Was life better under Lockdown ?

[yorksrob]

Yes on this Forum virtually every poll in connection with voting intentions a hotbed of Liberalism and Soft Left Socialism.

However this doesn't seem to extend to any priority or consideration of rewarding poorer paid workers for their contribution during the pandemic/lockdown.

Does it take a Scottish Conservative to suggest the following:

Statutory Sick Pay is immediately raised to the level of The Minimum Wage not £94.50 per week or whatever it is. The lack of this stopped a lot of people taking time off when they should have.

All workers on £10 per Hour or less who worked during the lockdown should receive a bonus of some sort for every hour worked....

Say £1 per hour backdated to the start....

Or a lump sum payment of £500.....

Why not both express your gratitude through your pockets.

Yes, I don't disagree with that. As it happens, I'm not in the cabinet though, so I've been supporting workers in the hospitality industry by frequenting pubs and restaurants (not to mention railway workers by travelling on the train as soon as the guidance allowed).

 

[Jamesrob637]

Only the quiet roads were nice. Not much else for me. Rather see a little traffic and know things are slowly resuming. However peak time congestion can F off so please people, continue to WFH even if only a couple of days a week - you'll help things enormously!

April and May both had nice weather but spring often produces nice weather anyway. I think it's the driest season of the year.

 

[Crossover]

I really dislike the kop out used by some politicians when they pretend that their direct instructions were actually just advice.

It wasn't a cop out - the advice all along was that "an hour would be enough for most people" (not a direct quotation)

How some chose to interpret it, however...

 

[Bletchleyite]

It wasn't a cop out - the advice all along was that "an hour would be enough for most people" (not a direct quotation)

That basically just came from the recommended daily amount of exercise and was only said because a TV presenter kept pressing Gove for it.

"Nobody gives a stuff as long as you stay away from other people" was the real answer.

 

[Crossover]

That basically just came from the recommended daily amount of exercise and was only said because a TV presenter kept pressing Gove for it.

"Nobody gives a stuff as long as you stay away from other people" was the real answer.

Indeed and it was blown out of all proportion. I enjoyed my 2-2.5 hour walks very much

 

[Mag_seven]

Was life better underlockdown? - not for me it wasn't. My personal circumstances meant that not being able to go anywhere nor meet anyone had a significant impact on my mental health. Not only did I have to cancel a trip to the USA with some other forum members that I had been looking forward to for months, but the sheer lack of social contact meant that I felt myself becoming "fed up with the whole thing" on a daily basis. It was a tremendous relief to be able to meet up with others over the last few weeks as the lockdown has been eased. I certainly don't want to go through another lockdown again.

 

[Skimpot flyer]

I quite enjoyed more socialising via Zoom etc with people I don't meet very often but should meet more. Indeed we've carried on with some of it though not quite as often.

Overall though I'd rather the virus went away, but unlike some I don't favour abolishing present measures until it does.

We’d never have guessed

 

[Merseysider]

It was a bloody miserable experience and not one I’d like to live through again.

Yes, the first week off work was a nice change, but after a period of time life became rather monotonous and dreary.

 

[Butts]

I live on my own and if I had been furloughed or working from home my views of the lockdown would have been completely different I suspect.

It would have driven me around the bend being stuck inside apart from the occasional foray to Tesco. Bearing this in mind I can understand why most people contributing seem to have had a negative experience during the period. I'm glad I had to work and got the chance to travel a little bit to take advantage of the reduced crowds everywhere.

However for those of us who had to traverse empty roads and City Centres it was a surreal experience. A bit like the aftermath of "28 Days Later" to start. I was just waiting for a hoard of zombies to appear. Thankfully they only seemed to be prevalent queuing to get into The Supermarket !!

The weirdest thing I saw was Heathrow Airport and all the surrounding empty car parks etc completely bereft of any signs of life.

Who knows it may return ?

 

[DelayRepay]

I hated it. I live alone and was working from home.

I will be honest, it was nice for the first few days. As someone else had said, a little bit like the lull between Christmas and New Year. But very quickly I came to hate it and am very happy that restrictions are being lifted. Whilst the current situation is very far from ideal, it is much better than it was in March/April.

The strangest thing for me: My industry is classed as essential (Financial Services) and my role was deemed critical in supporting the response to Covid. I was working from home, so did not need to travel, but I was issued with a laminated letter explaining that my role was considered essential by the FCA to show to the police if I did need to go to the office. I don't things ever got to the stage that such letter would be needed, but I will save it as a reminder of these strange times. Never in all my working life did I imagine being described as an essential worker, and never did I imagine that anyone would consider letters like that to be necessary.

There was also the effect on other people; my mum who lives on her own 100 miles away, my best friend who was furloughed and realised from day one that he would not be going back to his job, another friend who is a single parent with two young, special needs children. All of this worried me, and it upset me that there was nothing I could do to help them.

The only positive? I did finally complete some decorating that I'd been putting off since I moved in two years ago.

 

[Sean Davidson]

I miss the peace and quiet due to lack of road traffic also the fresh clean air.

 

[Bayum]

Any other key workers out there miss some of the benefits we enjoyed during the months between March and when things began opening again ?


Unrestricted travel across the UK by Plane Trains and Automobiles and even the odd Bus and Tram in my case.

Roads were empty as were the other public transport means of conveyance.

Streets were empty as were all stations and Airports.

Workplaces were bereft of the normal annoying distractions - employees !!


Since the "furloughed fusspots" have reemerged so have all the new restrictions, as some of them are terrified of venturing out and frightened of their own shadows.

Aside obviously from the deaths and serious illness to those afflicted with Covid 19 it was a great time to be "free"

Shielding and ‘teaching’ from home has been horrendous.

 

[Ianno87]

Lockdown was a grim experience - I have no desire whatsover to even countenance the idea of a second.

*But* there were a few nice things that soften the blow:

-Traffic free cities
-Relief of the constant drone of planes over London
-Space and order in supermarkets (after the toilet roll panic had gone away)
-Quiet, genuine quiet
-Just, for many, putting a bit of a handbrake on life and consider what *really* matters
-Enjoying green space (lockdown weather was very fortuitous for this)

 

[Skimpot flyer]

I was travelling to work (Royal Mail) and found it a novelty at first; quiet streets and virtually empty trains. It quickly became mind-numbing and the constant visual paraphernalia such as ‘keep apart’ stickers added to a sense of jeopardy - and I’m quite a strong person, mentally.
If I lived on my own and was under ‘house arrest’, I think I could have suffered a lot, having had depression in the past.
If there were to be a second lockdown, when the daylight hours are short and it is cold, wet and windy outside, I very much doubt whether people would weather it quite so well...

 

[DB]

If there were to be a second lockdown, when the daylight hours are short and it is cold, wet and windy outside, I very much doubt whether people would weather it quite so well...

I agree, and I think the number refusing to comply would be far higher than back in March / April.

 

[Ianno87]

I was travelling to work (Royal Mail) and found it a novelty at first; quiet streets and virtually empty trains. It quickly became mind-numbing and the constant visual paraphernalia such as ‘keep apart’ stickers added to a sense of jeopardy - and I’m quite a strong person, mentally.

I remember seeing a GWR guard comment on one of Geoff Marshall's videos, just saying how sick he was of running basically empty trains around with zero passenger interaction, socially distanced in the messroom etc.

I sense that whatever 'novelty' there was very quickly wore off...

 

[johntea]

My first experience of ‘lockdown’ was at bang on 18:00 during Sunday 15th March

I was in Amsterdam, went to a highly rated steak restaurant looking forward to tea ‘sorry no more diners the government have just announced we have to close down’

Within an hour or so the whole city had in effect closed down just like the flick of a light switch, even the ‘coffee shops’ got forced to close (although I believe they quickly had a change of plan in that regard to prevent street drugs!)

The next day at Schiphol Airport was just weird, everything apart from the bare minimum closed and hardly any passengers, a weird world when you can’t even get a Burger King before the trip home! A complete contrast to arrival on the Friday

 

[greyman42]

It was a miserable experience for anyone with a social life or people who liked to travel.

 

[Ianno87]

It was a miserable experience for anyone with a social life or people who liked to travel.

Zoom etc is a poor substitute for the face-to-face interaction that most human beings thrive on.

 

[Journeyman]

Zoom etc is a poor substitute for the face-to-face interaction that most human beings thrive on.

The widespread retreat into the virtual world has been really difficult for me. I find online interaction very difficult, with the technology forming a barrier between me and other people, and online social and cultural events are hopeless compared to the real thing.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Zoom etc is a poor substitute for the face-to-face interaction that most human beings thrive on.

It is and it isn't. I found it substituted fairly well because it made me more sociable than usual as I was able to socialise with people I know who don't live anywhere near me. It isn't as good, I agree, but the increased opportunities (which I suspect will continue at least in part) offset that to some extent.

 

[MDB1images]

However for those of us who had to traverse empty roads and City Centres it was a surreal experience. A bit like the aftermath of "28 Days Later" to start. I was just waiting for a hoard of zombies to appear. Thankfully they only seemed to be prevalent queuing to get into The Supermarket !!

The weirdest thing I saw was Heathrow Airport and all the surrounding empty car parks etc completely bereft of any signs of life.

Who knows it may return ?

In the first week of lockdown I took a selfie of me stood in the middle of the road at 17:50 on a Friday night on Princess Street in Edinburgh, I was the only person around and no traffic!

Was weird hearing all the wildlife noises in city Centres and breathing in clean air!

 

[route101]

In the first week of lockdown I took a selfie of me stood in the middle of the road at 17:50 on a Friday night on Princess Street in Edinburgh, I was the only person around and no traffic!

Was weird hearing all the wildlife noises in city Centres and breathing in clean air!

I was in Edinburgh on the 18th of March and it was already quiet

 

[Skimpot flyer]

Masked external expressions are a poor substitute for the face-to-face interaction that most human beings thrive on.

 

[Scotrail12]

It was a horrible experience and frankly I'd do anything to avoid another one (as much as I loathe masks & distancing). First 2 weeks were OK (like a vacation I suppose) but then it quickly wore off.

Bad for the economy and mental health. Couldn't do the rest of my uni semester, had to be stuck at home with not enough to do, very little social interaction, couldn't travel on train, could barely go more than a few miles from my house, no cinema, no gym, no haircut, no restaurants - not even fast food or Starbucks for 2 months, constantly around relatives who live in my house (which would grate on anyone after a while), insomnia due to lack of daytime activity, body clock went all over the place etc.

Pretty much EVERYTHING I enjoyed was banned, all because of a virus that would never affect me or anyone healthy in my age range and it began to have a negative effect on my mental health and sleep. Barely being able to leave my town was the worst bit - I rely on leaving and going out and about to keep happy.

 

[Crossover]

At a general level, one upshot was that at least we knew where we were. As in, the lockdown was consistent countrywide and with an apparent aim. That being as opposed to whatever this is that we are in now

I was probably a little more sociable in some regards during lockdown in phoning more people who I may not normally have done and also did more walking and exploring than usual (but was lucky that we’re surrounded with interesting places to walk, many rail related)

The fact that I was still working in the office one day a week was a bit of a godsend really as I got some direct interaction outside of the house and it was a ‘different four walls’ and I realise that I fall in the ‘more fortunate’ category on that front.

All said and done, however, would I/do I want to continue or re-live it - hell no!

 

[Ianno87]

Masked external expressions are a poor substitute for the face-to-face interaction that most human beings thrive on.

Masked but meeting people face to face is many, many times preferable to unmasked via a Zoom screen.

 

[bramling]

Masked but meeting people face to face is many, many times preferable to unmasked via a Zoom screen.

Trouble is, in my workplace I can’t diffuse a conflict situation via Zoom.

One of a number of reasons why I point-blank refuse to wear a mask.

 

[Ken H]

That was one of many cases where the rules implied by the government were at variance with the actual rules, but a lot of people took it at face value.

Dont think Gove helped here. Think it was he that suggested 1 hour once per day. but that was never the law.

 

[Ianno87]

Dont think Gove helped here. Think it was he that suggested 1 hour once per day. but that was never the law.

I think people wrongly interpreted the 1 hour guideline as a 'maximum' (but I'm not sure that was ever explicitly said) whereas really for health purposes *at least* an hour is advisable.