Campus in Lockdown

Campus in Lockdown:

On the 26th March 2020 the UK government enforced a legal lockdown, in which everyone was asked to stay inside. Following this many students were forced to either move back to their family homes, or to remain in their on-campus accommodation. The lockdown rules slowly lifted over time and it became possible for the students to return to University for September. Due to this, many students moved into accommodation in the hopes that they may have a university experience that is slightly closer to normal. Unfortunately, this was not necessarily the case. We will explore some of the problems that they encountered.

Exhibit 1- Food Parcels

In the Autumn term of 2020, many students returned to their campus accommodation for a well needed change of scenery.[1]  Following this the universities predicted an inevitable increase in the spread of Covid 19, as people from different arts of the country were coming together to live in close proximity to one another. Due to this, students were forced to self-isolation if they, or someone in their household, was thought to have coronavirus. Consequently, the students did not have access to the shops and often relied on systems implemented by the university to provide them with food and essentials. Many universities set up systems to cope with this where covid-free volunteers would deliver food to self-isolating students. The packages themselves became controversial following some students posting pictures of their food packages on social media. While most universities had provided a variety of meals/ food options, some had only provided junk food with little to no variation between meals. One student received very little other than pot noodles and crisps, implying that these would be her only options for breakfast, lunch and dinner for the entire 14-day period. Despite this, some of my friends were put in this position and they were given a generous selection of food for their whole household. It was nice to know on a personal level that lots of people were being looked after by their university, including my lovely friends.

Exhibit 2- phone

Students’ phones became a lifeline in lockdown as many remained on campus contained to their rooms or households. This meant that they did not have access to friends or family that they did not live with. While many students went home for lockdown, many were unable to do this due to travel restrictions or poor circumstances within their home household. On top of this, many first-year students were moving in with strangers. This meant that

there was no guarantee that they would get along with any housemates. These students were left with a very lonely environment that often led to a decline in mental health. For these students, access to social media and video calls were essential for gaining access to loved ones. While I spent much of lockdown with people who I love, it was still very difficult for my access to anyone I did not live with to be restricted. This means I can only imagine what it must have been like for some of my peers who were forced to go through lockdown essentially alone. I know that for one of my friends in particular, her housemates were not nice to her and access to friends and family through her phone got her through the hardest parts of lockdown. Phones also provided access to current events which were incredibly relevant throughout lockdown for both lockdown restriction updates and access to the many social movements that occurred during Coronavirus.

Exhibit 3- Laptop

For students on and off campus laptops were often the only access to lectures and seminars that we were allowed. This made them incredibly vital to our University experience. My course is very reading based and therefore online learning was inconvenient, but possible. Many people have had far more difficult learning experiences if their courses are based around physical learning. For example, people who needed access to art supplies or lab equipment would struggle to get these. Furthermore, many medical students have struggled with gaining basic training. Despite this, I know people who were called up to be front-line hospital staff during the worst parts of the pandemic. This led to students dealing with emotionally distressing encounters before they were necessarily prepared for this. Similarly, if a student did not have access to a laptop during this period, then completing any university work and accessing the lectures would have been very difficult. Many clubs and societies also had to move online and this made laptops essential for meeting new people and joining in with the social aspect of the university experience.

 

Exhibit 4- Personal protective equipment (PPE)

Over the course of the pandemic, I think most members of the public have become very used to using personal protective equipment regularly. PPE includes masks, gloves, visors, aprons and more, but the average person will be most familiar with facemasks. During the pandemic, views on facemasks have differed drastically, but due to government instruction they have been essential for entering any indoor establishment. These include, shops, hospitals, workplaces, etc. Campus was no exception to this rule. Due to lockdown restrictions, I did not go onto campus very often, but when I did it was generally to visit the library to get work done. This meant interacting with the new Covid 19 precautions and adjusting to the change of atmosphere on campus as it was far quieter than usual. There were hand sanitiser pumps at the entrances and arrows on the floor to ensure that everyone was spread out. Similarly, masks had to be worn until you are in your seat. This was strange because while these things weren’t unexpected, they changed the atmosphere of the library as now everyone was concerned about staying safe. These feelings of tension wore off as time went on and everyone became more used to the changes. In many ways this reflected the attitudes towards the pandemic as a whole, as people were slowly adjusting to the new normal.

 

Exhibit 5- News articles regarding students

Students became the subject of a lot of speculation regarding the increased Covid 19 cases nearing the end of 2020. Young people were easy scapegoats as the rate of Covid 19 cases were higher among ages 0-29.[2] This could be explained by the movement of students into mixed accommodation following government permission. As people from different households, often from different parts of the country, came together, an increase in Covid 19 cases was inevitable. Similarly, I know many people who were given unclear or unreasonable instructions from their universities on how to conduct themselves within their new accommodation. My friend was told to stay within her room for two weeks and not mix with her housemates at all until after this isolation period. This would not only have been incredibly lonely, but also almost impossible as she would be sharing a kitchen and a bathroom with her housemates. This meant that many university households struggled to maintain these rules and therefore Covid 19 cases increased. The media storm that erupted from the increased number of Covid 19 cases largely discussed the students themselves being to blame and suggested that it was due to the students poor behaviour and lack of respect for Covid 19 rules. This meant that many students (especially those who already struggled with their mental health) felt disheartened and abandoned by the government and the society that had turned against them. Morale among students fell even further following this.

Visitor Challenge: If you could have one item that you could not get through lockdown without, what would it be? Please leave a comment we would love to hear your ideas.

[1] Return to uni in Autumn term 2020

[2] Gov.uk, “Covid-19 confirmed deaths in England (to 31 December 2020): report” https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-reported-sars-cov-2-deaths-in-england/covid-19-confirmed-deaths-in-england-to-31-december-2020-report (accessed 20/04/2021)

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Campus in Lockdown

Partying during Covid-19

Introduction.

Lockdown has redefined the concept of parties as we know it. As someone who lived alone and with my family during the lockdown, my perception of a party has shifted. Pre-covid, it perhaps meant a gathering of 50 or more people, drinking alcohol, dancing to music, and playing games. Post-Covid, however, as we were all relegated to isolation, I could no longer party in that way. So recreational socialisation took place online. As parties are typically enjoyable events, they must therefore be desirable for most people. Ostensibly under Covid-19, people did not change; they still wished to drink, listen to music, and play games. Yet, the regulations around the pandemic removed opportunities to do so. For some time, people could only meet in small groups, at other times not at all. For partying to continue, parties would have to change. I have chosen to define a party as an organised social event with the intention of relaxation or recreation.

To explain how I experienced partying during the pandemic, I have chosen five items that I deem relevant. They are a bottle of alcohol, a laptop, a games console, an internet router, and a Covid test.

Alcohol

Before the pandemic, alcohol was closely linked to partying; one could argue that alcohol is a defining aspect of a party; this rule didn’t change when Covid-19 hit. The parties I attended incorporated alcohol just as much as it did before. My friends and I all still drank at the same time, just not together. We would often be on voice chat. The experience of interacting with inebriated friends was comforting and familiar, an invaluable feeling during the pandemic that left so many of us feeling alone.

While alcohol consumption was not an issue for me, this was not the case for everyone. The majority of people who drank during the pandemic did so while being physically alone, even if they kept communication with people online. This isolation vastly lessened people’s ability to hold their peers drinking habits accountable. 28% of Brits, when surveyed, said that they drank more alcohol during the lockdown, and 38% of people who drank heavily pre-pandemic were likely to consume even more (Alcohol Change UK). On a personal level, it made me nervous not knowing what my friends drinking habits were in private. As we couldn’t see each other, we just had to have faith in each other that we would all be honest about our alcohol consumption.

A laptop

My laptop was my most important tool for socialising with friends in a party context. This importance is due to two main pieces of software, my web browser and my preferred VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). VoIP’s allowed my friends and me to be on call to each other, which we found to be a more natural method of communication than via text messages, and therefore better for a party environment. Web browsers connect to the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web holds an immense amount of resources for making online parties more fun, for example, with online drinking games or relatively simple multiplayer web games. A typical party night would consist of us all being on the same VoIP server and playing a selection of such web games while drinking and bantering about our (in)ability in the games. I cannot overstress the importance of VoIP’s. Without the ability to hear my friends’ voices, I don’t believe I would have had any level of fun as I ended up having.

A video-game console

Covid-19 removed the possibility for large scale parties to take place, and as such, all my parties have been exclusive with my close-knit friendship group. This change of dynamic has benefited the party atmosphere compared to the much larger parties of acquaintances and strangers of the pre-covid days. For me, that main advantage has been that my friendship group has many shared hobbies, including playing certain video games. My covid experience can be separated into two categories – being at home with my family, and being at home in my student house. For both types, games consoles played a part. When at my family house, I would play online video games, and when at my student house, I would play local multiplayer video games. I played video games far more often when at my student house than when at my family house, but that is likely due to the added joy of being in the same room as my housemates. Partying with video games is notably different from partying with online web games. Video games tend to be far more mechanically complex than web games and require more focus than their web equivalent. When I was using my games console at a party, it was the focus of the party.

An internet router

Although nothing could completely recreate the feeling of an in-person party during the pandemic, nothing would have even been able to come close without the internet. The internet was crucial for running so much of our pandemic life, especially true for any socialisation. Being what connects local networks to the broader internet, Internet routers remain essential pieces of hardware in a house. If any household hardware malfunctions, the router ranks amongst the top for noticeability. The routers at both houses I stayed at during the pandemic were of relatively poor quality, and so, my connection to the internet was poorer than my friends. This poor connection led to a form of isolation. My router did not have the upload and download speed to run multiple things simultaneously; for example, I could not be in a voice call with my friends and simultaneously watch online streaming services, whereas they could. This lack of bandwidth excluded me from ‘watch parties’. In total, it was a relatively mild exclusion, but had my bandwidth been much lower, I would have lost out on a lot of enjoyable moments.

 

A Covid test

Nothing could completely recreate the feeling of an in-person party during the pandemic. More generally, talking to the online representations of friends could not recreate the feeling of being with them in person. Due to this, I seized any available opportunity to meet with friends. For the most part, this consisted of one-on-one meetups, which I believe would stretch the definition of a party, but there were a select few times that I could meet up with a more significant number of people. These times stay in my memory as the best events I went to, and the closest thing to the joys of the parties of old. When these few events happened, they had to be socially distanced, and we had to prepare for these in advance by getting Covid tests. Any form of the in-person meetup was a risk, and due to having to rely on the trust of the other people to have gotten the test, these meetups remained a thing only done with my closest friends.

 

Visitor questions:

Can you define a party? Does a party of only two people seem absurd? If so, what do you consider to be the smallest number of people to constitute a party?
Did you have any parties during the pandemic? If so, did any party feel as good as a pre-pandemic party? If so, do you know why?

I’d love to hear answers to any of these questions that interest you in the comments!

Bibliography

Alcohol Change UK. ‘New research reveals that without action  lockdown drinking habits may be here to stay’. https://s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/files.alcoholchange.org.uk/images/Lockdown-easing-press-release-FINAL.pdf?mtime=20200702175422&focal=none (accessed 29 March 2021)

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Partying during Covid-19

Summer 2020

Looking back at summer 2020 it almost feels like an anomaly, compared to the hardship the world has been through. It showed us a sense of freedom and the idea that life was going back to normality, with restaurants, pubs and leisure activities finally opening. However, the fear and harsh reality of Covid-19 still persisted throughout society. Restaurants and pubs, suffering from closure during lockdown opened with new plans to help the economy. Museums that felt a significant impact due to Covid-19 began to resort to other platforms such as Twitter and also using online exhibitions (Kahn 2020). Holidays in Britain saw a surge of new visitors trying to enjoy the luxury of a holiday within British shores. This collection will show my perspective and experiences throughout summer 2020 and how I made the most of the freedom we were given by the government in our everyday lives. The impact summer 2020 had on me is the reason I chose this topic, it allowed me to feel like life was heading in the right direction, giving hope that Covid-19 was finally going away. But, freedom, wider social contact, and meeting family seems like a world away now, being brought back into another lockdown months later.

Exhibit 1. Shots

The shots have a hidden story behind the meaning, for many of us, summer 2020 was a time we could socialize and reunite with friends over drink and food. However, this was still restricted by a group of six only and in a safe distance away from others, but the small freedom the government gave was a blessing. But in my experience, this was taken for granted. Where I lived a new underground bar opened up and word started to go around this was the place to be. Walking into the bar I finally understood why it became so popular, it was not following Covid-19 rules. Masses of people from all levels of society gather in the downstairs of the underground bar, ignoring social distancing, cramped into every little corner. The impact this had on me was the realisation of how dangerous this could have been and it brought back memories of being unable to contact my nan. The one night out breaking the rules could have cost me the life of my family and this realisation kicked in almost immediately, prompting me to never go back to the bar.

Exhibit 2. Pizza

Every time I visit my favourite restaurant it brings me back many memories of August 2020 when the government introduced the eat out to help out scheme. This scheme was amazing especially for bargain hunters just like myself, as it entitled us to get 50% off our dinner on Monday, Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I thought this was a great idea I could finally go out and enjoy some food but for half the price is even better. But it was all good to be true. Queues upon queues of people lining up to grab the chance at a bargain, it was chaos, especially in the shopping centres. Luckily the first time I went out when the scheme was on, I had booked, but I was not always so lucky. It reminds me of the time I ended up waiting an hour and forty-five minutes for a table, would I do it again? Probably not. But even when I was on my lunch break at work, I struggled to even get lunch as many of the fast-food places were offering the discount too. Looking back this scheme had a lot more negative impacts than positive ones, as cases started to rapidly rise again, highlighting the chaos of the scheme.

Exhibit 3. Sea Glass

The collection of sea glass and shells have an important memory behind all of them as throughout summer 2020 visiting many of England’s beaches became one of the most exciting holidays for me. Each time I would visit a beach or a new location I would find either a shell or sea glass that took my eye, which I would later put into a small jar at home. This began to fill out pretty quickly, many beaches I visited I had to come back to again as they were beautiful and an escape from reality. One of my most favourite places was Hastings and it still is today. Many times, I competed against my friends at the mini golf on the seafront, which unfortunately led me to lose most of the time. Also, I created many memories through collecting my parent’s odd change to spend in the arcade, to only coming back with some small but funny keyrings and figurines. This type of entertainment is something I do not experience often but making the most out of the beaches and seafronts gave the imagination and escape of a holiday, something we all missed in summer 2020.

Exhibit 4. Name Badge

As insignificant as a name badge can be, working in retail the badge is the only sense of my identity in the shop. During summer 2020 the government decided to ease the lockdown and retail shops were now able to open their doors. For me, this was a drastic change from being indoors to now being surrounded by people of all ages to children and adults. It was great to get back to work but the safety behind the staff was scarce, consisting of a small plastic visor and gloves if needed. In my eyes, this was not enough to keep us secure and safe in the masses of crowds that would visit our store each day. Furthermore, working inside a shopping centre made it worse due to the crowds lining up to come inside. Many caused issues and disturbances leading to me calling security one too many times. Even though working throughout summer 2020 was stressful it also gave me a sense of normality and freedom, due to most people being on furlough I think many were excited to enjoy work again.

Exhibit 5. Cards

Being unable to spend time with your family was one of the most heartbreaking moments during the lockdown, but in summer 2020 we were able to socially engage in a small bubble with our family. The thought of having a big family dinner and BBQ during summer was a long wish away, but luckily, I still had the opportunity to see my grandparents. As my nan quotes “Covid-19 has made me feel lonelier than ever, as you forget how grateful you are to have a loving family” and her saying this emotionally hit me. Throughout summer 2020 after the loss of my grandad, I tried to see my nan as much as I could and we would spend a few hours a day playing cards and games in the garden. This small little activity of cards meant a lot to not only my nan but me as well as I could take the time to appreciate how lucky I was to still have her here and not suffering the consequences of covid-19. I think for many people over the summer it came a time where we appreciated family the most and took the time to see and look after one another, especially looking after the family member who lives alone. Like my nan, I am sure she will always be very grateful for me coming over for a few games of cards.

Visitors Challenge: Looking back at your own memories of summer 2020 what impacted your life the most? Did the restrictions stop you from enjoying time with your family and friends? And if you could go back to summer 2020, what would you change and why?

Bibliography:

Kahn, Rebecca, 2020. ‘Locked Down Not Locked Out -Assessing the digital response of museums to COVID-19’ Impact of Social Sciences Blog, http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/104856/1/impactofsocialsciences_2020_05_08_locked_down_not_locked_out.pdf [Accessed 05 March 2021].

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Summer 2020

The Post-Pandemic World

It is winter 2021, and the prospect of a post-pandemic world is in sight. Owing to the mass roll out of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine in the UK, a total of 8,977,329 individuals have currently received an inoculation (BBC News) that is at least 70% effective in protecting people from COVID-19 (GOV.UK). For many, the vaccine is a symbol of hope that “brings us one step closer to normal” (BBC News). However, for others it is a sign of apprehension which drives the fear of reintegrating back into society to the forefront of their minds. I am one of those individuals. As both a student and a sufferer of social anxiety, the transition to online learning in spring 2020 was the silver lining in an otherwise uncertain and frightening situation. With this in mind, the anticipation of in-person teaching resuming in the not-too-distant future makes my feelings towards a post-pandemic world bittersweet. Whilst I am uneasy about my return to society, I am nonetheless grateful that activities once taken for granted, such as dining out with family, will recommence. Therefore, although it is recognised that “[it is] normal to be nervous or even feel guilty about reconnecting” (Psychology Today), I nevertheless experience remorse that I am hesitant to progress into a post-pandemic world due to my anxieties. This is because, for others who have lost their jobs or loved ones to COVID-19, the prospect of a post-pandemic world could potentially offer a chance for them to rebuild their shattered lives.

Exhibit 1.  A Person Wearing a Face Mask

Photograph taken from: https://theconversation.com/should-everyone-be-wearing-face-masks-its-complicated-135548

Like the COVID-19 vaccine, face masks will play an invaluable role in allowing humanity to progress into a post-pandemic world. However, comparably to the COVID-19 inoculation, face masks present difficulties for those who struggle with their mental health. For example, in between the UK’s first and second lockdown I went out, but within minutes I was forced to retreat and return home due to the immense feeling of claustrophobia and anxiety I felt whilst wearing a face mask. The possibility that face masks will be with us even once we have moved into a post-pandemic world, in order to prevent the virus from resurfacing, makes me feel nervous about our progression into this society. The thought of struggling with claustrophobia and anxiety whilst I am out with the intention of enjoying myself is disheartening. Nevertheless, the reason for wearing a face mask in a post-pandemic world will be paramount, ensuring the world is not plagued by COVID-19 once more.

Exhibit 2.  A University of Kent UNI Bus

Photograph taken from: https://www.flickriver.com/photos/loughtonkid/47178830821/

For many, before the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc upon students’ lives, using public transport was just another aspect of our everyday life. Yet, during the strict lockdowns of spring 2020 and winter 2021 in the UK, non-essential travel was not permitted. This included travelling for educational purposes, unless you were travelling in order to study specific subjects, such as medicine or social work. As I am not studying any of these subjects, I no longer required the services of public transport. However, in a post-pandemic world students’ demand for public transport, such as the University of Kent UNI Bus, will drastically increase, as the ban on non-essential travel will be lifted. This will present new challenges for individuals with anxiety. Having not used public transport for a prolonged period of time, the concept of having to suddenly go back to the close contact environment with other passengers on buses and trains will be frightening.

Exhibit 3.  A COVID-Secure Restaurant 

Photograph taken from: https://news.yahoo.com/star-french-chef-comes-covid-safe-restaurant-001206165.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmluZy5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAANWKO0UGlPKpUusVXhsxxnoAUUtRLVF08L1W1UOy7srjRerAs-MBhfkbIwnVKEl6WMkEhHo5n8wz6JThDwU-Onbc3oh9_bWYpMTyw4FLbIko14OtnvJzPMRtwCiKEjCoaPQWALb3NFyJ-Vsflnzw4QD7L3J44EaMv-me06R1p5cX

Eating out with friends and family is an enjoyable experience. However, during the pandemic eating out was not an option as restaurants were forced to close in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. Many restaurants offered takeaways as an alternative to eating in the restaurant, but it is not the same. Eating out is not just about the food, it is about socialising with the ones you love, something individuals could do very little of during the pandemic. Therefore, the prospect of restaurants reopening and being able to eat out with family members that I have been unable to see for a year due to the COVID-19 restrictions is very exciting. However, it is likely that when restaurants do reopen people’s experience of eating out will be altered, due to reduced numbers being allowed in the restaurant at any one time and plastic screens being placed around tables to help prevent further spread of the virus.

Exhibit 4.  An 80th Birthday Party

Photograph taken from: https://birthdayfrenzy.com/80th-birthday-ideas-for-grandma

There are many things I am looking forward to, and feeling anxious about, in the post-pandemic world. Celebrating my grandmother’s 80th birthday is one of the things I am most excited about. As was the case with most people around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face birthday celebrations for the ones we love had to be put on hold due to government restrictions, which was emotionally difficult and really heart-breaking in the case of every birthday we wanted to celebrate, young or old. Some families were in the position to use technology in order to celebrate virtually, but not everybody, especially the elderly, were in a position to celebrate in this way. However, it now means that the prospect of celebrating the lives of our loved ones in person in a post-pandemic world gives us something to look forward to, and perhaps we will not take our loved ones as for granted in the future.

Exhibit 5.  A Beach

Photograph taken from: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/vr-splice-j/05/c2/36/cd.jpg

Just being able to travel to the beach for a walk was something so many of us took for granted before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, when the government imposed strict restrictions on travel so that we were only permitted to go out for essential reasons, such as to obtain food or medical supplies, journeying to the beach was out of the question. Therefore, in the post-pandemic world I will be overjoyed to finally be able to visit the beach with my family and my dog. The thought of experiencing the simple childish delights of playing with the sand and searching for shells is very comforting during this stressful time. The smell of the sea will ignite memories of a care-free time pre-pandemic; however, it will also remind me of the challenges with anxiety I have experienced over the past year, and are likely to experience in the post-pandemic world.

Visitor Activity – Words of Hope: The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenge for everyone. To help support and encourage others, leave some words of hope for the future.

Bibliography:

BBC News. ‘Covid-19: Record day for UK vaccinations as total nears 9m’. BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55881092 (accessed 01 February 2021).

GOV.UK. ‘Government asks regulator to approve supply of Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine’. GOV. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-asks-regulator-to-approve-supply-of-oxfordastrazeneca-vaccine (accessed 01 February 2021).

Psychology Today. ‘Reconnecting After COVID-19’. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/mind-matters-menninger/202010/reconnecting-after-covid-19 (accessed 02 February 2021).

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on The Post-Pandemic World

Extra-Curricular Activities During Covid-19

As a response to the developing Covid-19 pandemic on the 23rd March 2020 the United Kingdom government introduced lockdown legislation across society, instigating some of the most restrictive measures of social control since the second world war (HM Cabinet Office, 2021).  Laws restricting movement and urging households to stay at home, only going out for food shopping and exercise for one hour daily.  Businesses, schools and retail outlets were closed with few exceptions.  Whilst feeling significant amounts of anxiety and worry the general population had to adapt to new ways of socialising, learning and working.  Such was the UK Governments concern much research was commissioned to understand in detail how they were coping (Vizard, 2020).  With much time spent at home new experiences were forged creating new ways of doing previously familiar things, reviving family and community experiences in a wide variety of new and often exciting ways.  At the same time some were left isolated and alone, struggling to cope.  Additionally, people had more time to reflect on their lives and what was important to them.  This exhibition attempts to capture some of those thoughts, reflections and experiences, even as lockdown continues……..

Exhibit 1.  Walking Boots

“You don’t know what you’ve got until you’ve lost it” was a slightly cryptic phrase my mother would sometimes use.  With lockdown urging just one hour of exercise a day the simple act of walking became suddenly valuable beyond any previous consideration.  An entire population now had to think about how they would use that hour. Walk, run, skate plus any number of alternatives.  For me the boots now meant a practical freedom, but they were also a link to better times.  Walks cursed when lost, revelled in when at their best. But also, a promise of better times ahead, maps spread across the dining table, future adventures to be planned.  Seeing the boots so worn, I realised that replacement would have to wait until lockdown was lifted if I was to avoid buying online.  That sparked the interesting thought, “what would have happened if the pandemic had arrived prior to the internet”?

Exhibit 2.  Teacup

Unable to find new experiences outside the search for novelty at home began to take increasingly strange turns.  Some started to bake and focus in the kitchen, family mealtimes returning to regular events that had previously been lost to fast food and tv dinners.  Others took up knitting, sewing and a variety of creative home crafts.  For me the simple act of making tea developed into an increasingly varied and complex custom.  Different types of tea, bag or loose leaves, variety of cups and pots all became increasingly fun and significant to me for reasons I couldn’t begin to understand.  It was almost a desperation to find some fulfilment in even the most everyday tasks as the world had become reduced to such a small and narrow footprint.  It was also an act of community, coming together every now and then for some tea and a chat in ways that had been taken for granted previously.

Exhibit 3.  Silver Pen

A strange phenomenon of life under Covid was the way routine actions could become more ritualised and take on a significance previously unrealised.  Whilst writing daily for study I took to writing poetry for the first time in years, exploring thoughts and feelings almost in meditation.  Unable to go out freely my mind increasingly turned inwards, and writing provided a positive outlet.  Unsure of the motivation the act of writing became a ritual.  At the same time of day, using a silver pen my father had given to me, feeling closer to him as I explored my experiences of the day or fumed against some perceived frustrations or injustices.  Almost feeling that with the pen in my hand I was holding his hand and facing the realities of the day together.  Beyond the words on the page the ritual itself became important, time with my father rather than simply missing him.

Exhibit 4.  Books

Unable to venture out books became the road to other worlds.  Whether factual, explaining the workings of politics or DIY or fiction, or providing escape to more exciting lands.  Books became the tickets to alternative realities, beyond the fears and uncertainties of the Covid pandemic.  However, the experience was bitter-sweet.  Just as they provided the means of escape books also served to remind just what was being missed in the wider world.  Where the books contained pictures, all were captured in a world before Covid, forcing the realisation that the very same pictures would now be pock marked with facemasks or socially distanced.  Almost regardless of time or place the world had quickly come to share a common fate in the most visible of ways.  This begged the important question; “when would the world return to normality”?

Exhibit 5.  Chess Set

The search for entertainment quickly extended beyond Television.  Interestingly, game consoles were ever popular, but lockdown sparked a renaissance in home entertainment with alternate forms of leisure being reawakened. Online Zoom quizzes became a weekly occurrence for many, whilst the price and availability of jigsaws briefly matched that of a housing boom.  Board games were dug out of lofts as families returned to an almost Victorian enjoyment of pastimes.  In some ways this seemed to capture the experience of the pandemic, a return to family traditions providing some degree of warmth and certainty in what had become a scary and rapidly changing world. Personally, a return to chess provided a wonderful balance between competition and socialising.  Gentle conversation sometimes developing into argument, while trying to focus on the board and the detail of different moves, regardless of the outcome, a chance to get lost in thoughts and forget the outside world.

Visitor Challenge:  If you could contribute one exhibit from your own life, to reflect your own experience of the pandemic, what would it be?  What thoughts and feelings does it raise and why? Please do feel free to leave your comments.

Bibliography:

HM Cabinet Office (2021) National lockdown: Stay at Home.

Vizard, T. (2020) Coronavirus and the Social Impacts on Great Britain.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off on Extra-Curricular Activities During Covid-19