Life in Lockdown, The Forgotten Spring 2020 - Surreal Times - Modern Man

We had faith in the government, unlikely conspiracy theories spread, doubts emerged but not due to these. The truth was far more surreal, far harder to handle than any fiction.

It took time for the new reality to take effect, some adapted quicker than others, but change occurred irrespective of personnel opinion & preference.

The Government had acted and the majority willingly followed, despite what may come in the aftermath, in the inquiry picked and scrutinised so easily with hindsight, we can't forget that this is Britain; the core of who we are is found in our resilience, in our un-fearing nature to fight, to dig in, to Keep Calm and Carry On. The spirit of freedom and resilience that is so engrained in our cultural DNA, to be British is to stick two fingers up and say "fuck off" be that to Nazi scum or anyone else who wants to tell us how to live, including a Viral outbreak. But not to our Queen, never to our Queen and not to our institutions, we may protest, argue, ridicule the power of our leaders and challenge our Government as we have earned the right to do over years, generations of hard labour & service. Yet when it comes down to the wire, we all know where we stand, despite our place in the hierarchy, side by side with one another, our monarchy, leaders, politicians, armed forces, NHS, frontline services & citizens all of us together; humanity.

When we hear that one of us dies of this disease we collectively mourn, when Prince Charles is diagnosed with the Virus we hope for the best, when the leader of our elected government is taken ill to intensive care we hold bated breath, some cry, we worry for him, we pray, we hope. The political differences we hold so dearly in peace times fade to inconsequence in times of emergency and the nation stands together, united in the face of adversity.

When we hear that our NHS and frontline workers are dying, our fellow Citizens, our fellow human beings are dying all across the world, we are outraged and pained and the doubts grow, we look for something, someone to blame.

When our loved ones, the elderly & vulnerable are asked to isolate for 12 weeks, for longer, indefinitely? We start to worry and in each of us seeds of doubt grow, will we survive? Will someone I know die? Will a loved one die? Will I survive?

We don't know!

None of us know for sure, none of us are guaranteed safety or immunity as the roulette wheel of survival of chance spins with the greatest of consequence at stake, we all the hope the ball doesn't stop on our number.

We try and do the right thing, we try to survive, yet only a few weeks into the lockdown we start to grow forgetful of what we are doing this for and the temptation grows to visit a friend or loved one. The temptation grows to hold that BBQ we usually have this time of year or those social drinks on a Saturday night we miss so dearly, temptation to drive out to some seaside town and take a stroll, to pop to the shops for those none essential item, to order that thing online we want through boredom, yet we can't do these things, not in good conscience, not without risking someone's life, or our own life, or our loved ones lives. The life of a neighbour, shop workers or delivery driver and further down the line as a direct consequence of indiscipline in a hospital ward or intensive care wing an NHS workers life as they battle to save whoever is infected, despite the infected becoming virus factories, living or dead.

We stand on doorsteps on a Thursday night at 8.00pm clapping, clanging pans, cheering and saying thanks to the NHS workers who so bravely risk their own lives to serve others.

We see news reports daily of hundreds of poor people who have died in many cases alone, leaving a family behind to mourn for them.

We can't lose sight that the biggest fight, the biggest gratitude we can show, our bit, our effort is done by social distancing, isolating and doing what is asked of us still by the Government to protect the NHS, to protect one another.

Weeks into the lockdown we must stay disciplined and not lose sight of what's at stake if we don't. Living through a time when actions speak far louder than words, this, The Forgotten Spring of 2020, our efforts are only as good as the weakest amongst us, only as good as our least disciplined, the will, the conscience of the weakest Citizen.

At home as a family we isolated for two weeks due to illness, after this period passed, we visit the shop as little as possible, once a week if that, we get daily exercise by means of a local walk on the banks of the River Hull and footpaths in our local areas along with the occasional bike ride. Whilst on these daily walks I have taken photos of our local environment & community, family & friends, 5 weeks into lockdown the pandemic continues and uncertainty remains.

Has the Virus spread peaked in Britain?

Closer to Home in the City of Kingston Upon Hull which is a long way from London has the virus yet to take grip?

Only time and effort will tell if the worst is over, the peak is contained, but we hope so!

Will this new way of life so cruelly thrust upon us, captured in time in these photographs, ever return to normality or are darker days to come?

As we wait to find out our fate, in the mean time we restrict ourselves, we stay disciplined, we are here and are living still, remaining up beat, we smile, we love, we live, we take the best of the day, the simple pleasures, the time.

New life continues to enter the world born into uncertainty, yet people face worse days than ours around the World every day and down the River of Time many harsher times of human suffering precede us, they have survived and continue to survive.

As we dig in and stay disciplined, we remain hopeful, we will survive to.