Hello All,
So here we are a month since the lockdown began in the UK. I’m here at home, obviously the shops have not been open and I’m trying my best to make the most of this situation.
Towards the end of last year I remarked what an interesting year 2020 ‘sounds’ - futuristic. At the time I said 30/40 years ago the vision of the future would be something from a sci fi film yet here we were, 2020 looming and despite all the changes in the world we still have traditional ‘market towns’ like Hadleigh and Melford with shops like Hall Street, no flying cars?? SO things were still quite samey.
I was also confident that we would have a great summer in 2020, weather wise. after the previous 3 years the country had endured we certaintly hoping for something different. Little did anyone know just how particularly ‘different’ 2020 would turn out.
IN all those futuristic visions who would have thought the great leveller would be a virus, rather than an alien attack or space war game.
I know people are starting to suggest a let up on the lockdown, I dont know when things will change. Originally 3 months was the expectation, we are only a third in to that. There are some indications that the middle of June is more realistic - some large businesses seems to be working to that timescale. I originally planned till the end of July, but there.
The interesting thing is what is going to happen when the lockdown is let up - there is already mention of pubs not being open before Xmas? ANd what will we all want to do anyway? I cant imagine heading into somewhere like central London and feeling comfortable for sometime?
The other point being made is how this time will effect our way of life, for the better hopefully - I certainly have had time to ‘take stock’ and observe what is going on around me more, now I’m not so distracted. Its amazing how all this has turned a mirror on ourselves, each and every one of us.
What about the talk about all the globalisation we have been steaming towards and how that has exposed us more to such pandemics - call for more manufacturing made at home, more support for ‘local’ institutions and perhaps maybe a downscaling of our ‘worlds’ now we are appreciating the key parts of all our existence, the local community and the people will cohabit with?
Maybe the little towns like Hadleigh and Melford will once again become the centre of our worlds?