A year since the last weekend of normality - can you remember what you did?

[TheVampiresWife]

Well, relative normality anyway. The last before lockdown, the last night the pubs were open. Can you remember what you were doing? For me, nothing more exciting than desperately trying to buy basic food but all the shelves were empty. My local pubs were absolutely packed and I admit I was tempted to join them for one last hurrah but thought better of it. We also opened our kitchen bar on the Saturday night and made a 'quarantunes' playlist - there was a surreal sense of novelty about everything.

It's also a year since we were told that BJ was confident we'd send this thing packing in twelve weeks. I think (however naive it seems now, and how disbelieving I am of the government usually) I sort of held into that thought to keep me sane - goodness knows how I'd have felt if I'd known we'd still be in lockdown a year later. Probably for the best that I didn't!

I’d been off work for a week because it was my 40th.

I’d had a lovely night out with family the Saturday before and I’m so glad I did. On the Tuesday I went out for a meal with DH, then on Thursday I was staying at a spa hotel with my BF. The hotel was so quiet and we had the pool and sauna to ourselves. We chatted to the staff at the hotel about how worried they were for their jobs.

The next day was when panic seemed to set in.

I would normally have done the weeks shopping at Tesco but the shelves were bare. I tried Lidl and was lucky they’d just had a delivery so I stocked up on as much as I could.

That weekend was just a quiet one wondering what was going to happen.

We were thinking about having a meal out followed by trip to the cinema but decided against it. The weather had been beautiful that week and we had sat out in a cafe thinking how abnormally normal everything seemed.

I wasn't anywhere near normal. I had said a premature goodbye to my Y11 and 13 students and had no idea when school would reopen.

The final weekend I spent at my Nana's bedside as she was dying. She died at 5.55am on the 23rd March -the day lockdown was later announced. That day/time will be forever etched on my brain.

I'd gone through two weeks of absolute hell while she was in hospital, desperately trying to get everything organised to make sure she could have her final wish to die at home. Managed to get her home on the Thursday as we went into the final weekend before lockdown. I had also worked full time.

By the time she died on the Monday, I'd had about 6 hours of broken sleep out of 72. We didn't even have a full week's shopping in, let alone a stockpile. DH was picking bits up here and there between looking after DS and keeping things going at home.

It's weird when I think about it. Other people were stockpiling and worrying about covid while I was doing the above. It was like being in a parallel universe!

It was Mother's Day. I was in bed with covid :( I'd spent the past week visiting every supermarket I could trying to get enough food to feed my family for 2 weeks.

It was definitely not normal for us. We were already isolating as my youngest DS had a cough. My DD had very bad chicken pox and was really poorly and we’d spent a week trying to find calpol for her after all the panic buying. My eldest DS had gone to bed in tears for the last 3 nights because he couldn’t go to nursery. My cat was very poorly but couldn’t take him to the vets as we were isolating, had to get my mum to take him for us. Was a bit of a nightmare to be honest!

We were isolating too because DP had had symptoms, but he had done his 7 days so he went shopping. There was no milk or bread so he came home and made some bread. I’m looking in my diary now and that day, it said we had a game of cards and played Shithead.

Furlough was announced on the Friday night, as was the closing of all pubs, cafes and restaurants from midnight that night.

I remember all the “look at these idiots” social media posts about people going out to the countryside for Mothering Sunday. In my diary, I’ve written that Boris had told people not to go out but then at the same time, it was nice for people to get out in the fresh air.

We closed the doors to our restaurant......

We'd been away looking at schools ahead of a possible move. In a different school every day, tours of 10 or 20 parents in and out of classrooms.

We both remember that week as the last hurrah - meals, meeting friends in a park, carnival, hugging said friends. Very carefree, covid was just a phantom on the horizon really. In the airport on the way back we read that the city we were just leaving had their first case.

Ended up moving countries mid pandemic, was interesting but definitely worth it. Managed to escape the worst in both countries by moving when we did. My biggest regret was not getting straight on a plane to the UK last July when it was possible. Here we are 8 months later and wondering when it might be safe and feasible to see family in the UK again.

Also remember going to a business networking event and one woman being very cautious about 'this new flu' and talking about wearing masks. I thought she was bonkers. Have been wearing a mask every time I leave the house for 8 months now. Who'd have thought it?

I think a lot of you on this thread who remember going clubbing and did meals out etc must be remembering the weekend before this one tbh. All the pubs and restaurants shut from Friday March 20 (not sure if different for Scotland and Wales).

@PuppyMonkey

I think a lot of you on this thread who remember going clubbing and did meals out etc must be remembering the weekend before this one tbh. All the pubs and restaurants shut from Friday March 20 (not sure if different for Scotland and Wales).

The weekend before was my birthday and we had a night away from the kids in a fancy hotel. We got upgraded to a suite and had an awesome time.

Then we came home and we're faced with empty supermarkets

Went out for dinner and a concert with the dcs
Bellringing on the Sunday.

All things I miss so much!

@PuppyMonkey

I think a lot of you on this thread who remember going clubbing and did meals out etc must be remembering the weekend before this one tbh. All the pubs and restaurants shut from Friday March 20 (not sure if different for Scotland and Wales).

I definitely am - had our big night out on the 13th

Back in work (college) for rhe week but it felt horrendous. Really ominous - lots of students from around the world who'd already spoken to family in worse hit places and were wearing masks / gloves etc

I visited my mum. When we went to church noticed that one of the regular congregation was not there. Turned out as following his son's advice not to go, son working in a virology unit of a hospital.

Went to Argos to pick up a trampoline. It was a much warmer day. We cleared out the garden, built raised beds and spent 90 quid in the garden centre.

I remember the last day the schools were open before lockdown 1. DD was in pieces- her GCSEs had just been cancelled and there was no advice on how grades would be awarded. Plus for several years she'd been looking forward to a Y11 prom and post GCSE school trip which were clearly not likely to happen. I told her that if(!) they were cancelled we could arrange a party/weekend away with a group of friends later in the year when everything was back to normal (still waiting for this to be possible). She wanted to go in to town with her friends after school for some shopping and a coffee/cake and although I had my reservations I allowed it- assuming that it would be the last chance for a while.

My parents had decided to start shielding early (ECV) so I bought them a smartphone so they could video chat etc, set it all up for them, left it in a sealed bag for 3 days then dropped it off outside their door at the weekend. There had already been warnings on TV etc that it was not a good idea to visit family and friends so I was prepared to be challenged. Although they thanked us they were initially adamant that things would be back to normal in a few months so it was too much trouble to bother to learn to use it. I got the distinct impression they were a bit pissed off about me forcing it on them. They now use it all the time to video chat with all their grandchildren, share funny videos with the older grandchildren/friends and to swap copies of old photos with friends and family.

I don’t think it was normal at all for me, as a nurse the fear had started, we had been fit tested for fp3 masks at work with the now laughable idea that it would come in through overseas visitors and I was not doing anything but working and staying home. Can’t remember when we were fit tested but we had less than a dozen FP3 masks in the unit at that point so if we had got a case, we all would have been stuffed!

Incredibly it was 9 long months later before we actually got COVID on our ward. Really tough 9 months and lots and lots of scares and changes to practise though.

DH bought his computer home from work and hasn’t been back since. His workplace since has been our dining table.

Looking through my photos yesterday, we had a weekend away at the end of feb when it was all just starting to be an issue and a walk in a nearby town a week later, nothing after that so I think we just hunkered down. I was very scared at the start, convinced all our (older) patients would get it and die. It was such a tough time😔

One year ago today was the day the schools closed - FB says I was drinking vodka and eating crumble and custard for comfort

No idea what we did that weekend - I think some food shopping in preparation plus I think I did a big sort out in the house knowing that all 4 of us would be working and schooling from there for several weeks and we had very little space at the time due to lots of stock arriving for our online business.

Although it has been hard at times it has still been a good and very productive year for us. Our business is thriving (a bit too much as we both still have our normal jobs too) and we have gotten so much done around the house. The kids are doing pretty well and DD who is in year 11 has worked really hard for her GCSEs.

I just hope in a year from now we aren't coming out of another lockdown!

I probably just sat in, same as tonight.

Spent it in bed playing online scrabble whilst sick with (unconfirmed but obv was as had total loss of sense of smell, weird feeling like breathing at altitude and fever) covid.

Wasn't worried then, but was pretty unwell - just felt wrung out. Though retrospectively, knowing what we know now about oxygen levels, I think I was sicker than I realised. But I was lucky I was able to rest in a sunny well aired bedroom, had family to look after me and a Dr friend checking in with me regularly.

It also means I haven't spent the last year being scared of catching it - which I suspect has done wonders for my general wellbeing.

Clouds and silver linings.

We were isolating as DD and then DH had symptoms. Possibly covid but we'll never know. Wish tests had been available back then! (I was actually accusing DH of having man flu)

We did a few last minute trips to Sainsbury’s and filled the food bank trolleys, bought a tonne of M&S bits and did a plant sweep in B&Q. Operation spring clean kicked in.

Feels like 2 years ago.

I had Covid

We had more or less locked ourselves down a week early as DH is ECV. I got roasted on here for saying we had friends in the garden for a socially distanced cup of tea (it was still allowed!). The only outing I had was a dash to get DS from uni on the Thursday. We couldn't get a supermarket slot so had friends dropping food off on the doorstep & all sorts of bizarre deliveries. Plus the lovely lady from the corner shop dropped stuff off for us.

It was FIL 80th birthday in a local pub with a family gathering of about forty or so. MIL was on edge the whole day as some had just returned from Spain, and no-one was allowed to mention 'the virus!'

We had already been told the previous week that we would be working from home from 23 March .

I remember DS and DH were still in work , warehouse and manufacturing environment with no masks and no distancing and I was very anxious .

I had started stocking in a few extra tins a few weeks back from having read the prepping threads on mumsnet .

I remember visiting my mum in her care home the previous week thinking that it was starting to get unsafe . I think they stopped visitors the day after I went. That was the last time I was able to do a normal visit , as in hold hands , no masks .

DH's father had died a few days before (not Covid ).

I remember the Monday when lockdown was announced from that evening DS and his GF sat watching it upstairs, then she packed her bag and went back to her family home.

I can remember us chatting in the car on the way to FILs funeral, where there was only the 4 of us in attendance . We had been in lockdown for 10 days and it felt like forever .