People saying ‘we’ve had a year of this’ - what did you do last summer?

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

I keep seeing people saying things like “my child hasn’t played with anyone else in a year” or “I’ve not seen any friends in a year”. I know some people have been shielding or live in areas that have had tougher restrictions for longer...but if not, what were you doing last summer?

I think I’ve been fairly cautious but we still managed holidays/trips away in the UK, lots of (socially distanced) meet ups with friends and family and my children saw lots of their friends. We’ve been to museums, meals out, swimming etc. Other than children not social distancing with each other I don’t we broke any rules. It certainly wasn’t a normal summer but in comparison with the current (really miserable) lockdown things were pretty decent.

Lots of people I know were regularly in bars, making cinema trips, foreign holidays and taking the children soft play (i drew the line well before it got to soft play myself!)

Are people forgetting what actually happened or did some people remain in voluntary lockdown all year?

It’s a year of non normality but summer was way way better than this. We managed hotel stays, theme parks, a water park, cafes and restaurants were open, kids activities were on plus camping trips. Lots of people seemed to buy caravans and had many trips away. All within the rules. I long for summer. I’m praying this summer is at least as good as last and hoping for lots better (being able to go abroad)
It was not normal like before though I agree. Everything has to be booked in advance and at times when your date rolls round it’s pissing down.
I appreciate I say this as someone who doesn’t mind masks and would happily wear one all day if it meant I could actually go somewhere.

I worked all summer

Those who did follow rules, such as EOTHO, contributed to the problem through no fault of their own because the government actively encouraged activities that increased spread.

When I think about that I feel pretty

@freckles20

I don't like the tone in some of these posts that some of us who have had a miserable year just needed to pull our socks up and be more positive, more creative, more optimistic.

Good for you if you've managed to make the best of it. That's lovely.

But some of us have had awful struggles. Despite our best efforts, and not because we are doom mongers or enjoy being miserable.

I'm not going to go into details and detail the thread but different living conditions, children's ages, relationship status, financial set up, job security, health concerns etc. mean that some people have experienced awful hardship, sadness and struggles.

I'm at the end of my rope. Clinging on for dear life and often realising that the only way to feel better would be for me to not be alive any more. I'd never act on that thought, but it's how I feel. Previous to this pandemic friends should describe me as strong and optimistic. But I'm broken.

I get this OP, my cousin has had a completely different year than me and is in bed with depression because of it.

I remember going for a swim when our private pool opened up and on leaving there is a high rise block of flats, there was a little child way up high on a tiny balcony sitting just still on a tricycle looking through the gap. That’s when it really struck me of the disparity of people’s lives. My family were incredibly lucky others have had the year from hell and will probably feel the effects for a very long time.

My LO was born in May, mid lockdown 1 with midwives giving instructions across the room. If was awful. I ended up in surgery having a csection. No family could visit or help afterwards and my husband could not take his paternity leave, due to the nature of his job. I just had to cope.

My friends and family have missed most of my LOs milestones so far - particularly my parents who are 4 hours away and can't just leave their area to get to mine. My LO had torticollis (sp?) but we couldn't see a doctor to help, we were told to Google it. I last heard from my heath visitor at the start of June.

Last summer, we spent hiding in the garden, doing early morning walks and avoiding most of the local area. We live in a very popular tourist area where half of the country headed to Airbnbs, campsites and 'second homes' 🤦‍♀️ Including those from areas with huge rates of infection. Funnily enough, we ended up as an area with high rates of infection. We could go out in the summer, but we chose not to help make the situation worse - and quite frankly, even the hills were busy.

So yes, in short, it's been a year of it and now we're likely to have a hugely restricted 1st birthday for my LO because there are still those who are following some / most / none of the restrictions.

But surely you recogbise that it's been a year of craziness? I've seen my parents a few times and during the summer stayed in their house. But I haven't hugged them since last February. We used separate bathrooms and maintained distances even whilst staying together. We spent a beautiful couple of days with my in laws in Wales during the summer, but isolated before doing so to minimise the risk. My dream holiday abroad was canceled and we didn't book anything else because both of us are working on site and couldn't risk government guidance changing last minute and requiring us to quarantine, and thus not being able to work.
There as nothing normal about last summer.
I look back and dream of being able to go to a cafe with a friend, albeit socially distancing, santising our hands and wearing masks when required. But not because that was 'normal', just because it was better than the current scenario.

I kept an eye on the figures in my region and they were really low in about July/August so I was able to have a break in a hotel in my region of the country by the coast. Went to shops and met people within the guidelines. Always stuck to the guidelines of the time

@inquietant

Those who did follow rules, such as EOTHO, contributed to the problem through no fault of their own because the government actively encouraged activities that increased spread.

When I think about that I feel pretty

It was always a thin line for them against complete economy annihilation and managing the NHS

Cases in Scotland were very low last summer. Down to 1 in 3000 people with it or something. They didn’t start going up until after schools went back and then were in restrictions over the summer. I didn’t do much at all over the summer but comfortable that what I did do didnt spread anything. Not least because none of us have had bloody Covid (it would seem unlikely we’d all got it with no symptoms at all) and you can’t spread what you don’t have.

Shielding was also paused last sumner. I appreciate some people still followed it but that doesn’t mean people going out a bit in the summer did anything wrong.

It was always a thin line for them against complete economy annihilation and managing the NHS

Nope, it wasn't.

They gambled recklessly with both lives and the economy and we are paying now.

We went wild camping, did beach days, met friends for wild swimming, had 16 days in France and Switzerland (drove), had days out at attractions........... it was a good summer :)
Other than the illicit wild camp in the woods, everything was allowed in guidelines.

The whole stupid Sunak premise that it is 'health or economy' is false.

Health and economy go hand in hand.

We haven't been able to see our grown son because he is based in Preston (we are South West) and they were in local lockdown even though we weren't.

Our group of friends is 10 strong and restrictions meant max 6, so it was always a challenge with any kind of group meet up - we rotated but still meant very few

And no, we didn't go on holiday because we decided it was a bloody stupid thing to do in a pandemic

Both our offices are still closed so we have both not seen colleagues in person since March

So while there was some freedoms between July-October it was still pretty shitty, life was by no means normal and therefore I absolutely

(Seem to have missed the last part!) would say that we've had a year of this!

We went to a couple of restaurants and my teenage dd"s met a handful of times with friends and that was it. I'm very risk averse so didn't want to go away to a heaving uk holiday destination and as a family of 5 we were limited with regards to meeting other households so no BBQ's or parties.

We went abroad for a weekend and had two U.K. holidays. We went to the cinema, ate out at least 10 times from July-December, dc went back to swimming lessons, had lots of outdoor play dates, soft play by ourselves a few times, went to the outdoor obstacle course like tough mudder for kids, dh played golf.

We followed the guidelines and haven't had the virus that we know of. We didn't see anyone vulnerable. I don't understand why people (who didn't have restrictions and aren't cv or cev) stayed in all summer.

We did very little last summer. Family live too far away so we did not meet up with them. Didn't go on holiday or visit anywhere other than outdoor places - beaches/gardens/forests etc. None of us wanted to go indoors or anywhere masks were required.

We did meet up with a few of DD's friends and due to her age they didn't have to socially distance so there were a few picnics etc. But we didn't have anyone in the house and our garden is pathetically small.

Here in the North West we had about 3 weeks of being able to mix in households...then back to restrictions again.

This. And the weather was utterly shit during that short break from restrictions.

DS was in one of the year groups allowed back to school in June but his school couldn't accommodate his year group due to space.

So yes, some of us have had pretty much a year of this.

@loverof

'Irrational'? Charming.

You're 'the most careful person ever'.

You're definitely not. What you are is sneery & part of the problem.

The rule of 6 didn't come into force until September.

So over the summer we were allowed to meet outside with more people than that. Just googled it

We did a few (allowed) things over the summer, but seeing friends and/or family was more or less impossible, they live too far away and houses too small to socially distance.

Overall, the summer was obviously much better, than lockdown, and I was feeling more positive at that stage, but 6 weeks of enjoying ourselves didn't make the rest of the year less shit.

I will look back on last summer very fondly. Get togethers in my parents garden, including one for my birthday with a a delivery from the local italian.

A Bbq for my brothers birthday.

Holiday to Wales for 4 nights.

Lots of lovely walks with family and drinking in beer gardens.

We didn't know my dad had cancer yet.

Yep! Fond memories

There were loads of restrictions over the summer/autumn and lots of people followed them. I'm in Scotland and don't know anyone who went abroad or had a big gathering etc. I don't recognise some of the summers described on here, and we're not overly cautious.

@Iremembertheelderlykoreanlady

The rule of 6 didn't come into force until September.

So over the summer we were allowed to meet outside with more people than that. Just googled it

At some stage, I'm sure it was up to thirty people could meet up- I doubt I know 30 people

We had a week in a holiday house in this country, where I took my sewing machine and we did a lot in and around the house and garden, walked the beach a lot, dd went surfing a bit, but we only got takeaway meals if we didn't cook ourselves as there was still a prevalence of disease.

I went "down home" for 1 overnight to see my parents in early July. I managed to see 3 DSiblings in mid-December for a walk around a lake and swopping presents in the outdoor car park (including for extended family in various locations). So I delivered to DAunts and DUncles near me, and DSis delivered to our ILs near her etc.

I have had 3 meals in a restaurant since March. 1 was lunch with my temporary boss before we spent the afternoon and night in parliament for work (work canteen closed) in June, another lunch with 3 colleagues in September when I started in a different role internally, the last was dinner with DH in early autumn in our sports club. I would normally have a meal out at least twice a month and lots of mornings where I enjoy a quiet coffee enroute to work (there have been none of those at all).

No cinema, theatre, music events - again I would do a good few each year. I've been WFH so even when galleries and museums were open in town, I wasn't able to get there (and would often have visited on lunch break).

Almost no swimming as pools were closed or operating very limited access, so I got 3 just after Christmas before they closed again. And my daily walks (fast marches) to and from train station on my commute have not happened and I am too busy at home to get out for longer walks so I have put on over 3 stone (I'd managed to lose 1 over autumn/winter 2019 so that's all thrown away).

I have WFH throughout apart from a handful of days I needed to be in the office for parliamentary procedures. And I've been moved around to deal with emergencies caused by COVID so it has been particularly stressful - if I had "just" been doing my old job, it would have been manageable at normal office hours not mostly 10-12 hours per day and extra at the weekends.

And if you want to focus on the summer particularly, restrictions were not totally lifted, I was wfh so not able to get out like I usually do at work, pubs haven't been open here since last March, and as I said I was lucky to get a week away in not dreadful weather (and we drove so we had plenty of gear) and enjoyed the variety of rain showers passing through on a daily basis and managed to bbq twice wearing raincoats - it was too windy most evenings.

I still have 3 weeks of leave to use before the end of March, despite having taken 10 days over Christmas. But work is too busy so I will lose those.