Why I'm angry about the May parties at Downing Street - share your stories

[ThirdTimeIucky]

No agenda, just a whinge to demonstrate rhe millions of individual reasons people are angry about BYOB parties in Downing Street whilst the rest of us were in Lockdown. I've heard so many stories of loved ones dying alone, loneliness and heartbreak.

For me, when the party took place on the 20th, I had been struggling in a domestic abuse situation for months. In lockdown. I'd been on my own trying to deal with this situation. I felt like I was trapped. It was an incredibly painful and difficult time of my life. Three days later, feeling terribly guilty, and despite the restrictions, if went to my sisters as the situation had become so bad. But because of those restrictions, I stayed in that situation for so much longer than I should have done.

I was in hospital, alone. In April, my waters had gone at 26 weeks, and I'd had a massive bleed. My DH wasn't allowed into the hospital with me, either then, or on May 20th, when I'd been rushed back with another bleed and early labour.
Our non-local families were both told it was illegal for them to come and help look after our DD, and that they would be stopped on the motorway.

As I'd had a negative Covid test, I wasn't allowed to leave the ward. It was so hot, and we weren't allowed fans.

20 days later, my premature DS was finally born. He didn't see me without a mask until he was 15 days old. He was introduced to his big sister through a window. The only time he got to meet his Great Nan, was at her funeral, despite being 8 months old we'd not been allowed to visit her in her care home.

I've spiraled into PND and PTSD.

My little girl missed her seventh birthday party on the day of first lockdown and her eighth in second lockdown. They’re the last of her real ‘kid’, loads of people, pass-the-parcel parties. She missed them and she’ll never get them back and it’s shit and it’s worth it for the effort we all made.

Apart from those fuckers in Downing Street.

@camelfinger

These are all dreadful stories, it’s so sad to read them. In May 2020 I was so busy with work, the idea of partying simply hadn’t crossed my mind. I was doing a back office role (covid related) and felt so sorry for my front line colleagues who would have really deserved a party (if they’d had the energy and the inclination, given that many people were still getting seriously ill or dying).

I bet the party guests put their kids in key worker school while they nursed their hangovers. Just sickening.

Wouldn't surprise me!

I think everyone who's shared their heartbreaking story on this thread should write it on a piece of paper and send it to 10 Downing Street, London SW1A 2AA. Let them know what you were doing while they were making the most of the lovely weather.

I'm angry because my uncle died in hospital and we had not been allowed to visit him. As a large family I was unable to attend his funeral. Not long after my Mum was in hospital. I couldn't travel to see her and my sister wasn't allowed to visit her. She then had a second stay in hospital a few months later where the same applied. More recently my mother in law was taken in to hospital and died unexpectedly. Only one person was allowed to visit out of a large family. I was only able to see her once she died, with my 11 year old daughter stood by my side bravely.

@feathers7

I was working, managing a labour ward. We had to continue to provide normal service (no delays or postponing in our line of work..), plus factor in managing Covid patients. It was a frightening time, we had no idea of what numbers we would see or how covid would affect pregnant women or their unborn babies. My children struggled through home schooling, without a parent at home to help if needed. (DH also out at work throughout)

We followed the rules.

I am so angry that this government carry on brushing more and more blatant rule breaking aside. How on earth can BJ continue, when he does not have an ounce of credibility or the respect of the country!?

This disgraceful man needs to step down. Each time a new story breaks of his disgustingly arrogant behaviour and disregard for the general public, I think this must be it now. I really hope this is it now.

Almost the same here except I was running an antenatal clinic dept. It was absolutely hellish. We went from F2F to digital in 72hrs.

I worked relentless hours. Stuck to the rules. My little children struggled terribly and I saw no one.

@GingerGetThePopcorn I absolutely agree with that. And the newspapers should publish every shameful example of how people have had to suffer whilst others were attending cheese and wine parties.

I'm angry because every day in May 2020 we would walk past the padlocked play park on our daily walk. The government deemed it "unsafe" for our young children to sit on a swing yet they could have their drinks and nibbles.

I didn't get to go to my grandad's funeral.
My mum didn't go to her dad's funeral.
My grandad, a deeply religious man, wasn't allowed to go to the church part of HIS OWN funeral, he had to stay at the undertaker while the priest prayed alone in an empty church.

My first niece was born in May and I wasn't able to see her for months.

My baby developed such bad separation anxiety and fear of other adults that I lost my job as she couldn't be apart from me.

Other people had it worse though, we are lucky my grandad had family at the end.

These stories are just tragic. I am so sorry to read them. In May 2020 I was terrified for my daughter working with dodgy PPE -remember the bin bag aprons?? - on a ward full of desperately ill Covid patients. She had to cope with so many tragic deaths, and tell distraught relatives on the phone, all without the comfort of coming home to family, as she stayed away for months to keep us safe. There was so much suffering in the hospitals and it isn't over yet. I can imagine many, many of the staff will be left with mental health issues.

I'm not fussed. Their actions didn't cause other peoples misery.

Dh and I were wfh whilst caring for our pre-schooler. I was pregnant and suffering from sickness and fatigue. It was an awful time.
My poor son hadn't played with another child for 2 months and looking back I honestly think he was becoming depressed. No wonder as he was left alone to watch tv for hours while we worked.
It makes me so angry to think about.

I had a baby in April 2020 and at the time of these parties, I was struggling and overwhelmed with no support and no family to help. I went through 7 years of infertility and numerous IVF treatments to have my baby and when the time finally came, my husband wasn't allowed to be in the hospital with me (apart from briefly for the actual birth) and my parents who are local, couldn't meet her until she was 2 months old. It makes me so upset as I'll never get that time back.

I’ll never forget, towards the end of May 2020, dd (12) inviting her bff, who she had known since nursery, for a socially distanced picnic in the garden. She prepared two lovely little picnics and placed each one at either end of the table in the garden, because she knew all about the two metre rule. Then she say and waited. She looked so excited. I had tears in my eyes at that point as I realised she hadn’t seen anyone of her age for two months. She, aged 12, sat isolated in her bedroom for two months and those bastards thought they could have a party with 99 of their mates.

I was ranting at DH about this this morning.. I was so angry that I couldn't even explain why..

Also an HCP, manage community teams and while I was telling staff who were really struggling that they had to get support over teams to protect themselves, their families, our patients - we were even asked to Not even meet outside 1:1 while at work to support each other. They were going in to care homes, trying to support the carers who were in turn trying to keep their residents safe all the while families weren't able to visit while those fuckers were having drinks and nibbles in the sunshine. I had a new niece who I didn't meet until she was 8 months old, following the rules to keep everyone safe.

My experience pales into insignificance compared to some others on this thread, and thankfully my family have stayed safe - I'm angry for all of you, and sorry for what you have lost that you can't get back - what a disgrace this government is.

Just looked back at texts to my mum around that time. My then 3yo had had a dream about playing with his friend who he hadnt seen in 2 months and when he woke up he ran around the house looking for him.
My heart broke for him.

I'm not angry, but I have questions...
So many questions....

Christmas parties, garden parties, cheese and wine, bring your own drinks, driving 100s miles to visit family to test eyesight.... while the rest of us peasants do as we're told. And these are just the ones we've heard of, how many more....
I'm done with all restrictions, in living my life as I did pre-pandemic masks in the bin, no more not seeing family or listening to any restrictions our govt make.
The restrictions clearly are not meant to be adhered too

to everyone who has lost someone special or is struggling. It beggars belief how the PM can even face a camera and say there is an investigation (or enquiry) when he knows full well what was going on, and that the rules were for the rest and not for him.
We had a family party in March 2020 - the next time our family were all together again was March 2021 at MILS funeral. (We had only seen her once after diagnosis, because of lockdown and hospital rules) Bizarrely DH is not angry at the situation and thinks its a "storm in a teacup" (to be honest I'm almost as angry at him, as I am with the Government because I think he's likely to vote for more of the same come the GE)

roarfeckingroarr
I'm not fussed. Their actions didn't cause other peoples misery.

You may not be fussed but many of us are!

I'm so so angry, nothing even happened to me but just reading everyone's stories is just tragic. Agree they should all be sent to no 10

My dog had a devastating injury. I sat outside the vets in the car park, in that 'glorious weather'. My aircon had broken and I couldn't get it fixed because of the restrictions so she (and I) sweltered in the full sun, her semi-conscious and in agony.

I couldn't get her comfortable and felt so utterly helpless.

She was examined on the tarmac.

I had to give consent in the car park.

A stranger carried her in for what would be 6 hours of surgery.

I couldn't visit her afterwards.

I spent the days she was in hospital working 12 hour plus shifts getting the county's 'red clinic' for my speciality up and running. Just like I'd spent the weeks before then.

Fuck them. Fuck them all.

(She's recovered fine, as it turns out, but that's not the point.)

Flowers to all those on here who suffered so much.

My dd turned 11 the month of the party. She celebrated without any friends, already having missed out on all the special year 6 activities.

By late May, I hadn't driven or left my small village for two months. Truthfully, I was too scared and shocked to even walk the dog on our very quiet and rural roads, DH did it every day. My DC and I hadn't set foot outside our front door for two months at that point, the govt rules and press briefings were so terrifying.

My best friend was losing her mum to cancer at the strictest part of lock down. I wanted to go to her and hold her hand through the darkest times. She needed it badly. But like a fucking mug I obeyed the rules. I'm angry I bothered now.