The Extreme Staycation

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown The Streets - a poem The streets The streets they are different. Where once people jostled Now they avoid. Discarded coffee cups replaced by surgical masks Rainbows in chalk, Chairs at ends of paths, A shouted conversation. On Thursdays at 8 people emerge with a roar A moment of union before isolation again. Families walk together New exercises are run Courtesies extended where once they were absent Selfishness ignited in defiance or ignorance. The streets, the streets are still busy But the hubbub is ordered and queued The streets mill with the people still working, Once maligned, now key. The streets will be the same again. We will bump, shove and excuse a touch once more. But for now the streets are quiet As people listen and stay indoors.

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown It's the weekend.  Yes - it's Sunday, I know it's hard to keep track. Weekends are traditionally days for doing a bit of DIY and there is a good chance that by the time we come out the other side of this, a lot of people's houses are going to be looking a lot smarter and had a lot of things fixed. I've been the lucky recipient of some shelves going up (hooray) and today the garden wall got a jet wash.  It's one of those things you didn't realise needed doing until you see the results (see photo below) and wonderfully satisfying to see.

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Good Friday The weather has been absolutely beautiful recently.  I find that in the UK, the Easter weekend is either gorgeous like this or flipping cold and miserable - one extreme or the other! However, the good weather has not helped encourage people to stay inside and there have been ridiculous reports of the police having to break up hundreds of house parties.   I truly don't get it - literally thousands of people have died and are unwell - if there has ever been a time to be unselfish and think about our personal impact on society and the world, it's now. The best analogy I've heard is this (it's a little crude, apologies): Imagine the world is a swimming pool.  Someone pees in the pool.  Do you still want to risk getting in the pool? On a more positive note, here is a BAFTA winning filmmaker doing his bit: https://www.theguardian.com/news/2020/apr/08/bafta-winning-film-ma...

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown I am a Londoner born and raised.  As an actor, I have travelled to pretty much every corner of the city for auditions, rehearsals, performances etc so I feel I know this sprawling metropolis pretty well.   One of my favourite things to do, is to walk through London with no particular place to be.  It's the best way to explore any city.  I love all the sights and sounds and smells you get to experience when wandering along. And London is so immense that there is never going to be a shortage of places to explore, of new discoveries to be made, new views to be seen. One of my favourite quotes is this well known one:  'Sir,  when  a man is  tired  of  London , he is  tired  of  life ; for there is in  London  all that  life can  afford.' ... Samuel Johnson, to which I totally agree. And right now, I miss my city.  It's b...

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Should have been flying to the USA today. I was finally going to be able to explore LA (I went once when I was 10 but the only exploring on that occassion was of Disneyland) and also do some research for something I'm writing.  But that will all have to wait for now. More sadly, I was also going for a wedding.  That wedding, like many thousands of others has now been postponed or cancelled entirely. My heart breaks for those couples and families who are now not able to celebrate their love for one another in the way or at the time they chose. It also got me thinking about people who are having birthdays at the moment.  If you are self-isolating and really on your own, this must be pretty pants.  On a "Government Sanctioned" walk I saw a man standing on the street, shouting to his friend who was in his doorway holding a pint glass.  He told me it was his birthday and his friend had p...

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Self-Isolation I am a big fan of Neighbours . Yes it's still on Yes really Channel 5 Yes, still twice a day.  Three times actually, I think it's also on 5Star... Anyway, now is a great time to re-connect with your friends down-under as last week was EPIC.  There were late night episodes!  Deaths!  Marriages! And don't worry if you haven't watched it since the early 90s, half the old characters have come back to celebrate it being 35 years old. So that's my top tip for today - Neighbours - cos everyone needs good friends

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Self-Isolation Today I went shopping early, there was fresh food on the shelves and I got some bananas - hooray! Like half the country, I've also been to Homebase/a garden centre.  I've always wanted to grow my own fruits and vegetables but I've killed the hardiest of house plants (I'm not kidding, I've killed cactuses) so haven't bothered following through.  However, as I now have the time, this is the moment to prove myself wrong. We have planted a variety of herbs, courgettes, tomatoes, cauliflowers, brussel sprouts, carrots and peas, the potatoes are "sprouting" and I've bedded more chillies than anyone will ever need (thanks to Wahaca and their little seed packs).  It's all quite exciting.  If literally anything sprouts a little green shoot I'll be delighted. Went for a jog/run and then ploughed through a lot of wine, negating the run somewhat, but hey, self-isolation. ...

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Food I love food and I think about food most of the time We all need to eat and food (and toilet paper) seem to be sending people bonkers. I get it, we don't know what's going to happen.  We don't know when this will end.  We don't want to starve.  We are used to being able to get any food, any time. The supermarkets assure us there is enough food, so let's believe them and dial down the crazy. We all have ridiculous empty supermarket shelve stories so I won't share mine, but I will share how I tried to buy bananas from a small independent shop, he tried to charge me £5 for about 10 bananas.  I declined to buy them.  I used slightly more colourful language in my head but you don't need to hear that. My biggest concern right now is waste.  I hate waste.  I truly hope that all of the fresh fruit, vegetables and bread that have been purchased by the tonne are being eaten and used.  ...

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Work All forthcoming social or work engagements from my diary have been removed.  It's a blank slate apart from reminders to give the cat her flea and worm medicine which she will be most pleased about. As of Tuesday night, all my freelance work has been cancelled.  This isn't exactly surprising as all my work (acting or work in between) involves: 1. lots of other people 2. public buildings that hold lots of people 3. travelling with other people unnecessarily to places with lots of people I'm genuinely concerned for my many friends and colleagues who will have no income for the foreseeable future.  I don't have a solution except to suggest that if you have kids who might need child care as the schools are closing and can afford to pay someone, consider asking any of your friends who are potentially going to be struggling. The acting industry is, as ever, being creative and resilient - casting...