I started the Life After Lockdown photographic project at the beginning of June 2020, following the British government’s move towards easing the lockdown measures put in place to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. I wanted to find out how people in my home town of Preston had spent their time during lockdown and what plans they had for ‘Life After Lockdown’.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
I spent the best part of lockdown working as a key worker and because I work nights the little time I got off I spent shopping for food and just spending time with my kids at home.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
After lockdown, I would like to have a nice break with the kids just to recoup and in the long term go away – like we were supposed to before it all happened.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
Lockdown has mainly seen me juggling; juggling three kids at home, a husband at work, me working from home and a very poorly loved one. Life is crazy most of the time, however lockdown has brought a sense of calm. I like not rushing to be places, dropping the kids off, getting to work and so on. My priority has been, and still is, the kids being happy which I think, hope and know they are. Home has always been my safe space and I think it is for them too.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
I’m looking forward to the simple things, meeting friends and loved ones for a coffee, kids meeting friends on the park, cinema trips and hopefully a few adventures. For us I think life will continue to feel strange until school returns, until then I’ll continue on the wine!
What have you been up to during lockdown?
During lockdown I have been working, although I work for the NHS I’m lucky enough to have the tech to do my job from home. Lockdown has actually been a hoot for Mark, my partner, and I. We’ve had fun.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
Plans for after lockdown are visits to our favourite pubs, live music and hugs with family.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
For me this is normal, go shopping once a week and then stay in with my family. I know what you are thinking, ‘Groundhog Day’ but I live one day at a time. I enjoy being with my family. Ramadan during lockdown gave us all something to focus on. It was beautiful hearing azan, or the call to prayer, marking the end of Ramadan being broadcast in Preston. We all really enjoyed Eid. Lockdown has made me realise all the things we take for granted, for example, we could go and see friends when we wanted before, now we talk on the phone, it’s nice but it’s not the same.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
I want to visit family and friends more often. Before lockdown, I was always too busy but once lockdown is lifted, and people feel safe, I’d like to make more time to see people. I want to go back into education, so I’ve signed up to a Maths course. I’d like to go to Turkey one day but that is just a dream. Who knows? I don’t plan too far ahead.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
Sorting the outhouse at the back of ours out; putting all my toys, art and records in some sort of order, emptying boxes that have been sealed for over 30 years (a real education/history lesson). I’ve kept every postcard, letter, badge, flyer and all manner of other things sent to me over the years. I also started cooking following cookbooks, writing lyrics and logging dreams. And best of all has been family time and interesting walks around Longton.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
Give my folks a kiss and hug.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
During lockdown I have been doing my school work, playing on the Nintendo Switch and Wii u. When it’s sunny I play in the garden. Me and my family have watched lots of movies. Good things about lockdown for me are not being at school and spending more time with my family. It is good for animals and the environment. Bad things are going on boring walks and missing my friends.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
After lockdown, I plan to go to the cinema, see friends again and I would like to go to KFC.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
I’ve just been staying in. Food has been delivered.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
Let’s see what changes I can make.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
I have been sewing, reading, knitting, phoning and texting. My son has done my weekly shopping. My eldest daughter goes to the post office and gets my prescription. My youngest daughter also visits to see if I want anything else. I am so grateful for everything my children, son in law, daughter in law and grandchildren have done for me. Two very special families who live in my area have made hot meals for me every day for two months. I am overwhelmed by their kindness.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
I haven’t been in a shop for over twelve weeks, so I am going SHOPPING that is the plan.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
Mr Lam, my brother’s restaurant, opened in Preston in December 2019 and since then we have been incredibly busy. The weekend before the lockdown came into force we were completely booked up. The lockdown started on a Monday and by Wednesday we were doing deliveries. This was something new for us. Mr Lam also owns a Chinese takeaway, Chiu Kwan, near Lane Ends and in forty years of business, he hasn’t done deliveries. We decided to run the deliveries ourselves enabling us to keep some staff on. I’m pleased to say we’ve been really busy, taking orders on Facebook as well as over the phone.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
We’re looking forward to welcoming customers back to the restaurant on Saturday 4th July. We’re in the process of making sure the restaurant follows the COVID-19 guidance issued so that our customers can relax and enjoy their meal safely. We’ll have everything ready for opening until then we’ll continue with takeaways and deliveries.
Laszlo, Taxi driver
What have you been up to during lockdown?
Just before lockdown all work started drying up and then when lockdown was announced it finished. I have been spending time with my family and renovating a house.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
To go back to work as soon as possible.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
Since lockdown started I am fortunate and grateful to have not been ill or lost anyone to the virus. I have not worked as a therapist but I’ve been pretty busy. I’ve cleared an overgrown garden and had some fantastic bonfires. I’ve knocked a shed down with my axe, filled a skip and delivered food to people in need on my bike. Then I had my own tasks; promoting my therapy, studying an online social media marketing course and DIY. I created a terrace garden, built a deck from recycled planks and other tasks around the house incorporating power tools, as well as enjoying sleeping in.
Initially, when lockdown kicked in, I began to help my sister Kay who runs @larder_lancs in Preston. Kay has a background in food poverty, so with her experience combined with the kitchen facility in the cafe, all her contacts that donated food and the amazing volunteers that support The Larder she was able to create Cooking for Our Community. The lockdown highlighted the amount of elderly and vulnerable people that really need community support and providing them with healthy nutritious meals has been life changing for them. I’m very proud to be a small cog in a very progressive wheel of community support that the Larder Café provides.
Meanwhile, as a therapist, I created a seven day challenge ‘The Daily Energy Routine’, an exercise that I did daily and posted it on my holistic therapies Facebook page. I wanted to offer people suffering from stress, depression and anxiety some self-help to cope. It incorporated breathing, grounding, connecting brain function and balancing energies. I decided to do it wearing fancy dress! Yes, it was a challenge, I started wearing a Dalek costume, seriously how do you top that?! Filming solo was a challenge and then editing. I totally winged it but it turned out well and helped people, I got a lot of positive responses from it.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
After lockdown is lifted, I will still be the general dogsbody in The Larder Café. I’d like to offer special deals on treatments for people in the cafe and I will be resuming appointments in my therapy room in Broadgate.
I’ve already booked a couple of trips, the fares were super cheap. I don’t have any money, so I banged it on my credit card. I am going to New York again and hopefully to work with the food poverty projects they have over there. Then to New Zealand where I’m a joint citizen to see good friends and share the Eden Energy techniques that I have learnt.
https://www.facebook.com/AJholistics
What have you been up to during lockdown?
When lockdown started I had been doing some DJing locally, songwriting, performing acoustic guitar sets at a lot of the local open mic nights in and around Preston, producing electronic music, releasing music and raising funds for the non-profit record label run by myself and my friend Katie, Chemical Flaw records.
I was producing and presenting radio shows voluntarily for Preston’s community radio station, Beat Radio, in their studio run by Leroy Allen who has been mentoring me and helping me become a presenter.
I have been severely ill with my mental health for a very long time with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, psychosis and borderline personality disorder which has seen me admitted to psychiatric wards roughly 10 times over the last few years, but working with medication and therapy and using my music and performing as a therapy and outlet, I have been doing well.
When lockdown was announced, Beat Radio gave me the software for my laptop to be able to control the station and input audio links which I could record at home and I could produce and present my show remotely, so I was lucky to have the opportunity to stay on air but stay at home. I was able to stay busy and in a routine, and also, it was a good way for me to improve my presenting skills.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
Decomposing whilst taking stock, found brand new wings.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
Reinventing myself mind, spirit, body and soul…all set to fly.
What have you been up to during lockdown?
I’ve still been working during lockdown, which is kind of a double-edged sword. It’s probably been good to have that normality that many people have had to adjust to not having. However, particularly with all the great weather we had, it might have been nice to be off a bit more.
Work has been pretty good regarding the safety of staff and customers, and lots of changes have been put in place quickly, with daily reviews and updates helping. It’s been nice to get feedback from the customers saying they appreciate it and some even thanking us for working. Strange times indeed.
We have quite a lot of elderly regulars who obviously haven’t been in, and I do worry about how some of them are doing.
What are your plans for Life After Lockdown?
Much of my time at home (two separate weeks of holiday booked have been during lockdown) has been taken up trying to keep the kids happy and occupied, doing school work and watching lots of films. Thank goodness for all the sunny weather and the garden. It must be hard work for people who don’t have that available to them. Feel very lucky on that score.
As for after lockdown, I’m looking forward to seeing some live music again, playing football (really missing my weekly game) and getting back behind the drum kit, as I had just started working on something new with a couple of friends. Also, it would be nice to go and visit family and get away somewhere with my wife Clare and the kids. I imagine most people are looking forward to a change of scenery.
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