Lockdown Stories 2020

Kate reflect on her time in the first Lockdown 2020. "So much money was wasted. And a lot of it was about posturing and saying the right things. Saying that they were delivering boxes and boxes, thousands of boxes. Container loads of PPE. And it was rubbish. It wasn't the right stuff. It was all about, Aren't we great? Aren't we wonderful? Aren't we saviours? Here we are, saving the nation.  Like...

Dhruvee who specialises in infection control for the NHS reflects on her time over lockdown 2020. "I remember having discussions with friends about, do you think we'll ever be able to socialise and go out to pubs and clubs ever again? Do you think you ever will? Or will you be too scared? And I remember thinking, I've never had this conversation. I never thought I would have this conversation abou...

Karen recalls her horrific and despairing time working at Pelham Care Home in Folkestone where they lost 10 residents over Lockdown 2020. "We had no testing kits or anything for a long while. Then we had a special team came in, did some testing, and we found out that 90 percent of our residents were, in fact probably 95 percent of our residents were positive and over half of the staff, so that was...

"I don't think that I've completely emerged from it, whatever I mean by that. I'm not sure what I mean by that because, you know, after experiences like that It's terribly difficult to define what normal is again and terribly difficult to re-find or re-invent yourself so I guess I feel I'm still going through that." - Maureen. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2020...

"There was a lot of misinformation all around, and that's always the best. It's almost like a test tube to create all sorts of weird and wacky ideas against vaccination for vaccination and people taking extreme sides, when most of the time, unfortunately, the answer is in some kind of moderate, more moderate solution." - Francoise. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of...

"I have never been in a situation where society was utterly disrupted, utterly turned upside down. In the few days or a week or so, before the actual everybody staying at home announcement was made, I remember going to the supermarket and it felt like something out of a dystopia film there was not much on the shelves and there were those announcements over the tannoy. It felt like you were looking...

“I think in 20 to 30 years time, the absolute truth of COVID will come out and I reckon the vast majority of people in this country or around the world will probably think to themselves, Wow, man, I would literally fall for that. It was a scam. There was definitely a disease out there killing people. It definitely didn't need the reaction that it got.” - Daniel. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the f...

"Come the end of this whole experience I've had a few people I know who have died because they were vulnerable. They were put in positions where one friend was really poorly, ended up in hospital, even then he tested negative with Covid when he went in within two days he had been put on a Covid ward, got covid and died." - Debbie. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2...

"I still think that the government got a bit too generous with the money side of it to people. Encouraging them to stop home, which meant that they weren't actually going in to do work. I still think it would have been better if they had done less of that than they did because they spent billions of pounds on subsiding people and now they expect it all the time, including the fact that they work f...

" We had weekly meetings with the government to adapt our delivery of our service to each individual's needs. So there was some thought going into that and also at the same time keeping yourself sane." - Cath. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2020 I created a series of 150 portraits, that depicted a selection of essential workers and residents mainly confined indoo...

"Lockdown was quite strange. I am quite a sociable person and I had quite an active social life and obviously not being able to go out, meant that, that was curtailed somewhat and I have found even though it was a couple of years ago I haven't really got back into social life at all." - Julie. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2020 I created a series of 150 portrait...

"I just remember the most surreal thing would be walking home from work and there would be no one in the streets whatsoever. And you were sort of walking around this wasteland like it was a new film that had just come out or something, it was very bizarre. We were so lucky to still be out there in the world when everyone was locked away. " - Amelia & Mitchell. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the...

"My employer said you don't need to work full time if you have caring responsibilities, bout our workload had gone up. So, I didn't have to be present at work, but I had all this work to do as well as home schooling." Linda & Chris. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2020 I created a series of 150 portraits, that depicted a selection of essential workers and resi...

"Isolation, loneliness, and separation from people. Being told that you can't do anything you normally do in your normal life had a massive impact on my mental health." John & Kaz. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2020 I created a series of 150 portraits, that depicted a selection of essential workers and residents mainly confined indoors in and around Folkesto...

"I have lost the sense of safety that things are generally ok. I think that some of the insecurity is new, especially with Brexit and everything that has been happening this year." Rosanne, Shelley & Elliot. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2020 I created a series of 150 portraits, that depicted a selection of essential workers and residents mainly confined ind...

"The day of the lockdown everything changed for everybody. the way we shopped, the way we see each other and the way we do things. " - Tess. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2020 I created a series of 150 portraits, that depicted a selection of essential workers and residents mainly confined indoors in and around Folkestone, Kent. You can view a selection of portra...

"During lockdown, it was pretty much me and my son, as my partner worked days and days on end. We live in a communal flat block on the very top floor. The front door almost locking us away from the world, but when we went out we felt almost free. Free from being locked in and free from lots of schoolwork! I've felt more anxious than I ever have before. My stress levels rocketed. Home schooling was...

"I'm an unpaid carer who actually needs a carer myself. Covid has exacerbated every single thing in my life on a daily basis." - Theresa. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2020 I created a series of 150 portraits, that depicted a selection of essential workers and residents mainly confined indoors in and around Folkestone, Kent. You can view a selection of portraits...

"The main thing I think about when I look back over lockdown is just how much more anxiety I've now got over the tiniest thing. If there are too many people, if there is someone particularly sick nearby, if I've got a cold I still go into work and wear a mask even if I know it's just a cold." - Alice. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2020 I created a series of 150...

"During the first lockdown, my husband had a heart attack. he was whisked off to hospital; I was left here of course not knowing what would happen, and he was in there for two weeks. I couldn't go and visit him, and I found it incredibly hard. I honestly thought I would never see him again." - Jan & John. Lockdown Stories 2020 - under the first lockdown in the spring of 2020 I created a series...