Which specific moment from this will stay with you forever?

[RosieLemonade]

Positive or negative.

Free shows that were put on in the first lockdown.

Andrea Bocelli belting out songs as a camera showed aerial views of an empty Milan gave me goosebumps and made me feel sad.

For me it was probably the week that led up to the lockdown where everything that me, my dp and kids value getting cancelled one by one. Both kids had school trips scheduled that week - my dd cried when I told her it was cancelled. Then about 30 mins later my hockey games were stopped and I cried. Then the next day gymnastics was off, and on and on and on.

Coming in a close second is when I was given my at risk of redundancy letter (and then subsequently made redundant).

@Copperblack

I’m a foster carer and last April I got a call to collect a baby from a house where mum was about to be hospitalised with Covid. The emergency team were trying to get PPE for me to use to collect the baby but I wasn’t given permission to use it as I hadn’t been trained. I had to go into the house and collect the baby and it’s things while mum lay dying infront of me. I was horrified by the situation and terrified for myself and my family.

She survived and baby went home, we were ok but it was very frightening. Our Local Authority are currently refusing to vaccinate us as they don’t consider us frontline- not sure how more frontline I could have been!

Ring 119, tell them you are a foster carer, we have been recognised this week as key workers and pushed up the list.

recovering after a month long battle with covid.

Being really poorly at the beginning of March with suspected covid. Being quarantined in the spare room hearing my son playing downstairs. Trying to write a list of all the passwords to bank accs, sons saving accs, how to do the tax free childcare etc, just in case. Come night time when the street was quiet all I could hear was people coughing as lots of my neighbours were also sick.

The sense of community and massive efforts of people pulling together to help others in lockdown 1, the covid mutual groups, the scrubs being sewn.

A nurse at our local hospital died of covid fairly early on in April. The Thursday clap was dedicated to him, loads of people were beeping horns etc and you could hear the noise across town. Really poignant and bittersweet.

Y11 DD's school making a proper pig's ear of their last ever day. Other schools had impromptu leavers' dos but dd was threatened with isolation for a uniform infringement and they were bollocked for signing shirts.

The y11s I taught being confused and feeling short changed but managing to create a real party atmosphere on their last day.

Weekly zoom meetings with a group of friends to do Jay's pub quiz.

DH, who is vulnerable but not ECV, being told by his employer in February blast year that he was not allowed in the office and also not allowed to do the travelling which is a big part of his job.

Being extremely grateful that both DH and I have incomes that have been unaffected by the pandemic.

My sister who is single and lives alone, in tears a couple of weeks ago because it's been almost a year since anyone hugged her. She lives on the other side of the country and I miss spending time with her.

Making my daughter and family a huge blueberry pavlova, placing it carefully outside her front door, ringing the bell and walking away. When the children saw it, they ran towards me to give me a hug and my daughter shouted "Stay away from your grandmother!" I laughed it off but when I got to the car, I cried.
The good thing about this time? I caught Coronovirus and although I'm still coughing and wheezing, I know I have been incredibly blessed to have had it so mildly. Some neighbours have been hospitalized with it and my father's ex partner died of it. And best of all, my ancient father (who I see regularly) is well and my husband hasn't caught it from me.

The day I walked into the supermarket and there was literally no vegetables on the shelf

Bursting into tears in sainsburys in May 2020. It was just so nice to leave the house

My husband having his first Covid patients in at hospital that he was treating, then informing the school who literally pulled my son from assembly as they were so worried he could be spreading it. That was his last day at primary. Not as sad as it sounds, they had this awful Christian band in assembly that day and he was hoping something would beam him out of there.

Then watching the roll call of medics dying on the news and being utterly panic stricken. Funnily enough a year on he’s not knowingly had it. I was so worried though, we all felt like sitting ducks.

Just the feeling of waking up on the 24th March and knowing we couldn't/wouldn't be going anywhere for the foreseeable. Really strange and claustrophobic

My Y6 child having last minute shirt signing after school on the 20th not really knowing what it was about and parents standing around crying.
Going to the supermarket and people looking absolutely terrified, no eye contact and shelves empty.
Going back into the school I work at and the 20th March was written on the whiteboard for ages, like we had stopped in time.

A few weeks before the first lockdown and my dad was in hospital for surgery. They'd set up designated covid areas, although they weren't being used yet. He was in for a week post surgery and they had cordoned off a whole wing of the hospital during that time with signs saying "covid area - do not pass". Lastly, I remember paying for my parking at the machine in the hospital car park. At some distance away a lone man stood in the middle of the car park having a severe coughing fit. Two women near me started shouting at him that he was disgusting and shouldn't be out. He wasn't anywhere near anyone and it stuck me as really inhumane.

The day I got a positive Covid test result text message on my phone. I sat for about 10 minutes completely shocked before I could move and tell my DH. I'd convinced myself I didn't have it.

I look after my 5 grandchildren various days of the week, and am incredibly close to them. DH works on ICU and I'd told my kids that when he got the first cases I wouldnt risk him bringing it home and me spreading it to them. When he rang me to say the first case had arrived I was out with the dog and I remember sobbing my heart out in a field because I knew I wouldnt see them for what I thought was weeks. I'm not sure how I survived those 4 months of first lockdown, I was heartbroken.

The first time I had some symptoms and I drove 10 mins on a motorway for a test and it was a Sunday morning and completely empty. It felt apocalyptic and almost like a film.

Sitting at my mothers bedside in her last hours as she died from covid. I wont go into details but it will haunt me forever. Despite PPE I had a sudden feeling I would catch it.

Watching TV exactly 5 days later and thinking how tired and achey I felt and that I needed an early night. I woke up in the early hours feeling so ill I messaged DH at work on a night shift and simply said 'I feel really poorly, I've got covid'

One evening heading to the local Tesco express. Couldn't get a delivery so topping up. Everywhere was empty. Just a real sense that the world had shifted on its axis. So much had changed. So much wrong.

The second was taking my youngest back to nursery. After 3 months of lockdown it was so weird to actually go back to normal. Everyone was socially distanced and awkwardly silent. Then the gate opened and They put a balloon arch round the entrance. The teachers cheered as the kids entered one by one. I'm tough and don't cry. Ever. But I was struggling not to weep.

The latest was the phonecall that my mum is near end of life. She's got dementia and is in a home. I haven't seen her since last February half term. I suddenly realised I may not see her again. Or maybe to hold her hand and say goodbye. Probably in a mask.

@Harls1969

The worst thing, by far, has been my dad passing away (non Covid and very unexpected)and not being able to see my family, then having a reduced size funeral with no wake. Not the send off he deserved and awful that we can't all be together. Knowing this must have happened to many others only makes me more sad

sorry to hear about your dad . my auntie died suddenly last month , her ceremony was beautiful but having to socially distance from family or not to be able to have a wake in her honour was very sad . There is never good time to lose a loved one , but during this pandemic its a lot harder .

Another one - going into work (NHS) for the first time after 7 weeks off with covid. Felt really odd to be wearing shoes after weeks in bed then just indoors, and to see my colleagues but not be able to stand close to them. I cried.

Seeing children's playgrounds with keep out tape and notices around it. My children are older now but we spent so much time at different playgrounds and to see them closed this way, just made me feel so sad.

Making our own McDonald's chip bags after it was closed in the first lockdown.

Having to go to a neighbouring town for a dental appointment in the middle of lockdown 1 and just being amazed by all the closed, quiet shops and pubs and empty streets.

The first day myself and my colleagues had a Webex after going wfh. Just a lot of faces on the screen staring at eachother and wondering what the hell was going on.

Having to grieve for my father who died last week alone as my siblings live several hours away, and being unable to have a funeral for him due to quarantine requirements in near Europe & the UK. I really miss hugs right now.

@ThinkAboutItTomorrow
So sorry about your mum. I can’t imagine how hard that must be

Trying to explain to my 5year old that the reason she couldn't play in the street with all her friends and neighbours kids wasn't because no one liked her and she had no friends as she thought,despite her seeing and hearing everyone playing together a week into lock down. Still breaks my heart and fills me with rage remembering her upset and confusion.

curly I’m so sorry that is so tough. I’ve lost both parents a couple of years ago. My heart really goes out to you. One day at a time. Hope you and your siblings are there for each other as best as possible right now. Support all.

Oh star that really moved me. Bloody hell.