How to brace yourself out of lockdown and be back to real world things

In some ways lockdown is quite cosy. Not seeing people, not doing much outside the home - which by the way doesn’t necessarily mean you are less busy or frantic, but suddenly with the end of lockdown comes a myriad of different questions…..

One of them I have heard friends say is how am I going to socialise? It’s all very well conducting conversations via zoom or google meet which are often meetings anyway. But what of starting off again really talking to people up close and personal ?!

Socialising used to be a given before lockdown. Meeting in the pub, having dinner in restaurants, group gatherings be it religious or sporty - all those things are now on the horizon and is it not slightly nerve wracking ?

Of course there are many excitements involved. The couple who met over the airwaves during lockdown can now meet in person and actually get to know each other one to one. How exciting. We won’t talk about the many relationships which have sadly dissolved over this strange time.

There are so many doors to open. The bijoux wedding with a small gathering is now very much a la mode. More manageable budget wise and in many ways less people mean a more intimate occasion.

That doesn’t stop people getting excited about the event, spending time & trouble sorting out guest lists, where to hold it, and of course the all important outfits & what to ask for! John Lewis’ wedding gift service is back in earnest as are independent companies like The Wedding Present Company.

Then there are the celebratory events leading up to the Big Day. Personalised stag tshirts and custom hen tshirts are once more on the shopping list. And will it be in Blighty for a bucket and spade seaside gathering heading for Cornwall or deeper into the summer a trip abroad to those legendary night club vibes of Ibiza? Either way, a design your own backpack will come in useful for minimum luggage.

The airbnb market is once more fizzing with excitement as their doors can once more welcome guests. The same with independent UK b & b’s itching to open up once more. And likewise hotels - many landmark names like Claridges in London will soon be back in business.

Apart from takeaways, the catering expertise in our nation has been dormant to a large extent, and restaurants and their staff are once more able to throw open their doors. Some like the Hix chain have gone under, but Mark Hix now has a much publicised new life - peddling his talents initially from a Fish Truck selling wet fish & seafood back home in Dorset & now from the Oyster & Fish House restaurant in Lyme Regis with views of none other than the beautiful landmark the Cobb on the coast there. So spectacular a location it was picked for a famous scene in the movie ‘The French Lieutenants Woman.'

Now kids can get out and play team sport again, those design your own shirts defining who they are in the world. Meanwhile for the older crew, the golf courses beckon - there’s been time to shop during lockdown so plenty of time to order a new treat like a bespoke golf towel for grandad.

Not everyone’s sporty but most of us have got out to walk - and if there’s one thing to celebrate at this time of year, it’s the improving weather and lighter evenings. That is a big mood enhancer if ever there is one. And they say the best things in life are free….