Coronavirus entry 38: Where are we now?

Wow, it's been nearly 8 weeks since my last post and so much has happened, so let me get up to speed. 

1) Lockdown 2.0 lasted the 4 weeks Boris promised and it ended at 00.01am on 3rd December, however the Government put us all back into a strict 3 tier system, depending on what the figures were like in each region. As a result, most of the country were in either tier 2 or 3 and Northamptonshire went into tier 2 which meant:

• You cannot mix with another household indoors
• You can meet up to six people from another household outdoors
• Overnight stays are permitted only with your household or support bubble
• Walk and cycle wherever possible and avoid travelling to Tier 3 areas
• You must work from home if you can
• Pubs must close unless operating as restaurants

2) We finally got official approval for the Covid-19 vaccine to be rolled out and on 8th December, Margaret Keenan, a UK Grandmother of 4, who was only a week off turning 91, was the first person in the world to to be given the injection. She had the first of 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that has since been dispensed. There are two jabs to have and you are not fully immune until the second has taken place, and you need to wait for three weeks before that can take place, but yesterday (29th December), Margaret had her second vaccine and hopefully now that means she will be able to spend time with, and most importantly, hug her grandchildren again. 

3) Apart from the vaccine, I spent most of my time away from Covid news because, quite frankly, it was starting to get to me and I wanted some time away from the negativity so I invested my time on Christmas shopping, baking, watching lots of Christmas movies and doing lots of walking. It was lovely! 

4) The Government announced the tier system could be relaxed between 24th and 28th December to allow up to 3 groups of families to be together over Christmas which was great news, despite a lot of people calling for the strict measures to remain in place. However, on 23rd December, Boris made a shock announcement that this was cancelled and as of Boxing Day, the tier system was back in force, this time, with Northampton going into Tier 3. This meant everyone had to change their plans and basically stay at home, apart from Christmas Day where the original bubble was still in place. Thankfully, I had arranged to go to my mum's so we could still carry on with that. 

The tier 3 rules are:

• You can't mix indoors, in private gardens or in most outdoor venues, except with your household or bubble
• You can meet in a group of up to six in other outdoor spaces, such as parks, beaches or countryside
• Shops, gyms and personal care services (such as hairdressing) can stay open, as can swimming pools
• Bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants must stay closed, except for delivery and takeaway
• Collective worship can take place - with no mixing outside your bubble
• Small wedding ceremonies can take place, but not receptions
• Sports fans cannot attend events in stadiums
• Indoor entertainment venues - such as bowling alleys and cinemas - must stay closed
• People are advised not to travel to and from tier three areas

5) Today is now 30th December, and the tier structure was reviewed once more, and as of tomorrow, most of the UK has been put into tier 4, including Northamptonshire, which basically means nobody will be having big parties to see in the New Year, and once again, it will be quiet celebrations all round. 

Tier 4 rules are:

• Residents should stay at home, unless they have a "reasonable excuse" such as work or education
• All non-essential shops must close
• Hairdressers and nail bars must close
• Indoor entertainment venues must close
• Gyms and indoor swimming pools, indoor sports courts and dance studios must close
• You cannot meet other people indoors, unless you live with them or they are part of your support bubble
• People should not leave tier four areas or travel abroad, except for limited reasons (including work and education)
• Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are only allowed in exceptional circumstances

BBC News reported in the week up to 25 December, government figures showed infection rates per 100,000 people rose in six of the counties seven districts (compared with the week to 18 December):

• Northampton: 366.9 (up from 291.6)
• South Northamptonshire: 354.5 (up from 291)
• Wellingborough: 267.2 (down from 281)
• Daventry: 256 (up from 180.3)
• East Northamptonshire: 220 (up from 165)
• Kettering: 213.2 (up from 165.1)
• Corby: 200.8 (up from 150.9)
• The average rate for England in the same period was 402.6.

It really hasn't come as a surprise to any of us that we have been put into this tier, and yet there are still so many people complaining about it. I understand that everyone is getting fed up of these restrictions now but if everyone listened to the rules, it could be a different story. 

I've already had an email from work to say we will continue to work from home in the New Year (we had planned to go back into the office). Schools are staggering their return and teachers are being told to test pupils with symptoms now too. 

It very much feels like we have gone one step forward and two steps back with this. When this was first reported on a year ago, none of us thought this would follow. We have seen so many moments where it seems like we are coming out of this, and the Government seems confident that my Spring we will be in a better place, but now there is a new version on the virus doing the founds, I just don't know what is going to happen. It's very clear though, this is going to be around for a long time still, and where we are usually starting to set new year's resolutions and feeling positive for a new year ahead, it feels very uncertain. 

I really hope 2021 has the positive move it needs to improving this situation we are in and hopefully we can start to live our lives in a much healthier and safer place. I don't think we have it in us to go through another year like this one, then again, we all need to make sure we are doing our bit to prevent that from happening. 

What next year will bring, I don't know, but I'm still going to go into it feeling positive and hope that we can find our way out of this crisis sooner rather than later. However you are celebrating your New Years Eve, and whoever you get to be with, stay safe and lets hope the next 12 months are going to be better than the last. 

Coronavirus entry 37: Lockdown 2.0

So here we are again; back in lockdown! Boris has got us locked up for another 4 weeks because the Virus is starting to get out of control again and so we have all been told to stay indoors for another 4 weeks in an attempt to reduce figures before Christmas. 

The good thing is this time it's only 4 weeks (fingers crossed, at least!) and we are allowed to mix with 3 other households for Christmas so at least that means families can still see each other, despite the mixed reactions of some people who think it's the wrong thing to do. 

I'm feeling quite positive about the next four weeks, and think that if we can all just stick it out then hopefully come the new year we will be in a better place. I'm going to focus less on this virus and more on my diet and fitness. I want to lose a bit more weight before Xmas and it will do me some good to focus on something other than being kept indoors for the next month.

Roll on 3rd December...

Coronavirus entry 36: Night-time anxiety

It's 1.30am on Saturday 3rd October and once again I'm finding myself wide awake in bed with all kinds of thoughts racing through my head. It's not the first time this has happened to me. No, infact this is becoming more and more common when I go to bed now to a point where I actually don't want to go to sleep through fear of this happening.

When you suffer with anxiety everything is so much bigger than it probably is and no matter how much you try and adapt the techniques you've learnt or have been taught to deal with it, sometimes it just doesn't work. 

Tonight is one of those nights.

It's safe to say this year has been awful. It's been like nothing we have ever experienced, and while I am forever grateful that my family and friends are safe and well, there is still so much going on related to covid that is just damn right scary. It's in my head. All.The.Time! Every inch of my mind is full of it and I can't seem to shake it.

Take tonight for example. I went to the pub with some friends (6 of us in total!) and it was so nice to be out socialising even if we did have to go home at 10pm! Being around people and enjoying the buzz of a pub was a good feeling and we had such a good time.

Then I came home! Now don't get me wrong, I love being at home. I love my house and my neighbours (well 99% of them!) and I love the freedom of doing my own thing. However since covid, things have changed for me and I'm starting to wonder whether I like being on my own as much as I say I do.

Initially I was working when we went into lockdown and I was so busy so my days were going quickly, albeit stressfully! My family were concerned and wanted me to move in with them but the logistics of working from home just made it easier for me to stay at my own house. I made sure I spoke to them everyday though whether it be on video or over the phone. Staying connected to my loved ones was so important more than ever.

I was then furloughed in June which I didn't actually mind because by then I was ready for a break. (Talk about silver linings!) Thankfully not long after, the covid 'bubble' was introduced and, I was finally able to go and be with some of my family. My sister asked me to join her and the day I went round to see her and my niece really was one of the best days of my life! Being able to cuddle someone for the first time since March was euphoric!

Then came the summer holidays and lockdown eased off and we were able to spend more time with our friends and family again. It felt like a lifetime of Christmases had been given to us in one go. Absolutely magical and I felt so happy.

Now schools and universities have reopened and started their new terms. Businesses are slowly getting back into their office environments, shops are open again and things were looking positive.

But now we are spiking again.

The number of people being tested positive for the Coronavirus is on the rise. There have now been 450,000 cases recorded with more than 40,000 deaths in the UK alone. On Friday, 6968 cases were recorded exceeding the first peak back in April, however more testing is available now so it's likely we will see more cases being documented.

This isn't helping my anxiety! We are already under instruction from the Government to socialise in groups of no more than 6 people. Local lockdowns around the country are becoming more common every day and pubs and restaurants are on a 10pm curfew.

I am also waiting to find out the fate of my job. The furlough scheme ends at the end of October and I still don't know if I have a job to go back to.

I've been keeping myself busy during the day but night time is my worst. Going to bed is easy but the moment I get into bed my mind wakes up and reminds me of all the things that are there! I thought a few drinks at the pub this evening would help but it really didn't!

I was talking about it with my mum on Wednesday and she said it's harder for me because I don't have anyone directly to offload on or tell me not to worry. Of course she reassured me that I must pick up the phone whenever I needed to talk, but she made a good point.

It's funny how much we take having someone next to us for granted. Whether it be a partner, family member or friend living at home, or someone at the office you can habe a quick 10 minute vent to, or check in with. I've been thinking about that a lot lately and it's making me want to have it more than I've ever wanted it. I've even gone as far as wishing I had a boyfriend just so I have someone to cuddle when I go to bed at night rather than keeping my radio on for comfort!

Don't worry, I'm not pining and I'm not desperate (I don't think, anyway) but I am more aware of having someone in my life now that I can share and go through this with. Trying to find it in the middle of a pandemic is an absolute waste of time though.

The other problem I have is my lack of routine. The bonus of furlough has meant I've been able to completely relax and unwind. I've even got into a little habit of having a more than occasional cat nap in the afternoons which isn't doing my sleep any favours. I have, however, made sure I wake up every day at 8am still (excluding weekends) to try and maintain some kind of system but that doesn't always work. It was only a few days ago I turned my alarm off and the next thing it was 11.45am! That's almost half a days work gone already.

I'm trying to be kind to myself and appreciate the time I have off still. I know I need to talk more about how I'm feeling and see more people, but maybe I need to watch less of the news too!

I'm not in a bad place, infact I feel like I've overcome some big emotional hurdles over the last few months, I just haven't quite dealt with my bedtime anxiety, and at night everything is always so much bigger isn't it?

I guess I'll just keep the radio on for the time being...

Coronavirus entry 35: It's all getting a bit vulnerable again...

It's been a week since I got home from Bath now and I have to admit, it's been a rather strange one. Boris announced last week that we are no longer to socialise with people in groups of more than six which meant we couldn't have a usual family get together to celebrate my nephew's 9th birthday. Instead we did it over three days - not that he minded much - but unfortunately he wasn't able to have a party. I think we did enough to make sure he had fun though so that's all that matters.

I've also been having some serious anxiety around my work situation. Furlough ends at the end of next month and I'm still waiting to find out where I stand with my job. I'm hoping I will be able to go back, but you just never know, and if the worst happens I'm then going to have to join the long line of people who are in the same boat. I'm trying not to worry about it, but it is having a bit of an effect on me and I am now feeling a little run down so I've decided a few sofa days at home will do the trick. 

In the meantime, the Coronavirus is starting to rear its ugly head once more and we are beginning to see a second spike hitting the country. The Covid level has moved back up from 3 - 4 which means the epidemic is in general circulation and transmission is high or rising exponentially and today the UK has recorded 4926 new cases - the highest number in four months. The UK has also recorded 37 deaths - the highest since 14th July. 

Boris has tonight addressed the country and told us that in order to stop this from getting worse we have to make changes including:

• 10pm curfew for pubs, bars and restaurants from Thursday 24 September
• Table service only in hospitality venues
• Work from home if you can
• Customers must wear face coverings in taxis, as well as staff in retail
• Staff and customers in indoor hospitality must now wear face coverings
• From Monday 28 September, only 15 people can attend a wedding service and reception - 30 people can still attend a funeral
• A maximum of six people can take part in indoor team sports
• Large sports events and conferences will not take place from 1 October, as previously planned 

A lot of people still feel like the Government are giving us mixed messages and there are feelings of uncertainty floating around, but I think for now, the best thing we can all do is just do everything we can to stay safe and well. 

Coronavirus entry 32: Greetings from Timsbury!

I've arrived safely in the wonderful Timsbury, a small village just outside of the city of Bath, to spend a week with my Dad.

So far, it's been a wonderful couple of days. We arrived yesterday lunchtime to beautiful sunshine so did a bit of pottering around the house before taking an obligatory walk to the local pub, The Seven Stars, for a few drinks! 

The pub was closed throughout lockdown and only reopened again about two weeks ago after gaining new management, so you can imagine, this is big news for the village! It's also great for us as we love a pub visit, especially when it's only round the corner, so it seems silly not to support the local business! 

We even managed to do a little braai (bbq) yesterday evening which was lovely, although we think that may we be the last of this year now, but who knows!

Today has been much of the same. A little walk around the village, drinks at the pub and chilling around the house, and I couldn't ask for more! There's something about Timsbury that completely relaxes me every time I come here, and I seem to sink into this wonderful bubble of bliss. It's such a beautiful part of the country and the views from my Dad's house are so beautiful, as you can see in the photos! It must be the tranquility of village life, but also just being with my Dad, that I love. 

I was originally going to stay for a week, but my Dad suggested staying all of next weekend too so I'm going to go back a week tomorrow instead. The sweetest thing is Dad is going to drive me home again too and stay the night at mine so I'm making it my mission to enjoy every minute with him!                                                                       

Coronavirus entry 31: Goodbye summer holidays...

I am feeling somewhat flat today. The summer holidays are officially over and schools have reopened for the new September term despite the Coronavirus still lurking. 

I remember talking to my sister at the beginning of the school holidays and saying to her that I secretly hope my furlough doesn't end anytime soon because it's been so long since I had a school term summer holiday, and I really wanted to be able to have the opportunity to enjoy it.

Well, thankfully that happened. The last 5.5 weeks have been amazing. Although we can't forget the reasons around why I am not working at the moment, and the fact we are still very much surrounded by a killer virus, I feel so unbelievably blessed to have had the time off because I have had the opportunity to spend quality time with my 2 year old niece, Ella and build a really lovely bond with her. This girl has given me so much love and laughter this summer and they are memories I will always treasure. 

I have also been able to spend time with my two nephews, Thomas, 8 and Oliver, 5, who again, are the most incredible boys to ever grace this planet! Their intelligence, cheekiness, laughter and infectious happiness has warmed my heart so much. I really have been blessed with the most amazing niece and nephews and will never take that for granted. The only downside is the more time I spend with them, the more I miss them when they're not around.

Since coming out of lockdown, my family have been my priority. Not being able to see them for so long really was heartbreaking and a big struggle, and I think that's why I'm feeling the way I am today.  I have indulged in time with my family and friends and it really has been a blessing.

Now the day has come for schools, nursery's and childcare to restart and it's making me feel rather emotional. However, this evening I am going to a friends house for dinner, and tomorrow my dad arrives from Bath for the night and then I will be going back to his house with him for a week and I can't tell you how happy I am! I have seen him a couple of times over the last few months, but to be able to spend a whole week of quality time with him, will again, be priceless!

Coronavirus Entry 30: Here comes the bride...almost!

Another lovely weekend in the bag! I really have been blessed with some wonderful moments since we've come out of lockdown and I am making sure I enjoy every single minute of them. This weekend was another!

My very good friend, Chelsey, is getting married next month, but due to Covid (again!) we had to cancel her hen do which was going to be in July, however, now we are out of lockdown, and are allowed smaller get togethers, one of her bridesmaids arranged a surprise get together with some of her local friends to make up for it! 

After much organising a planning, we arranged a lovely afternoon bbq at another friends house and it went down an absolute storm. Chelsey was so overwhelmed and it was the first time we have all really had a chance to properly celebrate with her, and of course, it wouldn't be a hen celebration without the classic "Mr and Mrs" game and of course, lots of shots and one hell of a cake! 

The weather held out too, albeit a little windy but we didn't let that stop us. With drinks flowing, lots of cheesy music and a very happy bride-to-be, it was an afternoon of much laughter and happiness. The perfect set up before she says "I do".

Coronavirus entry 29: A visit to my mumma's

The last couple of days have been so nice. I went to my mums yesterday and ended up spending the night and it was so lovely. She lives about a half an hours drive from me so I usually just visit for a few hours, but given I'm furloughed, I was invited to stay over for a change so I thought why the hell not!  

She took me out to lunch to a lovely hotel called The Stanwick Hotel. It was a lovely sunny day so we sat outside and had a few drinks and shared a sandwich, and what was even nicer was a wedding was taking place too. Obviously, it was very much done under covid rules, but it was lovely to see that despite what we are going through, people are still managing to celebrate happy moments together. 

We then spent the afternoon chilling in her garden enjoying a few drinks and the sunshine before being joined by some more family which took us into the late evening. 

It was so nice to spend the time with her and enjoy a bit of relaxing too. Unfortunately, today we have woken up to wind and rain so it's not as nice, but I am home now, despite getting thrown around in my car quite a lot on the drive back, but I am relaxing on the sofa for the rest of the day, where I will no doubt end up contemplating my life choices!

Coronavirus entry 28: A weekend of happy times

This weekend has been lovely. After the threat of going into a local lockdown, we were pleased to hear on Friday that for the time being, Northampton won't be going into lockdown providing everyone in the area remembers what the original covid rules are and sticks to them! It doesn't mean we won't go into lockdown, but for now we are ok.

On Friday I went round to see my friend Chelsey to have lunch with her. It was her birthday yesterday and she had plans, so I wanted to see her beforehand. We decided to keep it social distanced given the latest news, but it was so nice to see her and catch up. 

Yesterday, my mum invited us all round to her house for a last minute bbq and it was so lovely. Another successful family day where everyone was relaxed and just happy to be in each others company. We stayed up late playing games, drinking lots of booze and listening to a variety of music. The kiddies were there to and it was so nice to see them having fun together. We all ended up staying the night and even stayed for a fry up this morning too! 

I'm now chilling on the sofa wishing I was still with everyone, but I'm looking after my niece tomorrow morning and have my sister in law staying the night too so have another lovely day to look forward to. I'm feeling incredibly spoilt with these family days and I hope I get a lot more to come! 

Coronavirus entry 27: Are we going into a local lockdown?

Northampton has been on the Government radar for a potential local lockdown now for a couple of weeks, and it looks like we may have well and truly shot ourselves in the foot after local food factory, Greencore, announced 300 members of staff have tested positive for Coronavirus.

Greencore manufacture food for M&S and have 2,100 members of staff working for them. They decided to start testing people because figures in the region were going up, hence why we are under the watchful eyes of the higher powers!

The scary thing is that Greencore's factory is round the corner from where I live so does that mean I am now at even more of a risk of getting this virus? As per usual there are rumors that local residents will be invited to have a test done, but given those 300 people have been sent home to isolate for 2 weeks now, I wonder if that will happen. I guess for now, all I can do is continue to do as I have been and IF I do get any symptoms, get a test done.

I really hope we don't go into another lockdown though; I'm not sure I'll cope!

Coronavirus entry 26: Enjoying some sunshine!

This week has been a quiet one for me as my family have been busy doing their own thing so I thought I'd make use of the time on my own to rest and most importantly, enjoy the sunshine. 

In all honesty, I have switched off from the Coronavirus news for a bit now. I don't want to lose track of what is going on completely, but it does get you down listening to the negativity every day. Once again, there was a lot of criticism against people who spent the bank holiday weekend at beaches. Many people think it's too dangerous still and also, the amount of litter that has been left has been really sad to see. Suffice to say, it's caused a lot of anger from all over the country and to be honest, I just don't want to hear it right now so I have been taking some time out to potter in my garden, tidy my house and enjoy a bit of down time, and it's been lovely. 

Friday was particularly unexpected! I was invited round to my neighbours house for a few drinks at 8pm, and I think I ended up rolling in at 2.30am! It was only meant to be a few drinks and a little catch up, but turned into quite the sesh! I was so hungover yesterday, I could barely do anything. Infact, I spent most of the day lying on the sofa feeling sorry for myself! It was such a funny night though and no doubt will be having more nights like that! 

Coronavirus entry 25: Happy Birthday Daddy!

Wow, what a lovely couple of days I have had, and what a cracking way to start the week too! On Monday it was my Dad's birthday and he came up to visit us from Bath for a couple of nights so we could celebrate. 

The plan was to BBQ at my house with my brother and sister and their families - 10 of us altogether - but I was hoping the weather would be nice so we could enjoy some sunshine and garden time, however mother nature had other plans and instead we had a lot of rain and a lot of wind. 

However, that didn't stop us! Oh no, we still of course did the BBQ and it went down an absolute treat! Thankfully we caught a gap in the skies where it wasn't raining and my brother took the reigns and cooked the food for us, but unfortunately, by the time we sat down to eat, it was raining again. It didn't stop us from having fun though! 

Yesterday everyone was back at my house and we went to the park near my house for a game of cricket - ironically, the weather was so much better, but still a little windy. I however, didn't get involved with the game - I was having too much fun rolling down hills with my niece and nephew! Talk about a blast from the past! 

Everyone came back to mine again afterwards for left over bbq food and more drinks and even ended up getting a takeaway too! Once again, it was so much fun and I really enjoyed the quality time together with everyone. 

Today I have been feeling a little bit sad. I always hate saying goodbye to my dad and got a little bit upset when I said goodbye to him today. Thankfully my sister and niece stayed with me for a bit after they had gone to keep me company. 

It feels very quiet in my little home now. I live in a two bed end terraced house which I absolutely love, and when I have days like the last couple with everyone here, I love how busy, loud and manic it gets, but I do always feel a little bit sad when it comes to an end. I'm not going to dwell on it though, I have another lovely day out planned tomorrow and I'm reminding myself everyday just how grateful I am to have such wonderful people in my life, and how happy I am that we can now see each other again. 

Coronavirus entry 24: Back to the hairdressers!

So now that hair salons are back open, I finally made it back to my favourite hairdressers, Octopus Hair this morning for a much needed cut and colour. I have been contemplating what to do with my hair for a while as I like to shake things up a bit every now and again, but I decided to stick with simply adding some more blonde in and getting a good cut done. 

There has been much talk about whether or not it is safe to go into salons over the last few weeks, and there have been some strict rules (obviously) around what we need to do to stay safe, but if I'm being honest, I wasn't at all fazed by it. 

Since lockdown, my hairdressers have done an amazing job at keeping their clients up to date with their plans to keep the salon safe and clean and I can't fault them. They have redesigned the salon to ensure all clients are within a safe distance of each other and we have been fully updated with the rules that we need to adhere to. 

Obviously, it did feel a little different given we had to have our temperatures checked and wear masks throughout, but I never for a minute felt unsafe and as usual, the staff were their normal upbeat and happy selves. It was so nice to go back and catch up with them and know that everyone was ok. 

Coronavirus entry 23: A lovely day

I am so happy. REALLY happy! Today has been wonderful and I cannot tell you how grateful I am feeling right now. 

I have been out today with my family spending the afternoon at Abington Park, a local park not too far from my house. This is the first time we have all been together since lockdown and it was lovely. We all brought food and drink and had a picnic, played cricket, rounders and football and bought ice creams for the kids, who absolutely loved spending time together. 

Everyone was in such good spirits and the park was full of people enjoying the sunshine, and more so, enjoying being outdoors and with other people. It was so lovely to see smiling faces and hearing laughter.

We all stayed together and everyone was respectful of each others spaces so there was no bother from anyone else in the park. I haven't laughed so much or talked so much for such a long time. It was a day of pure happiness and one I will forever be grateful for! 

Coronavirus entry 22: A month of furlough

It's been 4 weeks since I was furloughed, and I have to say, I've really enjoyed having some extended time off. I have spent a lot of time looking after my niece, Ella, catching up with my mum and sister, and today I met a friend of mine for coffee. 

Shops, pubs and restaurants are slowing starting to open up again, but it seems there are also a lot going into administration too. At the moment, I don't have any desire to go shopping or meeting friends at the pub; I feel safer doing it in the safety of my own home. I'm sure it will settle down soon, but I still feel we are doing all of this a little too soon. I know we have to start somewhere, but for me, I'm going to stay close to my family.     

It is nice seeing people out and about more now but I can't help but think it's all happening too quickly. I know it has to start somewhere; maybe I'm just a little bit nervous about it all still. The Governrment are talking about reopening gyms and beauty salons too. I'm just keeping everything crossed that this doesn't backfire on us.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Coronavirus entry 21: A visit to the Doctor

Today I had to go to the Doctors to get a blood test as I am due my yearly review. I wouldn't normally blog about this but given the crisis we are currently in, I have to admit I was a little apprehensive about going. 

There were quite a few rules to follow, but I wasn't complaining:

1) only turn up at the exact time of appointment

2) you MUST wear a mask

3) you MUST use the hand sanitiser 

4) don't try and attempt to enter the surgery - a member of staff will let you in

5) sit 2 meters apart

6) do not use toilets

7) do not attend appointment if feeling unwell 

As soon as I was there it was probably the best appointment I've ever been to! It was so quiet and hardly anyone there - definitely the way forward for future appointments! If it wasn't for the massive coughing fit I had whilst in the waiting area, the look of pure terror on the faces of the receptionists, followed by a quick exit to clear my throat and an explanation that sounded like I was making up the world's worst excuse, I think it would have been quite a successful visit! 

Definitely one visit I won't forget in a long time! 

Coronavirus entry 20: let's open our doors again

Boris Johnson addressed the country this afternoon to update results on their plan to rebuild life after lockdown, and confirmed with the number of people getting the Coronavirus, and the number of people dying from it are both going down, we are now in a position to open up a lot more premises and venues. 

From Saturday 4th July the following are now allowed to reopen: hotels, B&B's and self contained holiday accommodation, caravan parks, camp sites, places of worships, libraries, restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, social clubs, cinemas, bingo halls, museums and galleries, hair salons and barbers, outdoor playgrounds and outdoor gyms. 

There are certain Government rules they still have to follow to ensure the health and safety of customers, but this is progress that so many people are happy to hear today. 

Nightclubs, indoor gyms and swimming pools must remain closed for the time being because of the risks they still hold. 

Your household can also meet with one other household at a time, including staying the night. This can be indoors, outside, at your home, at a restaurant, pub or in paid accommodation. We have to remain socially distant from anyone outside your household still, but this is such good news for families who haven't seen each other for so long. 

Shielders still need to stay as they are but plans are in place to help them going forward however we need to wait for those to be announced. It's all very positive news today though, so let's hope this doesn't cause any problems or spikes. 

For me, personally, I'm not fussed about going back to clubs or bars, all I want is to be able to see all of my family. That is my priority and focus. 

Coronavirus entry 19: A little update

So today is Monday and marks the start of a new week. Matt Hancock has delivered his daily stats update and confirmed over 8 million tests have now been carried out on people in England to determine if they have had the virus or not.

For the first time since the peak, the number of confirmed cases is now under 1,000 (958) and 330 people are currently on ventilators, down from 395 last week. There are also fewer than 5000 people in hospitals with the coronavirus

There were 15 reported deaths yesterday - the lowest figure since 15th March, however they are aware this is a weekend figure so these could rise over the next few days. About a month ago 1 in 400 people had the virus, and now it is more like 1 in 1700.

Tomorrow the Prime Minister is going to announce the next stage of his plan so it will be interesting to see what he says.

There are still 2.2 million people shielding in England who have been delivered medicine, support and more than 3 million food boxes, but they are hoping to rules in the next few weeks so that people can come together and bubble up. 

Coronavirus entry 18: Happy Father's Day

Today is Father's Day and I would have usually arranged to spend the weekend with my Dad, but with the social distancing rules still being a bit shady, we decided it was probably best to leave it a little bit longer. However, it didn't stop us doing something special!

My brother, sister and I arranged for a hamper of our Dad's favourite things to be delivered to him and we got together on Zoom this morning to wish him well and watch him open his presents; which he absolutely loved! 

It may not have been the usual way we would have celebrated but it was really lovely that we could still get together and have some time with him and right now, doing it this way is far more important than not doing anything at all.

Happy Father's Day Dad. I love you so much xxx

Coronavirus entry 17: I got my cuddles!

Today I hugged my sister; the first cuddle I have since lockdown and we absolutely balled my eyes out with happy tears! Never have I hugged someone as tight as what I hugged my Suzy! It was the best feeling and I didn't want to let her go, however we both had a very confused toddler looking at us with serious concern when she saw the tears, so we both very quickly started laughing and very quickly defused the moment! 

Unfortunately, my niece wasn't as quick to cuddle me as my sister was, but it wasn't long before she was holding my hand and walking around the garden with me, picking leaves and flowers and playing football! Thankfully when we sat down to have a drink, she happily sat on my lap then the cuddles commenced. It was perfect! 

I spent all day with the two of them and it was the best day I have had in such a long time. My heart felt full again and when I got home, I did actually have a little cry, but it was because I was so happy! I've heard a lot of people say living alone during this pandemic must be easy and less stressful, but it's been so tough. I am SO grateful for today, and what's even better is, I am going back to see them both tomorrow.

I absolutely cannot wait! 

Coronavirus entry 16: My bubble

So we have had the best news from Boris this week. He's said as of Monday, single adults living alone - or single parents whose children are under 18 - can now form a support bubble with one other household of any size. 

I can't tell you how excited I am to hear that because it means I will finally be able to give one of my family members a cuddle! it's been 91 days since I last hugged someone now and I can't tell you how difficult it has been not having that contact with my loved ones. Honestly, if only one good thing comes out of this horrendous pandemic, it will be the world will definitely see a lot more cuddles! 

So the big decision I was faced with was who to bubble up with....that was until I got a text message from my sister asking if I was free to Facetime today. The lovely thing about messages like this at the moment is there is absolutely no excuse not to get involved! Infact, the more facetime chats I have, the better, especially now I'm not working, which has actually been quite nice, I might add! I've rekindled my love for "Suits" and am watching series 6 and 7 again, along with the last two series which I didn't get round to doing when they came out. I have to admit, it's not the same without Mike and Rachel, but am still loving Harvey, and Louis is absolutely hilarious...

Anyway, I'm digressing! 

So I had a Facetime chat with my sister and niece this afternoon and during our conversation, she asked me if I wanted to be part of their bubble from Monday! Obviously I screamed a little with excitement, had a little cry and then said yes straight away! It turns out my sister had spoken with my mum and brother and they were all happy for me to do this so as of Monday, I am going to be spending my time at my sister's house! It also means I can help out with looking after my niece, as my sister and her fiance are still working, so it will take some pressure off them and it also means I will get lots of cuddles too! I am so excited. 

This is the best news so far and I am SO happy! 

Coronavirus entry 15: I've been furloughed

This weekend, I have had some much needed time off work. I was supposed to be spending the weekend in Centre Parcs with my family, celebrating my mum's birthday, but it was cancelled due to the obvious. 

I decided to still take the time off because work has been SO busy and I was very much in need of a rest, and I even took an extra day off last minute too, however the irony of it all is I got a call from one of my directors this morning to tell me as of now I have been furloughed! 

I'm not really sure how I feel about it at the moment, although it is a bit weird that it's happened now, just as we are starting to move forward and get back to a place of "normality" but everything happens for a reason so I will just have to see what happens over the next few weeks and go from there. 

Coronavirus entry 14: Back to school

Today we have seen the biggest move since the Coronavirus attacked this country with the reopening of schools across the country, for reception, year 1 and year 6. 

Despite a lot of concern from teachers worried they will not have the appropriate measures to teach safely, and from parents, who think it's too soon and should wait now until September, Boris Johnson has said this will be happening and as of today, lots of children are heading back to their classrooms. 

How many children go back still remains to be be seen. I know a lot of parents who have made the decision to keep their children off school and carry on homeschooling, which, thankfully won't result in any penalties, but there seems to be a lot who are keen to get their children back and amongst their friends again. 

The 2 meter rule still stands and there are strict rules around how many children can be in each class, so there has been a lot of pressure on teachers to get this right, whilst still providing the appropriate lessons. 

Matt Hancock lead the daily Government update this afternoon on where we stand with the Coronavirus. 

4.48 million tests have now been carried out across the country since the start of this crisis.

1570 cases confirmed as of yesterday which is the lowest number since 25th March, however 276,000 cases have been confirmed in total.

Sadly, 39,045 people have now died, with 111 deaths confirmed yesterday. However, this is the the lowest figure since lockdown began on 23rd March. 

Despite these numbers, we are seeing improvements, which is a relief, however, there are still so many people feeling apprehensive that the Government are being too hasty with the decisions they are making. Non essential shops are due to open in 2 weeks, yet, we still can't spend time with our families or give them a cuddle so it's incredibly conflicting and upsetting. 

I guess we have to put our faith in the decisions that are being made and just hope this doesn't backfire and cause a second wave of lockdown. 

 

Coronavirus entry 13: The world is in uproar

I have sat down at my laptop on a number of occasions since my last post but have struggled to find the words to write anything. I have been feeling really stressed lately and the news is getting more horrendous every day. 

Despite us now having lost a total of 38,161 lives to this awful virus, the world witnessed something barbaric on Monday, when a 46 year old black man called George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis after being arrested for allegedly using counterfeit money. 

During his arrest, a white police officer called Derek Chauvin, knelt on George Floyd's neck for almost 9 minutes whilst he was handcuffed and face down on the floor. Despite his attempts to ask the police offer to stop, and repeatedly shouting "I can't breathe", onlookers pleaded for him to be let go. After four minutes, George Floyd was seen lying motionless on the floor and was later pronounced dead in hospital by medical professionals. 

Since then, all across America, there have been riots in protest and people all over the world are responding with the most incredible support and many questions are being raised on why things like this are still happening to black people.

We are living in 2020 now. People appear to be a lot more open and accepting of each other, and solidarity is definitely present, yet there are still people out there who deem is acceptable to treat a person with a lack of respect, dignity and brutality, because their skin colour is different. Why? 

This is an incredibly sad thing that has happened and it breaks my heart. More needs to be done to stop this cruel treatment taking place and now is the time for us to join together and do something about it.

Coronavirus entry 12: Surviving the M.E lockdown

During a recent catch up with a friend of mine over text, she was asking how I was coping with being in lockdown. I told her I wasn't particularly enjoying it, but was just trying to get through it like everyone else. What I hadn't anticipated was her response: 

"...to be honest, life with M.E is like lockdown, sadly. I don't want to upset you darl, but I haven't been out the house since my op in February and am now bed bound again so it doesn't feel any different for me."

Wow, did that make me sit up and take note. Now I know there was no malice in her reply, but it suddenly hit me. My poor friend, who was diagnosed with M.E whilst at University, has spent the best part of 20 years suffering with, and trying to live with, this condition. She has spent so much of that time in her own lockdown situation, so what we as a country are going through now, doesn't feel strange for her in the slightest. In that moment, I honestly felt horrendous and selfish for telling her I was struggling.

For anyone who doesn't know, M.E (myalgic encephalomyelitis) is a disease of the nervous system which causes chronic fatigue, muscle and joint pain, head fog, difficulty with concentrating and sore throat/glands, to name a few. Not everyone with M.E suffers with it in the same way, but when it hits you hard, you are often bed bound for weeks, if not months. 

I am very aware of the struggles she goes through. On the good days, we can have some really lovely catch ups but there are times when I don't hear from her for weeks, and that's when I know she's really bad. Thank goodness for text messages because even a quick message to say hi to her, I know helps so much. During the bad days, she does sometime find the strength to reply, even if it's a thumbs up or love heart emoji. Occasionally I'll get a text from her mum and my replies then are usually longer as I know she can spend time re-reading them to her when she's up to it.

Life really does have a funny way of reminding you of what you should be grateful for. I know one day, my friend is going to be able to muster up enough energy to come round to my house so we can sit in the garden and drink cocktails together. I also know one day we will be able to go to the pub and have lunch together and gossip like we used to, and I can't bloody wait. 

Back in the day....

To anyone who might be feeling a little bit sad tonight, please don't. Pick up the phone, call a friend and have a good cry or moan, and remember this life we are living is crazy right now, but be grateful for all you have. We will get through this.

To my friend, Amy. You are an incredible human being. I know M.E wasn't part of the plan, but you, my friend, continue to always be the sweetest, most kind hearted and loyal person and I am so grateful that I have you in my life. I PROMISE, the moment you say you are feeling ok, I will be round to see you. Thank you for throwing some perspective my way, and I will continue to always be here for you, regularly update you with my news and carry on writing my blogs for you! 

For more information about M.E visit the ME Association website. 

Coronavirus Entry 11: Happy Birthday to me!

Please note, in this post I talk about my family who came to visit me on my birthday. I would like to make it clear that all visits were done safely, and at a social distance; there was no human contact. All birthday hugs are banked and ready for when we are officially told they can happen.

Wow what a weekend it has been! I finished work on Thursday and go back tomorrow because not only did we have a bank holiday, but it was also my 40th birthday! I had planned to write this entry on my actual birthday, but it has been so busy and amazing, I have only managed to sit down and write about it all today. 

Since the second half of last year I have been proactively deciding on what it is I wanted to do this year given it's milestone and there were various ideas thrown around including a family holiday, a meal in a nice restaurant, day out in London to see a show, until I finally settled on organising a big party instead! Planning it was so much fun. So many lists were written, so many ideas of what I wanted - theme, music, food, drinks on arrival, but most importantly, I just wanted everyone to get drunk with me and dance the night away! 

When this year began, things started to get serious! It was all about what dress I was going to wear, and I ended up buying two, knowing full well they weren't the end of my search! The plans were all going well until we went into lockdown and I was suddenly hit with the prospect of spending my birthday, not only indoors, but also on my own.

I won't lie, at first I was gutted and really upset about it, despite trying to find the positive in the situation, and there was a part of me that was secretly hoping by this weekend, some sort of relaxed arrangement would have been made by the Government, but unfortunately, we are still in lockdown. 

As the weeks went by, I got more used to the idea that my party wouldn't go ahead and the day I had to send out messages to everyone to let them know I made the decision to let it be and arrange one as when it would be safe to do so. 

I had an inkling my family were planning something to still make it special for me, but I wasn't entirely sure what they were cooking up given the restrictions we had in place, but oh my goodness, they did not fail!

It all started on Thursday when my friend, Chelsey dropped off a present and some flowers at my front door. Next, followed on the same day, were two more flower deliveries, one from my aunty and the other from my work colleagues.

I then received another delivery on Friday from my sister who arranged a pre-birthday pamper package for me including face masks, exfoliation scrub, moisturiser, pjs, chocolate, a bottle of cider, nail varnish and nail files. That was a real spoil!

Saturday saw three more deliveries, including a case of champagne and some social distancing conversations with a couple of friends (at different times). Honestly, by the evening, I was already feeling so spoilt and loved, it was unbelievable. 

Sunday (10th) was my birthday and I woke up to a flurry of Whatsapp and Facebook messages. I was actually awake really early - I think it was the excitement of it being my birthday! I opened the cards I had received in the post and the present Chelsey dropped off for me and indulged in a morning latte! 

By 10.30am, my mum had arrived at my house. I knew she was coming round so I had unlocked my back gate so she could let herself in and wow, was my garden full of surprises! Beautiful pink flowers, a bag of presents, a food hamper, an amazing birthday cake and of course, a bottle of bucks fizz! Whilst she was visiting, another delivery arrived, this time, two big bunches of flowers from my local garden centre. One from my friend, Sally, who I used to live with, and the other was from my family. I was in tears! I couldn't believe how beautiful this all was! It was really hard saying goodbye to my mum because I really wanted her to stay all day, but we both knew this was only going to be a quick visit - and little did I know a family zoom call was coming later on anyway!

Flowers received from my family

A couple of hours later, and after my mum had gone home, my sister arrived. Again, my garden was full of more gifts, 40th birthday bunting and giant silver helium filled 40 balloons that were blowing all over the place! I couldn't believe what I was seeing. As I was going through the unwrapping of my presents, I received another notification on my phone and it was something my sister said she was sending to me. Well, this wasn't just any message. She had only gone and organised a video message for me to watch of my friends and family wishing me happy birthday. Talk about emotional! I was an absolute mess as I watched family and friends from all over the world wishing me a happy 40th! I was absolutely blown away.

Later on that day, there was a knock on my front window and on opening the door, there was a big box of presents in front of me and in a car outside my house was my brother, his wife and my two nephews all wishing me happy birthday! I sat outside while they all stayed in the car and watched me open my presents and enjoyed a frozen mojito which they had organised to be delivered to my house! What a spoil! 

After they had left I went back inside my house and thought about organising something to eat, afterall, I had been drinking all day so it was much needed. As I started to get some food together, the next flurry of events took place, only this time, it was all on zoom. A call with my aunties, a mass family call and ending with catch up with my uni friends. Before I knew it, the day had gone and it was 10pm at night! 

By that time I was absolutely exhausted, but SO unbelievably happy. I got into my pj's, made myself a cup of tea and finally got round to reading all the messages that had been sent to me throughout the day. It certainly wasn't the birthday I had planned, but there's no doubt about it, I couldn't have been anymore spoilt. Thoughtfully written cards, so many bottles of champagne and prosecco, flowers, jewellery, photos...I am so overwhelmed. 

Thankfully I had yesterday and today off work too, and I can't tell you how much I needed it! I've spent the last few days trying to take it all in and spend time looking at all the wonderful presents I've received, and read all the lovely cards I have been sent. Of course, I have also watched the video messages over and over again - that is one I will treasure for the rest of my life! 

Overall, I have to say, turning 40 during a lockdown, wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Infact, it was better! I am so bloody lucky to have the most amazing friends and family in my life and I absolutely cannot wait until I can see them all again. 

Thank you to everyone of you for making my 40th birthday such a special day. I love you all so much xxx

My birthday cake!

Coronavirus entry 10: VE Day: 75th anniversary

Today marks the 75th anniversary of VE Day - Victory in Europe - this day in 1945 where Winston Churchill made a radio announcement at 3pm that fighting against Nazi Germany had come to an end, following their surrender the day before. On that day, people dressed up in red, white, and blue and stood outside Buckingham Palace celebrating with King George VI, Princess Margaret and Princess Elizabeth (our current Queen) who looked on from the infamous balcony that still draws crowds to today. Apparently later that evening, both Princesses dressed up in disguise and snuck out of the Palace to go and join the masses who were partying. Girls after my own heart!

Under normal circumstances, and given the landmark anniversary, there would have been a lot of parties, parades and events taking place to mark the occasion. Even May day bank holiday was moved to coincide with the anniversary, however, as we are still in lockdown, there have been strict rules around what we can and can't do. 

Street parties are still banned, however people have been encouraged to put DIY bunting up outside their homes and enjoy social distancing drinks and cake on front gardens. I saw a few houses have been decorated during my afternoon walk today and there was a little gathering of people sitting outside their homes enjoying drinks, chatting and laughing together, all within social distancing limits, of course! I even heard fireworks going off in the distance this evening, although I couldn't see them, but I did think that was nice touch. (I haven't watched the news today so I'm writing this with the hope that people haven't ignore the rules and put themselves at risk!)

Despite this strange time we are living in, there was something special about seeing people together, and hearing the laughter did bring a smile to my face. A sign of things to come, I hope. 

Boris Johnson is set to address the nation on Sunday to give another update on the current lockdown situation. There have now been 211,000 confirmed cases of Coronavirus in the UK, and more than 31,000 deaths, the highest official death toll in Europe. Yesterday 626 deaths were recorded in this country. This number has started to reduce, but I don't think it's enough to warrant any major changes. Once again, there is a lot of hearsay around what announcement will be made. A lot of people, me included, are hoping there is something around being able to see family members in small groups, but if that's not the case, then we just need to try and carry on as we are for a little bit longer. I guess only time will tell. 

Coronavirus entry 9: Happy 100th Birthday Captain Tom Moore!

A few weeks ago, Captain Tom Moore, a 99 year old World War 2 veteran, was living his life with his family and friends, when he had an idea to support NHS staff and volunteers working with Covid-19 patients. His aim was to walk 100 laps of his back garden, which is 25m in length, and raise £1000 before his birthday on 30th April.

Now, somewhere within the midst of Tom and his family setting this up and sharing their Just Giving page, the universe had a bigger plan and within 24 hours they had reached their target, and so decided to set the bar even higher and increase their fundraising to £100,000. 

After sending out a tweet, it wasn't long before Tom was appearing on Good Morning Britain being interviewed by Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid. By this time, there had been so many donations they were now looking at raising half a million pounds, of which he was almost halfway there! During the interview, Piers donated £10,000 of his own money to the cause and encouraged everyone make a donation of some sort, big or small, to help.

What happened next, was absolutely phenomenal. Captain Tom became the most well known 99 year old, not just in England, but world wide! Everyone wanted to interview him, and most importantly, everyone wanted to make a donation. His story touched the hearts of so many people and even after reaching the £1 million pound mark, donations were still coming in and to date, he has now raised a staggering £32,330,609!

Since then, he has received a promotion to honorary Colonel by Lt Col Thomas Miller, commanding officer of the 1st Battalion The Yorkshire Regiment. He has also joined forces with Michael Ball and got to number 1 in the UK charts with a rendition of "You'll never walk alone" and an estimated, 140,000 birthday cards have been sent to him from people all over the world. 

Today, he has celebrated his 100th birthday and of course, there was something very special he received in the post - a personalised card from the Queen! Boris Johnson also delivered a televised birthday message to him and a flypast took place over his house of a Spitfire and Hurricane from RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, based at RAF Coningsby. Not only that, his neighbours have been celebrating with him and making sure he has a day to remember! ,.

"Tom was born and brought up in Keighley, Yorkshire. He went to Keighley Grammar School and later completed an apprenticeship as a Civil Engineer. Tom went onto being enlisted in 8 DWR (145 RAC) at the beginning of the war, and in 1940 was selected for Officer training. He was later posted to 9DWR in India, and served and fought on the Arakan, went to Regiment to Sumatra after the Japanese surrender and returned to be Instructor at Armoured Fighting Vehicle School in Bovington." (Taken from Just Giving page)

The best thing about this is how much Tom has captured the hearts of the nation and brought everyone together to show their appreciation of not just the NHS, but of someone looking to do a good deed. Everyone has been talking about this wonderful man, and it has brought smiles to so many of our faces during such a difficult time. There is no doubt about it, he will always be remembered for this.

Happy 100th Birthday, Colonel Tom Moore. I am raising a glass to you now and wishing you a wonderful day. 

Cheers!

Coronavirus entry 8: Switching off

It's been ten days since I last did a coronavirus update. I have sat down at my laptop two or three times to write another update during that time, but found myself struggling to find something to write. It's not like there hasn't been anything going on, or updates to give; the struggle has come because it's just so depressing every time I hear the news or listen to the radio and I'm just tired of it all right now.

I've had to switch off from the reality of what is going on because it's draining. The UK now holds the second highest number of deaths of Covid-19 in Europe with figures confirmed at 26,097. That includes deaths in care homes, hospitals and in the community. Although the number of deaths in hospitals are declining, records of those dying in care homes are only just coming to the forefront. We are now also, the third worst-hit country in the world with Italy at 26,872 and the USA exceeding 59,000 deaths. It scares the hell out of me when I look at those figures.

We're still in lockdown for another week, but I can't see Brois lifting that before the end of May. There have been a few mentions of maybe being allowed to have small family gatherings, rumours of some shops opening up soon and even schools reopening again, however all of that is hearsay. I guess we won't know for certain until another Government announcement is made.

The plus side is Boris officially started back at work this week, after spending two weeks recovering at home, and his partner, Carrie, gave birth to their son today. So a little bit of good news amongst all of this bad!

Coronavirus entry 7: Lockdown extension

It's been three weeks since the Government ordered the country to go into lockdown and on Thursday of this week we were told to continue for another three. This takes us to 7th May, three days before my 40th and six days before my sisters birthday! 

I'm not in any anyway anticipating freedom from that day onwards, but there is a part of me still hoping something will be lifted so I can spend the day with at least one person! 

Realistically though, I'm also planning a digital lockdown party as a back up so either way, I'm still going to celebrate. It just feels weird that, on a landmark birthday, where so many people choose to hide away and not face it, I was going all out that weekend and had a big party planned with hair and makeup booked in too, but instead I will actually be hiding indoors on my own! 

Don't worry, I'm not getting down about it because I'm still going to celebrate when it's safe to do so...it's just gives me more time to ponder over what dress I'm going to wear! 

Back to the seriousness of lockdown...

In my first coronavirus entry on 22nd March, I said 281 people in the UK had died of this awful virus. It is now 27 days later and the current number of deaths in this country has reached 15,464 with a total number of confirmed cases at 114,217.

I even looked up how many local cases of the virus there are and in Northamptonshire, there have been 820 confirmed cases out of a local population of 747,622. (Confirmed cases only include those testing positive for the virus, not all will have been tested. Deaths in England only include those in hospitals, those outside England may include a small number that occured in the community.)

It's so scary and absolutely devastating that so many lives have been taken from this. Globally, the current death toll exceeds 158,000 which is something I find so difficult to take in. The worst thing is we haven't even reached the peak yet. It's thought that we are nearing it, but all that means is, those death rate numbers are set to soar. 

It won't surprise me if the Government start to put tighter restrictions in the next week or so in an attempt to help curb those numbers, but saying that, I thought the same last week too. Let's just hope people listen and stay in and keep remembering wash their hands.

Coronavirus entry 6: Easter weekend

This weekend has been a strange one. It's Easter, and under normal circumstances I would have relished in the four day weekend, but for obvious reasons, this one has been challenging. Don't get my wrong, I haven't been moping around, but this is the biggest family get together I usually have after Christmas, and with the weather being so lovely and warm, it made it very hard not being able to go and spend it with mine.

It didn't stop us from keeping in touch though. Since Thursday evening I have been on video chat with so many people and spent the majority of Saturday with friends and family - both in England and South Africa - some of whom I haven't seen for months, if not years, so it was treasured moments I am grateful for. 

As much as I tried not to let it get to me, I did have a few wobbly moments, but I just kept on reminding myself this is (hopefully) a short term thing and as soon as we get the go ahead, we will all be together again. I managed to keep myself occupied by mowing the lawn, tidying the house, washing, reading and playing "Words with friends". 

Unfortunately, the sad news is we have now exceeded 11,000 deaths in the UK which is just heartbreaking, so when I was tagged on instagram to do a challenge to raise money for the NHS this morning, it was a no brainer. The aim was to run, walk or cycle 5k, donate £5 and nominate 5 more people to do the challenge too. In the big scheme of things, it isn't a lot, and only took an hour of my time, but all small things add up to something big especially with so many people getting involved. Initially, the aim was to raise £1 million and it is already far exceeded that so the organisers have increased it to £2 million and I don't think it will be long before that target is reached either.

Boris Johnson is also out of hospital now. Thankfully. Although he is still resting at home, he addressed the country on Saturday night and thanked everyone in the NHS for the remarkable job they did. Whatever anyone's political viewpoint is with the Government's attitude toward the NHS, there is no doubt about it, everything will change going forward.

Back to work tomorrow (in the kitchen, not the office!) so no doubt a busy day ahead. Feeling anxious about it again, but I know I'll be fine once I get into it. I hate that I feel like this so trying not to let it get to me. Maybe it's the lack of sleep I'll no doubt have that I am more anxious about. Yet again, I am still sleeping terribly, but I've decided not to stress about it. Hopefully it will settle down, but in the meantime, I can only deal with it in the moment. 

Coronavirus entry 5: It's been emotional!

This afternoon I ventured outdoors to go and pick up an order I placed with the butchers for myself and a couple of family members. It was a pay on delivery from a local pub car park and was all very well orchestrated. Lots of space around us with 2 meter markings on the floor to queue, payment by card, only dealt with one person and he even carried the orders to my car for me!

I then made two drop offs. The first was to my brother and sister-in-law where I had a very brief chat and check-in with them both and my two nephews, Thomas and Oliver who are 8 and 5 years old. Whilst keeping our distance we all agreed not being able to spend time with family was proving to be really difficult, especially as Easter weekend is approaching and we always spend it together. 

The second stop was to my sister, where again, I planned to drop off, check in and go home. However when she opened the front door, I was greeted with the biggest social distancing hello and the sweetest exclamation of "Aunty Tanya" from my 2 year old niece, Ella, that I burst out crying! I hadn't anticipated it to be emotional and I wasn't prepared for my tears so when I got home I had a big cry and poured myself a large vodka and diet coke! 

On the flip side, my cousin featured on The One Show this evening. She was part of a pre-recorded medics ceremony after graduating from The University of Nottingham having spent the last five years studying to be a doctor. She is now part of the new intake of junior doctors about to embark on their journey into the NHS. Now more than ever, she will be entering a field that is going to be faced so many challenges, and I couldn't be more proud of her. She is doing such a remarkable thing.

I have since spent time this evening catching up on correspondence, seeing my nephews again, only this time on video chat where we played a few games of bingo, and making plans for what I can do around the house over the bank holiday weekend!

I am emotionally exhausted and an early night is a must. I just hope I can actually get to sleep tonight!