Over the years I like most other people have wished to have more free time. But prior to the first lockdown it has only ever happened following an incident of some kind. Six months, when I had a badly broken leg, then eighteen months and another six months following various operations on my leg. Therefore I had limited mobility and was unable to do anything anyway.

Then the first lockdown came, fifteen weeks of what seemed endless sunshine. Which to be honest I really enjoyed and which I felt extremely guilty about. I was enjoying myself in the sunshine whilst so many were struggling or worse, dying. A feeling that has never really left me.

But the downside was there was nowhere to go or nothing to do. Luckily I have a garden and enjoy spending time in it (see pic). As time went on my frustration grew as I felt the need to be back at work.

Following the end of the first lockdown my frustration and anger grew with the apparent disregard many businesses had to the new rules and also the lack of interest the authorities had towards enforcing them. Then when the tier system came along all I could see was ‘let’s punish the highstreets’ rather than ensuring we all behaved within the rules.

So, with the arrival of the second and third lockdowns I was quite grumpy and worst of all the weather was terrible. Well it was winter. That meant I had no garden to save me. Reading books and watching great old movies has been my steady diet but my sole highlight has been watching PNE, and that has been rubbish too.

How often have we said to ourselves ‘how boring our lives are’? But it is that normality I now crave. Wandering down to the pub to watch football, or popping round to see someone and ordering eggs benedict at my favourite café on a Sunday morning. Simply, just being able to do those everyday activities once again is going to be great.

What do you miss most that you once thought of as being an everyday event?