I'll be watching the announcement on 22nd with pen and paper. My selfish reasons are:

[Workyticket]

Mam of a 9 year old so obviously invested in schools return plans

GCSE teacher in a college so very invested in the exams farce

Our lateral flow testing plan is already a farce so hoping for more than 'test them if you can'

Meant to be getting married in July (postponed from last summer) so wondering about that too - although already accepted that we'll not be having the wedding piss up we planned

Are you watching for general reasons or specifics?

Tbh. I'm not.
Dd13 is prepped to not go back to school til summer term.
I have decided not to go back to the office til I've had my first vaccine. I'm 53, so that may be a while. I worked in the office til lockdown 3 but as it's in Kent, decided with vaccine in sight to do the sensible thing.
Have relocated elderly parent to 15 mins away so supporting her. Adult dd is due to havr a baby in April so will be travelling to see and support her.
Beyond that, what will be will be.

Social contact. Not even hugs and kisses. Just when can I walk in the park 2 metres from my in laws (who live 2 hours away).

And yes
I have a long list of stuff I want to do
But nothing else that I have to do.

I want to be able to sit in a cafe. Outside or inside I don’t mind. I want to be able to go out for a meal. I want to see people I love.

Plan for schools reopening between March and Easter. I'm assuming all back after Easter as definite.

Kids sport. My ds is a swimmer.

Not bothered by pubs.

And I love the outdoors so when we can sit and picnic and even do it with other people interests me but as it's still not weather for it I'm not too bothered about this one for now!

I'm mainly going to watching in the days after for how iGCSEs for private candidates and BTECs are being handled. Pretty much everywhere has been saying to wait until after the announcement on the 22nd, and I really would like for my DS1 and others to have more of an idea of what's going on. It's really draining how that's being handled.

Beyond that, I'm sure I'll find out what impacts us in due course, but I'll be watching the edexcel/pearson pages closely.

I need to hear that I can drive 15 mins to walk with my parents who live another 15 mins from there, without fear of being stopped and asked what I'm doing, or DH disapproving of me.

I've told DC that schools are after Easter so if they go back it's a bonus. I'm happy to have them at home, though DS11 has put on so much weight as he won't leave the house so he could do with some extra games lessons.

Couldn't care less about meeting friends, but family would be great.

DD13 wants to hit the shops and spend her Xmas money, she doesn't like buying online.

I just need schools open and kids sports on. I can cope with whatever Boris has to throw at me but my kids need their lives back.

My purely selfish things are:

I'm hoping 6th formers (yr12/13) doing practical/vocational subjects will be able to go back to college.
Dd's course is supposed to train her up enough to go directly into a job in her chosen field. It should be mainly practical using equipment at the college.
Obviously she's been unable to do any of the most important aspects of the course during the lockdowns.

Also driving lessons / theory tests please.

And being able to travel slightly further for exercise.

@ChikiTIKI

I lost interest long ago so won't be watching. Is there something special about the 22nd? I'm sure whatever important announcements there are will be "leaked to the press" in advance anyway.

The date is because the government has said schools will have two full weeks notice before further opening so 22nd allows 8 March opening.

My selfish interest is non essential shops and pubs/restaurants.

However education and children socialising are more important so if that means longer without a hair cut or drink in a pub garden so be it.

I won't be watching as I find Johnson's incoherent and patronising voice deeply unpleasant, but will follow along. I'm mostly keen to know when my 6 year old will be able to interact with another child, he really needs it.

I want to see my mum and get back to church.

A nice meal out would be lovely, too.

We really need to know how A level grades will be assessed.

Schools, got a year 11 DS and I want him to get a decent set of GCSEs. He’s worked so hard on his own at home and I’m really proud of him.

I work in non essential retail. Got a new job during lockdown 2, started, then lockdown 3 happened. So I’ve not been eligible for furlough pay. I was absolutely loving my new job, can’t wait to get back.

So many people worrying about being selfish - there's nothing selfish about wanting to get married or go on holiday, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting your normal life back. It doesn't mean you're a less honourable person. I want pubs, holidays, and to get my hair and lashes done and I don't feel remotely selfish about it.

My dc are doing really well with remote learning and as much as they would love to see their friends face to face they are in no rush to get back (big secondary over 1700 pupils).

I would like to meet up in the rule of 6 again.

Reopen dance studios so dd can get back to her lessons with friends rather than online.

Reopen pubs and theatres.

And have a date for international travel (have Florida booked for Christmas but not told dc in case it needs moving!)

I want my year 10 back in regular classes, even part time, not just as a keyworker child in a computer lab. I want him to be able to go back to martial arts (it was a small group, non contact, before lockdown) and to join Explorer Scouts. He left Scouts and was meant to move up last year but didn't want to go if it wasn't in person.

Furloughed for a year,
wasn’t called in during the times any of the Lockdowns were opened up again either.

Non essential retail, but it’s an outdoors shop and they’re up for a sales boomtime thanks to everyone staying in the UK for holidays this year, so I’m not worried about redundancy.

Also have two kids at early secondary one who’s changed schools during Lockdown so he’s desperate to start his new school, back with his old junior school friends.

A self employed husband. We’re probably in more debt than start of Covid year obviously, but have blown savings on a campervan ready for summer.

Our 11 year old was positive Covid during school term before Christmas but husband has just had his Covid vaccine (heart condition), and I’ve not been out once in my kayak for a year so for many reasons will be glued to the screen.

Feels like Churchill making a VE Day announcement tomorrow, it I expect it will just be everything staying the same until April 30th when it all gets released.

I want to go to my friend's funeral. She died today from covid and I know I won't be able to go under current guidelines as there won't be space. I want to hug her son.

not too fussed about (personally, though I know they are important to others, especially schools):
schools: one is in school anyway and one coping fine at home
pubs: not going to go for a long while anyway, even though miss birthday meals etc.
holidays: not until august so time yet
church: not too fussed about attending while it is all strict rules and no singing anyway. prefer online zoom or back to proper normal in about a year or so.

waiting to hear:
visit to family: want to see sil in her garden/ex's garden.
want to meet friends for coffee outdoors will do but exerciseing with friends is incredibly painful due to my medical condition.

My wishlist is:

• More kids to be allowed back at school
• Children's hobbies and playgroups to be allowed to re-open.
• Allow indoor mixing of households in private settings.
• Open the local skatepark............

For my DH's job I wish that hospitality would be able to re-open somehow.

I don't want much!

Unfortunately the things I'm looking forward to most are almost certainly way down the list.

Mixing indoors, as my parents (who have both been jabbed) live quite far away, so mixing outdoors would be a bit impractical.

Pubs and restaurants opening. Can't WAIT for that!

Yes, I want my dc back in school, but I'm really hoping for a staggered approach.

"Hoping for no silly arbitrary rule of 6 - 2 households would better and/or for single people to mix in groups of 3/4."

Better for who? God, "single people" in groups of 3 or us it 4, or are we a household? Does that include a bubble? - sorry, no, you're sillier than Boris.

@TwirpingBird same here, my family also live in the EU, haven't met my 5 month old, I had really wanted to go for an extended visit while on maternity leave. It is such a worry isn't it? And the one area where restrictions seem to be getting harsher.

My perfectly understandable (IMO) reasons for watching are that I want to know when I will be able to see my mum and other family.

My selfish (but also understandable, I think) reason is I want to know when stay at home/stay local will end. Because we’d like to book a holiday for May - haven’t been away since Feb last year. And, I bought a new car at the end of November lockdown, and I want to be able to drive it!!