Life around Finchley Road – are we ready to return to normality?
It is now over two weeks since we entered Step 2 of the Government Roadmap out of lockdown, with gyms and other indoor leisure activities opening.
The very same day offered an eagerly awaited opportunity to meet friends in our local pubs to have one, two or many dream pints. At least for those venues that have an outside area, or like in many cases, on their new improvised ‘terraces’ spaces, created in a rush to accommodate more clients, while waiting for the following key date, when customers will finally be able to enjoy the whole ‘old’ indoor experience.
From the view of my living room window in Finchley Road, I can see that life is returning to a certain normality at the Hampstead Cricket Club. It is very refreshing to see people going back to their sporting and social activities, although I must confess that I know next to nothing about cricket.
In the meantime, cultural institutions must wait a little longer, until May 17th, when Step 3 of the Government Roadmap will allow their return to business.
Camden Arts Centre will reopen on May 21st, with an exhibition of work by the American artist Walter Price, Pearl Lines, his first major show in the UK, and another exhibition by Ukraine and New York-based artist Olga Balema – Computer, her first solo UK institutional exhibition.
JW3, the Jewish Community Centre, has announced it is back in the building with some family programmes and many other activities. However, judging from the outside, there are still many restrictions in place.
Most of the shops are open, yet the traffic and the number of roadworks are the only things that have visually increased in the area in these past weeks.
Fewer people are walking around, with or without masks, and it is noticeable that everybody makes an intentional effort to keep as much distance as possible from each other, some with suspicious or even scared faces.
It is still fresh in my mind the great feeling of walking around on April 12th, a beautiful sunny spring day.
After more than three months without being allowed to do much, one could feel the electric atmosphere and incredible energy everywhere. Everybody was smiling and talking to each other, having the ‘time of their life’.
Nevertheless, after the initial euphoria of pubs and shops re-opening, it is pretty clear that, despite people’s desire to go back to life as will be, there is yet this sentiment of concern and doubts on the faces of those walking around.
What exactly will be this new life? For several months now, we have been in and out of lockdown, changing drastically how we behave as a society.
Each of us has faced different challenges according to our ages, civil status, financial circumstances, housing, jobs, and many other individual factors that have had a massive impact on many people’s mental health.
Charities such as Mind – for better mental health, have created a guide to help with those feelings – Managing feeling about lookdown easing. It will be undoubtedly helpful for many of us.
Are we ready to return to normality?
A nice observational piece! I like how personal it felt and the images are great, too. It’s clever how you used the map screenshot. The piece flows nicely but I’d try to avoid long sentences if possible, especially at the beginning . I’d also avoid adverbs and filler words such as ‘intentional’ effort (just effort is enough) and repetitions like ‘electric’ atmosphere and ‘energy’. But that’s me nitpicking – overall a great piece!
Thank you :). Please do nitpicking on me Annika, you know I need it, and it is much appreciated.
Agree with Annika, the observational and reflective parts of this are actually really engaging – in a way this could probably sutain a much longer piece speaking to the people and building a portrait of an area coming back. But nice work!
Thanks, Rob. I was a bit lost with the task but certainly, interviewing other people would have helped. Thank you also for helping with the link for the Roadmap out of lockdown.
Hi Neto, I think Annika and Rob make some good points in their comments, and I agree that the idea behind your feature could actually sustain a longer, more in-depth exploration of how your neighbourhood is easing its way out of lockdown – and the challenges this presents to us all. That being said, as a short, new day feature it works perfectly well and is nicely illustrated by your own photos. As we discussed, your original ending left things hanging somewhat, so the new one is an improvement and at least does address, albeit briefly, the question posed in your headline. Overall, though, this is a good piece which captures something of how your area is slowly returning to life. Well done.
Thank you, Mark, I had followed your advice. I was a bit lost with the task at first, but quite happy now, and I am sure I’ll be able to do better soon.