Lock down.... for some it's almost life as normal, for others it's a living nightmare. I genuinely hope it's not too bad for you.

There is light at the end of the tunnel, looking at some other countries around the world where things are slowly starting to return to normal. My educated guess is we will be on lock down of sorts for another month or so before things start returning to normal very slowly with some impacts carrying on through summer. I expect people will be wary of travelling, especially flying, for some time

For us, it's not too bad. Our circle of friends is tiny, we live in the middle of nowhere, don't have kids and have a reasonable amount of land. We moved back in November last year so have plenty to do on the house.

My partner was furloughed for 4 weeks, but I am still working - I have worked from home for almost 3 years now anyway, so very little changes. The industry I am in has been hard hit but will pick up again, albeit likely one of the last. Many projects (even those driven by regulatory updates) have been pushed out by 12 months.

It will be interesting to see what the lasting soci-economic impacts are and whether companies and employees change their way of working in the future.

The things I miss most are going for a quick drive or ride and getting out to do some PSG or clays. But in the scheme of things, we have it easy.

As a little online community I hope we can support each other to a certain extent.

So, what are you looking forward to most once this madness passes?

For me it's getting the kids sorted out - my two eldest should have been starting GCSEs and A Levels next month. As it is they will get assessed grades which is far from ideal.

For me there is little impact as I work mostly from home if I'm not travelling so life has actually been easier for me, plus the Covid has driven huge demand resulting in best Q1 ever. Might not last though.

Personally I miss the international travel and events, so that's what I'll most look forward to when life returns to normal

As a parent of young children (3 and 6), I don't have much of a social life, so in a lot of ways the 'getting out and about' impact is fairly low. The big impact for me is both my wife and I trying to WAH, whilst keeping the kids entertained/trying to 'school' to some extent.

I live in a small village and pretty much back onto woods/heathland/etc - so have mainly done my time looking after the kids by getting them out enjoying nature on their daily walk (usually a couple of hours). Getting them out of the house is the only way to keep them from disrupting the wife whilst she is working.

Luckily my employer is good about me doing the best I can to cover my work, whilst accepting i'm not getting the hours in I would be normally. But it's not a situation I like. So (sadly!) I think the thing I am looking forward to most - is getting the kids back to school/nursery, so I can do the best I can at work!

I will look foward to going out with the wife for a meal at some point, or even just to get a takeaway. But we're both well aware that the COVID risk doesn't look like it will be gone until vaccination is really rolled out, and that's going to be 12+ months off I would expect, if it even proves possible. So I think we'll voluntarily limit a lot of our activity until then, even if the 'official' limitations are lifted.

I'm a Pilot. I don't anticipate ever returning to the old normal as there will be many fewer airlines in business by the time meaningful international travel resumes

Before all this started my wife and I used to have regular (at least once a week) days out across Suffolk, Essex or Norfolk - just drive somewhere nice, walk around as much as possible, then find somewhere to eat and then return home. Maybe go to some special place, or tour around an antique shop, or other stuff like that.

ATM I'm getting cabin fever and really missing all that - a once-a-week trip to the supermarket is no substitute...

As a parent with three kids (one of14 and twins of 12) SWMBO and I are looking forward to them getting back to school and socialising (in person) with their relatives and firends.

SWMBO works in food retail so is still going out to work full-time.

Me working at home - I'm very much looking forward to being back at work, seeing different people each day and being called upon for less decorating!

I genuinely wonder/worry what shape the economy (not just the UKs) will be in after this. I'm sure there'll be dramatic and fairly long lasting changes.

I hope the working from home period will encourage more employers to make use of video conferencing technology to reduce travel time, cost and environmental impact. It strikes me that the technology is there, but not used as much as it could/should be.

To LCB members I hope you, your relatives and friends all stay safe and well.

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Originally posted by David Jenkins
Before all this started my wife and I used to have regular (at least once a week) days out across Suffolk, Essex or Norfolk - just drive somewhere nice, walk around as much as possible, then find somewhere to eat and then return home. Maybe go to some special place, or tour around an antique shop, or other stuff like that.

ATM I'm getting cabin fever and really missing all that - a once-a-week trip to the supermarket is no substitute...

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I hope the working from home period will encourage more employers to make use of video conferencing technology to reduce travel time, cost and environmental impact. It strikes me that the technology is there, but not used as much as it could/should be.

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My cars, Bikes, Pubs, and the family/grandchildren
Not necesarilliy in that order!
Keep safe

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Originally posted by SJ

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I hope the working from home period will encourage more employers to make use of video conferencing technology to reduce travel time, cost and environmental impact. It strikes me that the technology is there, but not used as much as it could/should be.

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I really doubt it.

Companies might try at first but as soon as someone hears the competition have flown out to meet the customer and you are trying to do it over Skype all bets will be off.

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sad to say, the only things i am missing is cuddles from my dog walking friend and......a haircut

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Originally posted by jps


David, you're still free to go for a drive to somewhere to take a walk, although I appreciate the advice for the over 70s (no offence meant - I have no idea how old you are!!!) is to stay at home. I am getting more inclined to hop in the car to go elsewhere for a walk with the kids, and I know that there are plenty of places in Essex/Suffolk where I can do so and also make sure i'm nowhere near other people...

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I’ve only been off a week and loved it.

I’ve made a new exhaust and completely rewired the kit and topped up my vitamin D levels

I’ve now been told I could be off a few weeks but if the weather stays like today it’s going to be hell. And I would sooner be at work .

If it’s nice again the Indy will hit the road this year if I can get it motd.

[Edited on 28/4/20 by big_wasa]

Shall we come back to you Big was in 6 weeks time and ask how you are ?????

We have been self shielding for 6 weeks due both of us having underlieing health issues, and I am going f*c*iNg MAD

I actually drove to tescos today to do click and collect, (very very safe) and that's the first time my car has started in two weeks

Im sorry to say, but if this going to continue till sept oct etc, I don't think I will bother waiting to see the outcome

Being able to return home from work to see the wife and kids. I am in Norway for work but due to the travel restrictions if I leave Norway I will be laid off as I will be unable to return to work when required.

Been here 8 weeks already, wife is doing a brilliant job at home with the kids (5 & 7).

No end in sight at the moment.

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Originally posted by SJ
For me it's getting the kids sorted out - my two eldest should have been starting GCSEs and A Levels next month. As it is they will get assessed grades which is far from ideal.

For me there is little impact as I work mostly from home if I'm not travelling so life has actually been easier for me, plus the Covid has driven huge demand resulting in best Q1 ever. Might not last though.

Personally I miss the international travel and events, so that's what I'll most look forward to when life returns to normal

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1. Flying my RC planes, particularly bad due to the fantastic weather.

2. Going camping with the kids

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Originally posted by daviep
Being able to return home from work to see the wife and kids. I am in Norway for work but due to the travel restrictions if I leave Norway I will be laid off as I will be unable to return to work when required.

Been here 8 weeks already, wife is doing a brilliant job at home with the kids (5 & 7).

No end in sight at the moment.

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Yep compared with some of you guys I have been very lucky indeed so far.

This is the longest period ive ever had away from work and my tiny mind can't comprehended being six weeks in already.

I miss not being able to just go and get consumables like welding gas.

Getting hold of materials for various projects is getting to be a PITA - I can mostly find what I want from ebay, but at the moment the delivery services are struggling and it can take 3 times longer to get what you want. Many other places are so overwhelmed that they've stopped taking on-line orders - or they're short of staff and can't do it.

I'm at that age and point in life where IDGAF about work/career etc and am contemplating retirement. Changed jobs at start of 2018 and it pays well, not too taxing on the brain and not that much to do. I don't like WFH as I like to keep work/non-work very separate but I miss the daily cycle commute by bike and although in the office we are quiet, I still prefer that to being alone.

Once this is over, and it is difficult to see when or how as the virus won't have gone away until there is a vaccine, I look forward most to driving somewhere to go out on the mountain bike, with the occasional stay at hotel over weekend and seeing friends.

I'm looking forward to getting my kit back in the garage, Considering i sold it over ten years ago and slowly forgot about it, having seen it and bought it back this year in a sorry state, i now can't wait to see it again once the garage has set it up having sorted the Dif issue found on it's maiden drive to the garage

Jason

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy

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Originally posted by daviep
Being able to return home from work to see the wife and kids. I am in Norway for work but due to the travel restrictions if I leave Norway I will be laid off as I will be unable to return to work when required.

Been here 8 weeks already, wife is doing a brilliant job at home with the kids (5 & 7).

No end in sight at the moment.

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That's a very tough time for sure

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Originally posted by Mr Whippy
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Originally posted by daviep
Being able to return home from work to see the wife and kids. I am in Norway for work but due to the travel restrictions if I leave Norway I will be laid off as I will be unable to return to work when required.

Been here 8 weeks already, wife is doing a brilliant job at home with the kids (5 & 7).

No end in sight at the moment.



That's a very tough time for sure



Agreed, that does seem a rather tough time compared to a lot of folk!

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To be honest my wife is definitely having a harder time than me, but as long as her and the kids are healthy and happy then I will be OK.

There are so many people who I am sure are having a harder time than myself and my family, I think frequently of the thousands and thousands of families who have suffered bereavement or are confined in an unhappy home. I am very grateful for what I have.


Take care and look after each other.


Davie

Good on you Davie - vital to remember there's always people worse off!

Working as usual atm but going to get very quiet very soon as running out of work (a good number of our clients are getting on/have health issues so aren't bringing stuff out); may have to use my D licence and start driving buses

We had a couple of weeks off leading up to Easter which was quite nice. If we get more time off, I'll be getting on with the Beetle, getting out on my bicycle and trying to avoid eating all the time! May sort stuff out on the house.

Thing I really want to do is get back out on my motorbike!

Both kids are grown but still in full time education and glued to pc's …

Freedom.

I'd been planning this year was going to lift me out of my funk after a break up, and get me travelling and using my work holidays instead of working them, so I bought more to make the most of it. I've since had enforced lockdown holidays and I'm likely to see more of them, and I've done none of the adventuring I wanted to. Nor have I seen my family as I had planned. Basically this virus has been the kick in the nuts I didn't need while trying to get back on my feet.

Working from home is harder, and I miss the office banter but it's giving me time to think and plan, so I'm better off that way.

[Edited on 1/5/20 by coyoteboy]

Twice in the past 18 months we've planned to go and see my brother and sister-in-law in Dornoch, Scotland. It's a hell of a journey from south Suffolk so it takes some planning to make a safe and pleasant journey (we usually stop halfway for an overnight stop). It was bad enough when they lived near Nairn, but now they've move 45 miles further north! On both occasions something came up to wreck the plans.

We could, in normal circumstances, fly to Inverness but we'd have to park near Luton and hire a car at the far end - might just as well drive there. We also like to hike around the countryside, and you can't carry all the boots and waterproofs with the normal luggage allowance. My wife also has a close friend who moved to Skye a while ago, and we'd normally stop in there for a while; it would be daft not to do so after driving all that way up north.

It's now over 2 years since we last saw them, he's 74 and I'm 68. I really don't want to have to wait a lot longer... although we're both in pretty good shape for our age.

In direct answer to the question, seeing and hugging my 74year old Mum. She lives alone, is generally very active and with a great social life. The isolation is pretty horrible for her - I know she’s desperate to see her grandchildren.

I run a food manufacturing site and hence have been pretty busy personally - and still going-in to work which means that some normality is retained. Work itself is fairly tough - down on volume quite a bit as many of our customers are restaurants, pubs and so-on. Therefore I’m having to have lots of tough conversations with people (reduced hours for example) as we try to ensure that the business stays healthy. I’m definitely looking forward to providing people with positive news again. The natural extension of this is some concern about family finances too. All this is clearly having some impact - after all I’m typing this at 04:30 as I’m unable to sleep. That said, as others have already mentioned, we could be a lot worse-off so there is still much to be thankful for.

My wife is WFH and is doing an amazing job juggling her work and the kids - aided by some remote support on home schooling from family members who are teachers and classroom assistants.

We live in a great little village and we can walk into fields and woods and there’s appropriate distance kept if we may have a long-distance chat with neighbours. The village pub is doing pre-booked take-away on the weekend which makes a nice treat. I’ve been doing a lot of running which is good for my physical and mental health - albeit the legs and toes are feeling it at the moment.

What this whole situation has done is made me determined to do more with my toy car. Its a track car at present and between kids and work, I just don’t get enough use out of it. With the exception of Llandow, I need to travel long-distance to use it. One of the main reasons is that it’s fairly noisy - I can’t attend Castle Combe for example. Not being road registered also rules-out the trackdays held by MSE at airfields down the M4 corridor and also prevents me from going to Hillclimb School at Shelsey. Plus, it would be good to be able to take it on the road. So, I’m adding a new airbox, plan to repack the exhaust and am starting to get ready for an IVA test - hopefully over winter. I’ve built it with IVA in mind in the sense that, for example, hoses are clipped at appropriate lengths but I’ve got some big challenges to overcome - like headlamps that are too low, a non-collapsing steering column, a non-existent dashboard and a non-CAT exhaust.

Hope everyone is/stays safe and well - great to hear from some of the ‘old guard’ on here too - also an unsurprisingly thoughtful post from Sera!

I am sorry to hear a few of you are suffering or struggling in the current situation.

For those of you struggling, please reach out to people, even if it's on here if you want to vent. A quick video/voice call to someone can make all the difference if you are feeling isolated.

From a work perspective for those that don't know I'm a product manager in the security tech industry for one of the big 3 - detection equipment for airports, critical infrastructure, cargo etc. It's an interesting and tumultuous time for us. Obviously air travel has been decimated, but cargo etc is busier than ever. I am sure rules and regs will change as a result and there will be some interesting new technologies which either emerge or now make it mainstream. Many people in the industry, especially on the front line, are facing an unknown future with companies like Ryan Air and BA making statements suggesting air travel could take 3-4 years to return to 'normal'. I am a little concerned and worried, if truth be told.

My hope for the future is that the companies which survive and thrive find new ways of working, allowing people more flexibility to work from home if they can, reducing unnecessary travel for meetings (although there are always times when face to face has to be done) and just generally being more socially responsible.

However my biggest hope is that all those people who have kept the country moving and kept us safe and well finally get long lasting recognition and start to be respected. Clapping once a week and a rainbow is a load of hokum, an empty gesture, next time junior docs and nurses or those people on min wage in essential roles are complaining. Instead of writing it off, let's listen to them. Hold those accountable actually accountable.

Anyway... stay safe, stay well, we will weather this storm and it will pass eventually. It's not easy, and it's OK to not be OK

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Originally posted by flak monkey
From a work perspective for those that don't know I'm a product manager in the security tech industry for one of the big 3 - detection equipment for airports, critical infrastructure, cargo etc. It's an interesting and tumultuous time for us. Obviously air travel has been decimated, but cargo etc is busier than ever. I am sure rules and regs will change as a result and there will be some interesting new technologies which either emerge or now make it mainstream. Many people in the industry, especially on the front line, are facing an unknown future with companies like Ryan Air and BA making statements suggesting air travel could take 3-4 years to return to 'normal'. I am a little concerned and worried, if truth be told.

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I was kicked out of hospital at the end of March, still awaiting essential surgery.

So now stuck at home forbidden from doing anything resembling physical work.

Funny how perspectives change, hard to imagine I would look forward to going to hospital!