The Extreme Staycation

Location: London, UK  COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown London Underground Prior to the lockdown and depending on my week, I would be on the tube pretty regularly. Today I got the tube for the first time since March 13th - that's a long time ago.  I didn't even know if I had any money on my Oyster card (I did). I was quite anxious about it.  I'm a confident traveller - growing up in London and without a family car, I have used public transport extensively throughout my life.  I know the tube map pretty well, I am happy hopping on and off buses, I've been on the DLR, boats, trams, even the cable car in my travels across the capital. Masks are mandatory on all public transport so I was pretty annoyed when the first carriage I got in had three people in it (spaced out) two who had their masks around their necks and one who didn't have one at all.  As more got on, the two with them around their necks put them on and the guy without one produced it as he got o...

Location: London, UK  COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown The government have now suggested only essential travel to Spain including the Balearic islands so a whole new swathe of people have had their dreams of a holiday dashed. I am sure the government are acting in our best interest on this, but I really feel for all those people and many thousands of others who aren't going on holiday any time soon. It's funny, a holiday seems like a bit of a luxury sometimes but when you work hard all year, a bit of travel, adventure and relaxation seem well deserved. This has been such a weird year.  For some people, I imagine that not having to look at their same four walls for a week is a desperately needed break.  Mentally, physically.  Folk with families who have been home schooling during all this must be doubly exhausted. Staycations have become the obvious option but accommodation is now in short supply and prices are rising.  Tent in the garden it is then....

Location: London, UK  COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown I don't like wearing a mask.  I'm a little claustrahpobic but I put up with the discomfort because I think that they help. I don't think it's that hard to wear a mask - for most of us, it's only when we are in shops or on public transport that it is actually mandatory.  You don't have to wear one in a restaurant, a pub, in the street or the gym so generally it will be a limited amount of time. So why aren't people doing it?  Is it arrogance?  Do they believe that Covid-19 is a hoax? Do they not think it will help? A Delta airlines flight recently turned around mid-air and returned to Detroit because two travellers refused to follow the air stewards requests to wear their masks.  I applaud the pilot - a zero tolerence approach seems to be the only way to get some entitled people to follow the rules.   In the UK, you can receive an on the spot fine of £100 for not wearing your mask on pu...

Location: London, UK and Hertfordshire COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Well today was a momentous day.  Today I left London for the first time since March 13th. The furthest I've been since then is 4.5miles away and I've only travelled that far a handfull of times. This is very different to my status quo.  I am in and out of central London anywhere between 1-7 times a week depending on work shifts and auditions and I've not left Zone 4 for 125 days. I think this may be the longest I've stayed within such a small area in decades. I miss London.  I miss the buildings, the buzz.  Everytime I see a central London location on TV or film, my urge to return to explore my city a little more comes back. Image from:  https://www.mypostcard.com/en/designs/holiday-greetings/I-love-London-holidaygreetings-london-summer-travel-send-postcards-online-10567

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown I am on a lot of mailing lists.  I get many emails every day from the many companies I've booked or bought through. I have a spurt of unsubscribing every now and then but mostly I want to hear from these people. At the moment I am receiving a lot of what I can only refer to as "optimistic emails".  Ones from travel companies, restaurants, various galleries and the many theatres (i.e. all of London's) who's lists I'm on. I appreciate that they want to keep in touch and even encourage me to book something, but I can tell you this for nothing, I aint booking A THING for some time.   Believe me, I want the theatre industry to recover as much as anyone in the industry or fans of theatre do, but it just feels like a fool’s errand to be booking theatre tickets or holidays when we don't know what's round the corner and the idea of sitting in a building with a group of stra...

Location: London, UK COVID-19 / Coronavirus Outbreak Lockdown Today is the day I was supposed to be at a wedding in Atlanta.  However, still managed to see the happy couple tie the knot via the medium of Zoom! Lots of the guests dressed up and had cake and champagne on standby to be able to join in the festivities from a distance.  Looking forward to being able to see them in real life sometime soon. Thinking of all the people out there who were / are getting married at this time and wishing you all the best!

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...