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I am writing a summary of each month in lockdown, as not ‘that’ much is changing for us personally as the months go by. Greater Manchester has been in some level of local or national lockdown since July 2020. It is definitely harder to handle it all when it’s dark, wet and cold.
I wanted to keep a record of what happened during 2020/21 in these strangest of times so I’d have something to look back on in the future.
You can read more about my lockdown diaries here.
Key events in February
Two vaccines roll out – Pfizer Biontech and Oxford AstraZeneca
The vaccines rolling continues across the UK, it’s patchy across the UK which age group is being called. I’m expecting to get my vaccine sometime in March.
By end of Feb 17.2m had received their first dose of the vaccine.
But we went through a grim milestone – more than 120,000 people have died from Covid-19.
What lockdown level? Lockdown 0.3 National since 26 December
It’s the same as in January 2021(Read more).
Just follow the rules, keep your distance, wear masks and wash your hands often.
Views from my garden bench turned six
I started this blog six years ago mainly to keep track of what was growing in my garden, what I planted. I’ve been a very inconsistent blogger over the years, but I still love photography, writing and tinkering in the back end of WordPress.
Here’s some blog posts:
My first blog post, I waited a very long time for my first garden (2009) and it took me another five years to start writing and photographing plants. Many of the
My first blog post was 12 Feb 2015. www.viewsfrommygardenbench.com/I-waited-along-along-time-for-a-garden-of-my-own-well-into-my-40s
- 1st blog birthday (2016)- www.viewsfrommygardenbench.com/happy-1st-birthday-views-from-my-garden-bench
- 2nd birthday – I forgot to write about my blog birthday In fact, I didn’t blog very much in 2017.
- 3rd blog birthday (2018)- www.viewsfrommygardenbench.com/in-a-vase-on-monday-three-flowers-birthdays-some-third-hope-and-kindness/
- 4th Birthday – www.viewsfrommygardenbench.com/my-dad-loved-delia-smith-cookbooks-and-cooking-in-a-vase-on-monday
- 5th Birthday – In Feb 2020, I was mostly watching with rising concern the spread of coronavirus from China, across the world to Italy engulfing an unprepared healthcare system. In the UK, the Tory Government were woefully unprepared.
I hadn’t blogged since August 2019, I’d changed jobs and was drowning in work. Since then I’ve moved to a different organisation, working in a lovely team on interesting and fulfilling projects.
Perhaps for my blog’s sixth year, I’ll write a little more regularly 😉 or post more photos as well. I still have many daffodils and lavender growing around my garden.
Tête à Tête daffodil and lavender – the first photo on my blog on 12 Feb 2015
Joining ‘Life in a Lockdown’ from Sarah and Rebecca
Last March 2020, I started writing more regularly on the blog again. I really wanted to document what was happening every week, as we were and are living in momentous times. I was furloughed from work in April and May 2020, and so was my husband, so I had time to photograph, write and walk around the neighbourhood.
So I joined the link-up from Sarah at www.lifeinabreakdown.com and Rebecca from www.ialwaysbelievedinfutures.com They are still writing every week, nearly a year later, so I thought I’d join in with the current questions:
- How are you feeling/coping?
- What have you been up to over the past 7 days?
- What is your favourite post of the past 7 days (it could be yours or someone else’s)?
- Do you have any plans for lockdown easing?
- What have you bought this week that others might like? (Especially if from a small business.)
- What have you been grateful for over the past 7 days?
- What would you like the future to know about life during a pandemic?
- Anything else you would like to mention?
1. How are you feeling/coping?
Arthritis pain high, fatigue is high – the feeling of being hit by a truck is often here. I have to rest every day and pace myself very carefully. It’s been more than 12 years with daily pain. However, things could be much, much worse. Being over 50, I’ll get my vaccine in the next couple of months which is a big relief, My Chap should get his 2nd shot in April. I’m safe at home in my little warm house with the man I love.
2. What have you been up to over the past month?
Not very much. It’s very much working ‘groundhog day’ and weekend ‘groundhog day’. I’ve spent too much time on my laptop and got a nasty stye infection in my right eye. It was incredibly painful and itchy but antibiotic drops cleared it up.
The optician said ‘it’s all about hard blinks’ as this helps with moisture and tear ducts. He said many people were getting eye strain and infections, so it’s really important to take a break from the laptop. I’ve been dictating more words into the laptop for work too.
I got extra reading glasses – and guess what? They’re purple.
3. What is your favourite post of the last month (it could be yours or someone else’s)
In alphabetical order….
www.booberrit.com Naomi’s life with her Anglo-Hellenic family in Leicester – food, children and mental health.
www.ginfuelledbluestocking.co.uk Charlie’s views on gin, beer, food, feminism and weightlifting.
For a weekly flower hit try www.ramblinginthegarden.wordpress.com I haven’t joined in with ‘In a Vase on Monday’ for a year but I hope to be back soon.
4. Do you have any plans for lockdown easing?
I’d like to visit my mum down south sometime this year and my cousins who live in London and Worthing. To see my pals near and far and get to a face-to-face Women’s Institute meeting would be great too.
A haircut!
5. What have you bought this week that others might like? (Especially if from a small business).
We ordered a ‘cook at home’ Sam’s Chop House meal to eat over Valentine’s Day weekend. For starters I had ‘French Onion Soup’ with their epic and My Chap had ‘pigs cheek’ to follow I had their world famous ‘hash’ and My Chap had the ‘Lancashire Hot Pot’ with Sticky toffee pudding to follow. It was incredible.
Mr Thomas’ world famous hash.
Mr Thomas’ (est 1867) and Sam’s Chop House (est 1868) are Manchester institutions LS Lowry still sits at the bar in Sam’s. The food is modern British classics. We’ve eaten in both institution’s many times, including with my brother when he visited from Australia. Fine tiles too.
6. What have you been grateful for over the last month?
Online zoom meetings and talks – I’ve joined in with a couple of Action for Happiness workshops.
7. What would you like the future to know about life during a pandemic?
It was a hard going at the time, but we got though it – and we really need little – just our little house, our garden and each other. We were so fortunate to have steady work in this toughest of year. We decided a year ago to do as much as we could to keep safe, minimise trips to buy food, travel and seeing people.
8. What is something your readers might not know about you?
I really love Irregular Choice shoes. I wear sparkly mid-heels and flat trainers. Also, I won a blue peter badge back in the day. I’ve only bought one pair this year – trainers. They’re in January’s Life in Lockdown. But you can have a look at some of the rest of my collection.
I can’t believe how few of my many pairs I’ve photographed. I must do something about that!
9.Anything else you would like to mention?
I still don’t have the energy to read but I’ve been doing some crafting, nothing finished yet, so no pictures. Also, planting bulbs in the garden and ordering perennials and sorting out my work at home space in the spare room.
TV series
The Expanse – We’ve finished the fifth series – it stopped on a proper cliff hanger!
This is Us – we’re up to series four. Great acting and complex storylines.
WandaVision – awesome that is all I have to say about it.
Not watched any films this month It’s been the box sets all the way.
Exercise
I’ve not walked much at lunchtime this month – we’ve had a couple of very cold snaps so it’s not possible for me. It just takes too long for me to warm up afterwards despite my layers of clothes. Very cold, dry weather plays havoc with my arthritis pain.
Walking around Monton
For there was a special ‘time to talk day’ zoom session at work where people were either walking around the neighbourhood. So got to show my colleagues a favourite Monton landmark – the lighthouse by the Bridgewater Canal, 30 miles from the sea. It’s really a shed 😉.
Monton ‘Lighthouse’ on the Bridgewater Canal. Shot with Lensbaby Trio 28
At the other end of my regular canal walk is The Packet House, next to the entrance to the mines under Walkden. The canal took the coal into Manchester city centre to fuel the factories of the Industrial Revolution.
It is also a short walk from RHS Bridgewater, somehow I don’t think it will be opening in May 2021. It’s been delayed over a year due to the Pandemic but the planting has continued.
The Packet House, Worsley
Packet house (built 1761 grade II listed), Bridgewater Canal, Worsley Salford 31 December 2018 – Lensbaby Trio28 sweet
I’m hoping that we’ll have a more interesting March 2021, and can get out and about in the neighbourhood a little more.
How’s your February been?
Carpe Diem,
Much love Bec xx
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