HOW HAS IT BEEN FIVE YEARS?

The start of the Covid-19 pandemic saw us plunged into a national lockdown. We take a look back at the surreal ways in which life changed

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It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since life as we knew it stopped, since our everyday realities became drastically different and, for a while, there was a very real uncertainty over when – or even if – it would all end. For so many, it was difficult, lonely and unsettling, but for others it was a time to reflect and slow down. One thing is certain – every single one of us had a different experience during the lockdowns, with our own challenges. But there will be things we can all look back on together, a shared experience of a surreal time. Woman’s Own explores...

RULE OF SIX

After restrictions eased over the summer, it was September 2020 when gatherings indoors and outdoors were limited to six people. Remember when we had to pick our five favourite people?! It certainly led to some awkward family conversations…

SOCIAL DISTANCING

Although the idea of social distancing was in place from the start, the 2m distance rule was introduced in June 2020. It's strange to think back to the spaced-out queues snaking around supermarket car parks and waving at people we knew from afar.

READY, STEADY, BAKE!

How many of you became sourdough aficionados, or churned out countless loaves of banana bread? It seems one positive the lockdowns gave us was a chance to slow down and do things we once might not have had time for before. Maybe for you that was baking, doing jigsaw puzzles or getting your fingers green in the garden.

LOCKED DOWN

Most of us can probably remember where we were on 23 March 2020, when then prime minister Boris Johnson sat behind a desk and addressed the nation. In just three days' time, the country would go into its first national lockdown, which was supposed to last three weeks.