This week plans are full steam ahead for the reopening of society. With non-essential retailers along with, vets and dentists set to reopen this week and next, and salons to follow in early July, the high street hopefully will make a comeback. However, with the news reporting struggling businesses and talks of redundancies across the sector, I just hope that I won’t have to explain well known retailers to our young people. I mean in my lifetime, it doesn’t seem that long since we lost BHS, Woolworth, Kwick Save and the list goes on. I realise they are only shops with products that can be found elsewhere. Yet, I am nostalgic to my memories, of youth spent with Grandparents passed, teenage sugar frenzies and university preparations buying essential living goods.

Hopefully things aren’t really going to be that bad. But I can’t shift the niggling feeling, the new normal is going to be such a different society, I’m missing the past one already. On the news today, a dentist came on to say that although he is reopening his doors to the public it will be at reduced capacity, and he himself will be gloved and masked up. The mask looked like something out of the WW2 gas mask collection. The media refer to the Governments measures to ‘begin to rebuild our country’. I guess the echoes of war time Britain are going to continue to resurface as we return to peace I mean ‘normal’ times.

On a more positive note, I am ready at the start line for the reopening of the hair and beauty industry. On the radio they joked that people will be queuing around the corner for a haircut. While online I giggled at a sketch of the new trip to the hairdressers. In the video both women are masked up and remain at a 2 meter distance throughout. All sounds very new normal. Well I hope not lol. It was a comedy show of: broom length brushes used on hair, buckets of water thrown for rinsing and you get the idea. I do love my long locks that have grown during this period, but a trim would be appreciated – and soon, I don’t fancy my chances of a DIY haircut.

With salons hopefully will also come the opportunity for beauty treatments, and I am sure you will all agree a back massage is long overdue from months sitting in the house. I mean I have gone out to the shops, started jogging and walk the dog regularly; but my back feels like I have reached ‘Nana status’ clicking with each movement morning, noon and night. I would just love for a masseuse to unknot my back without me needing to stretch my way throughout the day. I swear if anyone was to look through my window, they would think I worked for air traffic control and needed to keep up the regular practise.

Another development of the week, is the reopening of zoos, giving families and us all something else to do, somewhere else to go and see animals that in the long run will be saved from extinction. Although I have been enjoying live web cams offered for free by many zoos, there is nothing like actually being there in person. The preparation for the day out, the debate over pack lunches or overpriced attraction food, the excited cramped car journey as you need to bring a ‘few’ just in case things. Then the trip itself, the freedom to explore, wander and select your interactions. Then don’t forget the treats, that even with a packed lunch you just have to buy. All finished off by a compulsory trip to the gift shop for another fridge magnet to crowd the fridge. Anyone else walking through the trip with dreaded excitement? I guess for us it is a little far to warrant a trip to the nearest zoo right now – but it is in the pipeline for over the summer.

However, the measures to reopen Schools have been slowed down. Smaller class sizes seem to be on the cards, a welcome hurray by teacher, parent and student alike. Hopefully going forward, education will offer more support and a tailored development.  As for years speech after speech has come out of number 10 about social mobility. Yet, during the pandemic social equality couldn’t be further from the truth. The poor and young are bound to suffer as the support they relied on is pinched by the pandemic. There have been some fantastic volunteers getting food parcels out to these families and to them I can only applaud their efforts. Yet, to really close the social divide we need education, and as the reins are being pulled on plans to get more of our young people back to school, it seems inevitable that the divide will grow. Nevertheless, if the smaller classes come into being, there is hope that our most disadvantaged young people will be given the tools to learn, grown and catch up on time lost. I feel an overwhelming sense of hope and desire to see us move into a changed society of opportunity and social mobility.

One step towards this, I like to think, could be through the policies the Government announce. This week adults living alone or single parents with children under 18 can form a protective bubble with one other person outside of their home. This measure will help loneliness for sure and could help re-engage the isolated in society. A fellow friend, living on her own said “while I’ve missed the company and am looking forward to seeing my parents more, it’s my Mam that’s most excited”.

While it doesn’t affect me as I live with my partner, it is a big step for others and at rebuilding society, getting people connected once more.

Yet, lots of people have come together, following the death of George Flyod in the United States with the debate Black lives matter. With calls for the removal of names and statues of people linked to the slave trade. At the weekend just gone, in Bristol the statue of Sir Edward Colston was pulled down and dumped in the river. It sounded like an action to mark the fall of a dictator, not a peaceful protest for rights. I am shocked at the news, but glad that no violence was used to keep the peace. But I can’t help feeling this public defacement should not have been allowed, should it?

While elsewhere debates are ongoing right around the UK this week about renaming locations, removing statues and removing TV content. Many of histories heroes are being brought into question: Sir Francis Drake who famously defeated the Spanish armada, is also known to have treated indigenous people ruthlessly; Thomas Cook, a great explorer or a ruthless conqueror? As a Scout I felt deeply attacked when our founder’s statue (Sir Robert Baden Powell) and good name is similarly brought into question. This all seems a step too far, and a little too close to home. Then there is past comedy’s being removed from platforms or edited. Episodes from Faulty Towers, Little Britain and so many more. Taken down for their content of racial slurs not being appropriate for the audience.

 As a fellow historian I find these debates interesting, while the fate of the statues, comedies, along with the prospect of changing place names ludicrous. Of course, black lives matter, all lives matter. Equality is as important as ever and I do not condone what happened in America. I am a big believer in equality in race, gender, social background, and it needs to extend to anyone and everyone.

Therefore, we cannot hide, any more than we can erase the history of the slave trade, colonialism, or our own past. Therefore surely, it is education that needs re-addressing. History after all should not be erased or hidden away, although I often have wanted to erase some of mine. We can all learn from the past, the heroes for their good deeds and foul play. I only hope next week brings a calm after the storm of bad weather and active equality demonstrations this week. 

I am pining for the simple things. This week has been, what I think has been, my first ever week without shops. Okay maybe not forever, but definitely since this pandemic all started and let me tell you, It’s been the best. Unfortunately, it’s not because we didn’t need to go. My parents still need fed and we still need fresh produce. My shop freedom is all thanks to my loving fiancé going for us all. Without any question or persuasion, he just said “I’ll go, you stay here with the dog”. Who am I to argue? And so, my weekend of fun began.

I start the morning with a jog, water running off me, that I wish was sweat, but its pouring. After ringing my clothes out and a shower. I take pleasure in pulling out the washing and watching it drying in the wind, okay so it chucking it down so I go for a laundrette house look. But I did get the house tidy – a bit, there is always more to do, but such is life. The best bit of all I didn’t need to think about social distancing, or lack of, as the supermarkets have become a place where social distancing rules seem forgotten during browsing of aisles. But not this week as I am in the house, far away from shopping’s slipping standards.

I am even spoiled to sweet treats and blooming flowers, both gifts of thanks to my partner and I. I feel so humbled by the gifts and am still not sure they are really deserved.  After all, Hotel chocolate is normally a birthday or Christmas treat. And similarly, a flower delivery is not a normal occurrence either. Oh, how technology does spoil us in ways we never knew, and well the people we love are amazing too for purchasing the treats.