Our Lockdown Experience
At the beginning of March 2020, little did we know what lurked around the corner.
And let’s face it, it was less a case of lurking, more that it was a huge shock to the system!
Our lives changed overnight, and we are not sure what will happen next.
Like everyone else, we are eternally grateful for the dedication of the frontline staff: medical workers, carers, volunteers, posties, taxi drivers .
So many selfless individuals who are ensuring our nation doesn’t grind to a complete halt.
So, we had to temporarily closed our family-run guesthouse in March 2020.
It was a sudden decision and one I guess we all knew we needed to make sooner rather than later …
And how our lives have changed!
First of all, we noticed the small (yet not so small things).
The sunrise each day … always a moment of complete awesomeness, we could see dawn and the appearance of the sun in a slightly different way … we were thankful for the arrival of a brand-new day.
We also tracked the sun as it makes its way across the sky.
We were heading towards the summer solstice, so we notice as the sun inches up a little higher in the sky as each day passes.
A good way to enjoy the changing skies during the daylight hours is to cloud-spot … we learned to tell the difference between cirrus and cumulus!
We could see the gradual onset of darkness as the sun sets each evening.
The gathering of the twilight was gentle involving a million shades of purple, violet and blue.
Another aspect we noticed is the quietness of the lockdown.
Fewer cars driving about (if any); fewer pedestrians; the lack of passenger jets criss-crossing our skies.
The quayside amusements are silent and any human conversation that we hear from time to time is often hushed.
While we missed human contact, the relative peace and quiet was quite restful.
Of course, that was until the kids got up each day for their home schooling and other indoor activities.
We also became aware of birdsong, and not just the cry of the seagulls.
We could hear a male blackbird singing his magical notes and sometimes a song thrush showing off its repertoire.
One of the joys of the spring sunshine was the abundance of daffodils and the ‘flutterings’ of the season’s new butterflies who joyfully spread their colourful wings and enjoy the warmth of the sun’s rays.
At night we could see the stars from our window. The stars and planets twinkled brightly in the velvety black of the nocturnal sky.
And of course, the incredible community spirit prevailed!
Whitby stood proud with its network of fantastic volunteers.
Perhaps during trying times the ones we’ve had in the last 18 months meant with living ‘in the moment’.
We now listen to the rhythms of nature; feel the pull of the tides; feel joy if a rainbow appears and open a window so we can feel the breeze on our faces.
Even when it rains, the pitter-patter on the glass panes is another gentle sound we’ve noticed.
We understood the importance of lockdown and the benefits it hopefully brought with it.
We are blessed in so many ways: our family, our friends, our wonderful town.
