Life during lockdown

The government has spent three months terrifying the pants off everybody with this wretched virus so it is hardly surprising that people are nervous about getting back to normal.  When I looked out of my bedroom window the other morning at 5.30am there was a lone woman walking down the deserted street wearing a face mask!  For heaven's sake! 

We have to be quite careful because my husband has breathing problems and I think the virus would probably finish him off, but as somebody said (Kingsley Amis??), what's the point of giving up everything for two more years in a geriatric home in Weston-Super-Mare. 

Of all the places that have closed since the lockdown, what I miss the most is Paddington library. I hope it reopens very soon.

Public Transport is the biggest constraint for us. While I would be happy to cycle into the West End, particularly in the daylight, my wife would not. As a result, we are likely to be limiting ourselves to events held within walking distance (Richmond), or to on-line concerts.

The main issue for me is public transport and the general lack of adherence to guidelines by the general public.  Even if a museum/ theatre etc. was doing everything they could to reduce the risk, I would have to get on public transport to get there where people aren't taking it seriously and there aren't the staff to endorse it.  You only need to see the number of people in parks etc. - they don't follow any social distancing guidelines and never have.

London before the pandemic seemed overly full and I actually thought a pandemic would be impossible to control without clearing the streets.  We have had a stark reminder of what previous pandemics were like, and how difficult they are to manage.  I see no way a whole variety of live performance events can return in their old formats.

My wife and I are both in the vulnerable group being over the "age" and with underlying health problems.  I have seen nothing so far that makes me confident that either I or my wife or both of us would be safe outside our home except with close family and social distancing.

I feel we need to get back to some sort of normality. The main issue appears some people are terrified of going anywhere where others are like myself want to get out again. I’ve found the buses ( out of rush our) really quite good, people distancing etc. We need more open spaces and less cars, for me pollution is poison and is responsible for many early deaths and ill health. Make more room using roads etc for tables for eating. I love galleries and go regularly I’m now going to be restricted and to always book, this takes away some spontaneity from going. Let’s see how it works. We need plenty of places to wash our hands, this I feel is very important and lots more open toilets, so many are closed which is unhealthy and limits many people from going anywhere. Concerts are going to be more of a problem as I don’t think people will want to sit next to each other, maybe leave ever other seat. London is dependant on all these wonderful places to visit so we have to bite the bullet and start to go out. I’m going to mention pools and gyms which still haven’t opened, they need to. We need to be healthy and fit to fight these viruses, not to mention people’s mental health. We just need to have less people in classes etc and lots of cleaning, I think you’ll find most of them are ready to open. I have probably missed the gym most of all and can’t wait to go back. I miss vibrant, wonderful London let’s bring it back!

why have most central London roads been narrowed and acres of fake roadworks tempory traffic lights been installed on  busy roads during the lockdown . We are witnessing the mayor of London personally avenging motorists and incurring massive extra costs on residents who need to drive . No consultation or consideration for working people except forcing them to use the suicidal sardine can public cattle transport . The mayor should be forced to use it daily instead of his bomb proof chauffer driven Chelsea tractor 

For me also, it's all about getting to places/events. Public transport is currently for those travelling to/from work; I've always relied on the train/Tube to bring me into central London for theatre, concerts etc, just as I need 'buses for my nearest shopping centre.

While I have no access to public transport, and life continues to be limited to what's within walking distance, much as I miss my regular cultural outings, I can't participate. I've been thankful for the streamed online theatre, ballet and music performances available in the last three months, but it's not the same as being there, nor as economically beneficial for the venues and organisations concerned.

I am over 70 and very reluctant to use public transport, or go anywhere crowded, which limits cultural activities to those within walking or cycling distance, or ones outside London that we could drive to (though we have rarely used our car in the past for such outings) and ones where people can be very well spaced. But a lot of events that we used to go to - talks, discussions, films, some plays, e g NT Live -  have been available on-line so we haven't felt starved of culture, and some of the ones that work best online, e g webinars, could continue online indefinitely. But singing in my choir online doesn't really do it for me!

I just want to go dancing again in a nightclub and have a few drinks.  This whole mask thing on public transport is such a drag. I am so over this virus! 

I am a cis woman, 69. My male partner is 72. Neither of us has an underlying health issue. In the past, I enjoyed going to book events. I have a ticket for Capital Crime in October, but I don't feel confident about attending. I also liked The Riff-Raff in Brixton and First Monday Crime at the University of London in Islington. I would probably trust the organisers to keep me safe at these events, but the common denominator is public transport. I also work part time for an agency that provides academic support to university students with disabilities. This can be done online, but the students prefer to meet one-to-one. Sessions could be arranged safely, but they would take place in a university environment where I have no control over my surroundings. Again, I would have to use the Tube or a bus to travel to the session. I can probably continue to work remotely with students, but my partner was working part-time as a model and supporting actor in the creative industries, so the income that supplemented his pension has disappeared. Neither of us would consider going to a pub or restaurant. We haven't even risked a takeaway since February. We hope to see more of our grandchildren in the near future, but that's the only positive on the horizon at present. We intend to stay at home as much as possible, until some time early in 2021. My current ambition is to be able to take the family out for a pizza locally on my 70th birthday.

I fully endorse the comments from Ssumner. I too have seen passengers on the bus without face covering or with mask pulled down over chin while they chat on their phones. Although the mandatory use of a face covering on public transport is quite clear, the mixed and contradictory messages and signalling from the government has made anything it says unbelievable. Until I feel that public transport is safe, I cannot get out into the countryside to walk. Most of the Inner London rambling groups have a majority of older members so I'm not the only one stuck with walking the pavements or nearby parks and trying to avoid groups of people, joggers and cyclists.

I have just completed a survey on post-Covid-19 cultural activity. It asked me what i would be most comfortable doing when things re-open. My answers included visiting community gardens and galleries because that would be the answer to the question. I would feel safe visiting such places. However, I don't want to go to community gardens and galleries. i want to go to grass roots music events and pubs. I will not be comfortable going to gigs and pubs though if I have to wear a mask, socially distance from fellow punters, sit down, keep quiet, and wash my hands every five seconds. If  I can't freely socialise, enjoy myself, and generally let my hair down what's the point? I guess i'll be spending a lot of time at home until there's a vaccine.

I will not be going anywhere if the public cannot follow the mandatory face covering instruction on public transport.  Several people spotted yesterday on buses in London not wearing any kind of covering.  They seemed quite oblivious to the other passenger's obvious dismay! Why were the drivers allowing it?  Surely they need to police this? Either everybody wears masks, or abandon the whole idea.  Other people will see this and wonder why they are wearing masks when others are not.  Before we know where we are NOBODY WILL BE WEARING THEM.  Everybody keeps blaming the Govt for mixed messaging.  This message is very clear and the public are still ignoring the rules.  The public's behavior is what will make this virus continue to spread no matter what age they are, and will precipitate a 2nd lock down resulting in more deaths and damage to the economy!  

I STILL won't go anywhere where there might be Brexiteers and 'Leave' voters/supporters. I just don't feel safe when they're around. These Brextremists invariably have a negative psychological effect on me, with their nationalist, xenophobic and racist anti-European beliefs, which in my opinion can be just as harmful as the negative physical effects of coronavirus. Let's rejoin the EU and stamp out racism.

Rejoining the EU will also help eradicate coronavirus, because unlike Boris and Nigel, viruses don't care about borders. We can only stop coronavirus by working together in partnership with other countries, not by closing our borders or by introducing some sort of pointless quarantine.

The only place I'll feel safe after lockdown ends is in the EU. Being trapped on this little island with all those Brexiteers for the past few months has been a living nightmare. Let me out! LONG LIVE EUROPE

I won't go anywhere to any event where I am likely to run into mass protests of any kind!

I agree with the previous comments about public transport. This is a major problem for me; I can't walk to the theatre or cinema or or museums or music venues that I would normally visit. Cycling isn't an option for me either, unfortunately. I wish that we had the kind of government support of our cultural life that Germany and other European nations provide. 

I don't suppose I will feel safe until we have a vaccine and better treatment for the virus.

But I've been amazed at the variety and quality of online cultural offerings. I'm willing to pay to access these. I could only afford a cheap seat in the theatre or a music performance anyway, so I would pay to watch online instead, where you virtually have the best seat in the house. I know it's not the same as really being there, but it's good enough for the moment. I wonder if government subsidies could help cultural organisations to establish and run affordable online business models? where the same sorts of discounts for series purchases, or memberships, or concessions that have been used before could apply to online events? 

I'm a 3rd generation theatre practitioner (currently an actor/artists' agent). My husband is on the stage management side. We are totally self-employed. If there is no chance of theatres reopening before the end of this year, we are ruined. The 2008 banking crisis devastated our industry & us; we had to sell our flat in London (where we need to live, for work). We now rent and it's just not possible for us to continue to rent in London with no income whatsoever. We would need to pull in our remaining asset - and the only place we could afford to live, outright, would possibly be somewhere in Europe. Then there's Brexit. What about our two early adult kids? One at uni - nowhere to come back to in holidays; other son cannot get a foothold in his career - does lots of low pay/no pay jobs. Where does he live? This is just an example of one family. We are even a fortunate example.

There is no way, whatsoever, that theatres can manage without subsidy. Any house needs to run at 80%+ capacity to break even. Producers do not have reserves - even the 'big' ones. Government needs to create an arts subsidy package for venues and producers, and it needs to extend SEISS to all the Self-Employed folk who can PROVE that their income derives from this industry - IF the govt wants this business to thrive. In the meantime, just consider the knock-on effect: trucking companies (who move sets around for tours); lighting/rigging companies; costume suppliers; wig makers; scenic desgin/build companies; PR companies; advertising/marketing companies; restaurants/bars who rely on theatre footfall; taxis/cabs. The list is endless. This isn't just about the 'named' actors who keep being wheeled out to talk about the cultural desert we might face. This is an industry that brings £800million in VAT alone to the treasury & hundreds of thousands of jobs/ livelihoods depend on it.