The Adventure of Barnard Castle

Lockdown here in the UK is gradually being eased, though it appears to be a political decision rather than a scientific one. Though few governments can sail through a pandemic, it feels like our own leader's have been shockingly awful at managing the situation. Years of not following long established pandemic preparations, an initial stubborn reluctance to consider that the virus might arrive in the UK and unclear advice, it's been a shit show eclipsed globally only by the ineptitude of a certain orange-faced president.

When we thought they couldn't really be any more awful, out comes the news that the prime minister's chief advisor casually broke lockdown rules. Whilst millions of people struggled with not seeing their families, even many with symptoms doing the correct thing, Dominic Cummings drove from London to Durham. The cherry on top of the shit cake was when he drove to Barnard Castle because he was worried about his eyesight. It's the most absurd excuse ever and there's great irony in that the phrase "Come, come, that's Barnard Castle" was a 19th century expression used as a response to someone who offered a flawed excuse for their actions. 

Someone online pointed out one of the major issues with modern politics. When anyone with any integrity gets caught in some sort of scandal they resign, but when someone with questionable morals gets caught they deny they did anything wrong and carry on. This means you end up with the all the morally repugnant people in charge of the country. 

The most disturbing thing about this is how most of the people with any power in the country casually came out and said Cummings did nothing wrong. There was a feeling that there's one rule for the conservatives and another for everyone else. When the politically opposite newspapers The Guardian and The Daily Mail agree, you know the government has fucked up enormously. The current cabinet has the highest percentage of public school attendees than any government since the 1960s. We're living in a country run by the elite that clearly think they are better than the general populace. 

Everyone seemed to have an opinion on this and social media was awash with them, as well as constant comments on the number of deaths. I wasn't keen on this. I've tried to keep the whole pandemic at arms length. The news is there if I want to find out what's happening but I've been looking far less than I normally do. I increasingly find I want social media to be a break from corona-virus and politics. If you follow a politician or a journalist than fair enough, you expect them to comment on what's going on but I didn't like every Tom, Dick and Harry feeling they had to write a tweet or a status sharing their disdain. I've unfollowed people I admire because they've talked about politics incessantly. This stuff is important but I want to choose when I access it and not have it thrown in my face when I'm casually scrolling on my phone whilst eating lunch. 

Lockdown being eased is an uncomfortable time. The scientific advisors suggest that it's too early but in an attempt to regain some popularity and to try to brush the Cummings fiasco under the carpet, the government are not allowing most things to open in the next few weeks and groups of people can meet. 

I was initially alarmed about the prospect of returning to work properly on the 1st June but it's thanks to the excellent work of my school that there will be lots of measures in place to keep us safe. I won't be there anywhere near full time either but despite all this the thought of going into the world again makes feel uncomfortable. The only building outside of home or work I've been in since the middle of March was the petrol station kiosk. I find it really hard to imagine doing normal things like popping to the shop anytime soon. 

There seems to be a constant criticism of how others have been responding to lockdown, especially as the rules have become less clear. Newspapers have been full of photos of busy parks and beaches. As a photographer though it's easy to play with perspective and make it look like people were closer together than they actually were. Sure, I'd not be keen on going somewhere so busy where following social distancing is difficult but I'm not going to criticise people whose actions were entirely within the law. In the opposite direction there are people who are ultra-cautious and are not leaving their homes or are dressing in full PPE to walk the dog. That's fine too. In this situation, people should do what they feel they need to do. There are no right answers and we're all different with different mental and physical needs. I refuse to be a busybody who constantly moans about what other people are doing. 

I feel like I'm coming out of lockdown a different person. Social distancing has given me the opportunity to take time for myself and not have to worry about keeping up appearances, in any form. I hope I'll remember this time as a period of growth, a period of doing the right thing for me. 

Before I go, if you haven't read last week's post about Mental Health Awareness week than do go and check it out because I think it's one of the best things I've written. Stay safe and I'll see you soon.