. It all kind of felt like play-acting. My brain struggled to take it in more than that.

I underestimated how long the schools would be off, I thought the ones in England and Wales would be back after May half term, they were, but it was very limited. I think that the exam years were particularly badly served but all the kids were badly treated.

And I completely overestimated how long it would take for there to be an effective vaccine. When people were saying they'd hide away until there was a vaccine, I thought they'd have a long wait - ie years. As it was, I was fully vaccinated by the end of June 2021, so about 15 months from the start of the first lockdown.

I remember the threads on here where some posters were expressing concern and worrying about what may happen.
Many posters came on to say others where being ridiculous/get over it/give your head a shake/it's China's problem not ours etc etc. Those threads didn't age well.

I sent my child back to school when the school reopened months later when they made it optional and said children who wanted to come could but you didn't have to
I agonised and agonised about this cos my child was struggling and I knew she needed school but almost everywhere indicated it wasn't safe and more than that, almost everyone I knew including my friends with children etc were adamant they wouldn't send theirs in as it wasn't safe.
I felt I was going out on a limb and didn't feel confident telling people i was sending her back as everyone was so vocal about how they didn't think it was safe and they'd never send theirs back.

But I made absolutely the right decision sending her back.
Apart from the fact she really needed it they did more fun things there than normal too

@purpleme12

I sent my child back to school when the school reopened months later when they made it optional and said children who wanted to come could but you didn't have to I agonised and agonised about this cos my child was struggling and I knew she needed school but almost everywhere indicated it wasn't safe and more than that, almost everyone I knew including my friends with children etc were adamant they wouldn't send theirs in as it wasn't safe. I felt I was going out on a limb and didn't feel confident telling people i was sending her back as everyone was so vocal about how they didn't think it was safe and they'd never send theirs back.

But I made absolutely the right decision sending her back.
Apart from the fact she really needed it they did more fun things there than normal too

That’s good you had the option

I remember they couldn’t fit all those who were meant to go back in our primary, let alone those who’d like to.

We knew that we'd already had it. We couldn't believe the grants we'd been promised would actually happen but they did. I remember saying to DH it'll be 6 weeks not 3. We remember saying is this really happening but we enjoyed the first actual lockdown as it was proper. Not the others though as they weren't the same, went on too long, everyone was at work yet Christmas and partying was wrecked for most of us, seemed silly and no one was bothered about COVID anymore.

I had moved in with my exMIL with my children two days before the announcement and I just remember being scared but conscious I needed to hold it together for the kids. I found lockdown hard and my mental health took a real battering.

I underestimated how bonkers some people would become, curtain twitchers, neighbours turning on each other, extreme and often ridiculous measures like washing strawberries in antibacterial spray. I really thought the county would pull together but in actuality they became every man for himself.

I naively and stupidly believed it wouldn't last long then the reality of it sunk in and it felt obscene to have beautiful sunshine while people were suffering and dying. I was terrified that my mother and CEV brother would die .My kids have missed so much in terms of experiences at school and university which I feel sad about. . I don't think the world will ever go back to normal ie life in 2019

I lost my job because of Covid and the whole experience brought on severe anxiety and depression

I just felt scared, and then later on, really depressed as I couldn't see my family and I was sick of going for walks round the houses.

The consolation came when the air pollution was so dramatically reduced and skies were clear. But I knew it wouldn't last and it hasn't.

I know you're asking about how people felt at first, but it's an ongoing situation and feelings change.

I was elated at the vaccinations, then of course hugely disappointed on learning that vaccines weren't the complete answer and that fully vaccinated people were catching it.

Your feelings are influenced by what age group you are and how healthy you are. I'm a pensioner with underlying conditions so I'm more wary of catching it. But, I'm going out more as I can't live my life constantly staying at home.

I remember watching the announcement and thinking 'right, here we go'. My DH already worked from home, so that was nothing new.
My DS is a Police Officer, his DP is in retail the same as myself and DS.

We all work in a supermarket and the drive to work the day after the announcement was eerie. I was so worried about my DS arresting people, knowing that they already spat on him sometimes. Would they now be coughing in his face. I knew in my heart they would be.

DS and I drove to work with him clutching the paper stating we were allowed to travel to work and back ( though I think our uniforms may have given it away).
I remember the introduction of the queues outside and handing out umbrellas to keep people dry, telling people that only one person could come in and laying out the one way system.
It took a short while for all the screens to be fitted so before that we were asking customers to stand back behind a line, then approach and unload at the end of the belt, then move directly to the packing end as the customer before left. When they took the bar between customers shopping away I thought some customers were going to implode.
I was wiping the pin pad between every customer and my hands were red raw from repeated use of hand gel.
I remember asking a customer to unpack her shopping at the end and I would control the belt, allowing her to unpack in a controlled way and she flipped out. I guess it was stress and anxiety. I was firm but kind.
She said she had bought flowers to give to her cashier but I wasn't getting them now and gave them to the cashier on the next till.
They were strange days.

Didn't really hit me until we got a call from the restaurant we'd booked for mum's birthday a couple of days later, they were cancelling the booking and I was properly angry about it. I thought it would all blow over within a few days

@purpleme12

I sent my child back to school when the school reopened months later when they made it optional and said children who wanted to come could but you didn't have to I agonised and agonised about this cos my child was struggling and I knew she needed school but almost everywhere indicated it wasn't safe and more than that, almost everyone I knew including my friends with children etc were adamant they wouldn't send theirs in as it wasn't safe. I felt I was going out on a limb and didn't feel confident telling people i was sending her back as everyone was so vocal about how they didn't think it was safe and they'd never send theirs back.

But I made absolutely the right decision sending her back.
Apart from the fact she really needed it they did more fun things there than normal too

We were lucky, I did the same with mine, I packed her back as soon as I could. She got about a month of school. There was a tiny bubble of about 8 of them, they were all her friends and they had the best time. It was her goodbye to primary, they had the teacher they loved, and just had the best time. Even now she says it was her best time at school ever.

I got ALOT of questioning from other parents and raised eyebrows that I’d thrown her to the wolves as a Guinea pig. But it was absolutely the best thing for her, after a few weeks quite a few other parents tried to get theirs in, but the bubble was closed and it was too late.

It did make me realise what a difference private and smaller classes would make.

You were very lucky EvilPea

So many didn’t get that option and dc had a hard time especially with another lockdown added, were you a keyworker or was it open to anyone?

I thought a month or 2 tops, thinking it's just like the flu. I still can't quite believe what's happened over the last 2 years and i've been incredibly lucky not to lose anyone.
I'm so so sorry to anyone who has lost someone to Covid or anything else because of the restrictions

@MarshaBradyo

You were very lucky EvilPea

So many didn’t get that option and dc had a hard time especially with another lockdown added, were you a keyworker or was it open to anyone?

Not a key worker, it was offered to the entire year 6 classes. Of the 60 only 8 took the places. I think it was just for the last half term of the summer term. The government allowed a few years to open (if the school could distance them). DS wasn’t in a year to open up, so he was still at home. I think it was year 6, year 2 and reception that opened up.

@whoruntheworldgirls

I thought a month or 2 tops, thinking it's just like the flu. I still can't quite believe what's happened over the last 2 years and i've been incredibly lucky not to lose anyone. I'm so so sorry to anyone who has lost someone to Covid or anything else because of the restrictions

Boris Johnson and his “It’s just the flu, I’m shaking everyone’s hands” Didn’t help