Are you feeling guilty in lockdown? (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
Feel like you’re not doing enough or are upset for no reason?
It’s likely you’re experiencing ‘lockdown guilt’ – a phenomenon that’s feeding off the nation’s high-running emotions and insecurities.
Many of our ‘lockdown resolutions’ – be it starting a new hobby, decluttering the house, reading more – simply haven’t happened. But because we’ve had more time than ever, we’re left feeling guilty about it.
Dr Elena Touroni, a consultant psychologist and co-founder of My Online Therapy, explains that we all have an ‘inner critic’ and for some it’s louder and harsher than others.
She says: ‘With many of our healthy coping strategies unavailable to us during lockdown, we might find that old, unhealthy thought patterns and ways of coping resurface.
‘Those people who already had a very harsh inner critic might find that this voice gets louder with fewer distractions around.
‘They might be placing on themselves the expectation that they should be using this time productively. But the truth is, we’re living through very uncertain and stressful times – putting pressure on ourselves is the last thing we want to be doing.’
Ann Heathcote, a psychotherapist and counsellor at The Worsley Centre, agrees that we should be gentle with ourselves and instead change the way we think.
She explains: ‘There is a lot of pressure at the moment to use this time effectively, do everything you’ve been meaning to do.
‘This may be a great method for some people, but others may just need this time to directly invest in their mental health and simply do less.
‘Instead of focusing on what you “should” be doing, focus on what you “want” to do.’
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Do you feel guilty for not completing your ‘lockdown resolutions’? (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
But it’s not just productivity – we’re feeling bad about getting emotional in lockdown, when it’s perfectly normal to do so.
Lottie, a receptionist from north London, says she feels guilty about feeling down at the moment – especially when she knows other people are having a tougher time.
She tells Metro.co.uk: ‘I can’t help but feel guilty for feeling sad or down as there are people who have it worse than I do. I’m healthy, I still have my job and a home.
‘I know anything that happens feels a hundred times worse in lockdown because emotions are running high, but then I feel guilty for feeling sad because people have it worse – so it’s just a vicious cycle.’
She adds: ‘But do I think it’s really important to check in with yourself to acknowledge your thoughts and feelings and not to be so hard on yourself.’
Similarly to Lottie, journalist Allie tells Metro.co.uk she feels guilty about expressing her true feelings.
She says: ‘For the better part of five weeks, I’ve been alone. I’ve barely touched another person, I’ve been working non-stop and I honestly think I might be losing it.
‘Whenever a friend or colleague asks how I’m doing, I feel like I can’t really tell the truth – not because I’m ashamed, but because I feel like others have it worse, so surely I can’t complain?
‘I have taken on more work lately as I’m trying to “stockpile” projects and money – this means I’m barely sleeping and am stressed every day. But again, I can’t complain as others have lost their jobs.
‘I like being on my own, but I haven’t hugged, touched or even shook hands with anyone for over a month. But then, I’m healthy and my friends check in every day. Again, I can’t complain.
‘And it’s not even so much about complaining but I just want to say “this situation is sh*t” without feeling like I have to make some sort of excuse on top of it.’
Dr Elena says while it’s easy to compare one personal situation to another – it doesn’t mean that feelings are any less important.
She says: ‘It’s important to stress that all feelings are valid. This shouldn’t be a reason to put down or undermine your own emotional experience.’
Emma is adapting to her new routine at home (Picture: Emma Nesham)
Lockdown means finding new ways to do things at home.
Whether it’s setting up an office in your hallway or making your favourite restaurant dish at home, everyone is making use to what they have around the house.
Emma Nesham, 24, is a marketing executive from Richmond, North Yorkshire.
Now working from home, she’s created office space out of her dressing table and is using paint pots as kettle bells for her work out.
My alarm goes off, a whole hour later than it usually would as my commute has become significantly shorter.
I head downstairs to my new desk, which is actually my dressing table with all of the makeup stored elsewhere.
Right now, myself and my boyfriend are both working from home – he already had his desk set up in the kitchen so he’s happy in his usual spot and I’m just at the other side of the wall in the living room at my makeshift desk. It’s both a blessing and a curse that we have each other to chat to throughout the day.
However, I definitely have the better end of the deal as I get all of the morning Yorkshire sunshine streaming in through the front window.
9 am
Comfy clothes on it’s time for a Zoom call with the Purple Creative Studio team.
Our Monday morning meeting is a vital part of our week as we work together on our website projects and I work with our digital marketing apprentice Jess very closely, so it’s important we have this catch-up.
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Emma at her desk, which was previously a dressing table (Picture: Emma Nesham)
We went without it one week and it was quickly decided that we take our meeting online using Zoom for the videocall, and Asana to re-create our big project board we have in the office.
9:45 am
Time to work through some emails. Usually, I work a month in advance – creating social media posts and blog content ready for the following month. Right now that’s impossible so my routine has gone out of the window for the sake of ensuring what I’m creating for my clients is accurate and works for them.
I’ve also signed up to a few more webinars than I usually would for the next couple of weeks too, I’m using the time I would spend meeting clients face-to-face to progress my knowledge ready for when our office re-opens and meetings can start again.
11 am
A digital marketing training call done via Zoom. Over the last couple of years, we have been able to offer funded workshops and training for local businesses.
This is something we are continuing to do and finding it works really well using Zoom to chat and share screens. It does feel a little odd though as clients get to see what my living room looks like and the dog decides to pop up now and again.
12 pm
Lunchtime. Although, to be honest it is only since working from home that I’ve started eating breakfast (a bad habit I know) so I’m not hungry at lunchtime. Instead, I’ve been heading out into the garden to read, FaceTime my Mum and just generally enjoy some time away from my desk.
I’ve seen a lot of people enjoying lunch times in the garden with their other half, but since I’m working in such close proximity to mine, we seem to use this hour to do our own thing – I’m not sure what that says about us.
Some days I have been struck by madness and have been doing one of the many live workouts now taking place daily on Instagram.
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She is working out at home with paint pots (Picture: Emma Nesham)
We don’t have any weights though, so I’ve been using paint tins as Kettlebells and spanners or large bottles as weights. I’d really got into going to the gym pre-lockdown so I’m trying to keep it up, although it’s quite difficult when your gym is now the garage.
1 pm
Time to post on the Purple social media channels. Again, this is something we usually have planned in advance but as this situation is changing all the time, we’re trying to be sensitive to that and post something suited to what we’re doing or any changes which have affected us or our clients.
We want to be a friendly source of information and this is more important than ever right now. It’s usually at this point that my boyfriend decides to tell me something completely random and knocks me off my posting stride. He works in forklift sales and I think I’ll pretty much know the whole product range off by heart by the time lockdown is over.
1:30 pm
Time to write some content for a client website. I always block out time in my calendar for this as I like getting stuck into some keyword research and making sure what I write is effective when it comes to Search Engine Optimisation.
I also write the social media content for this client, so it gives me a chance to really get to know what they offer so I can post accurate content on their socials.
3 pm
It’s usually around this time that my dog wants a bit of attention – she is taken for an early morning walk then snoozes most of the day away (last week she was snoring so loud all the team heard her on the Zoom call).
So, I take 10 minutes to grab a drink and play with the dog until she curls back up on the sofa and I head back to my desk. She doesn’t usually live with us due to working full time but pre-lockdown we decided to get her from my parents’ house to give them a break and keep ourselves sane.
4 pm
Throughout the day I’ve had a few emails drop in with new tasks, so I begin working on some of the smaller ones including creating a simple email in Mailchimp, updating a blog post on a website and creating a new Facebook cover image in Canva.
The rest are added to my to-do list for the following day. I love how varied my day is, it’s impossible to stick to a to-do list bit I find it’s still helpful to have one to instil a little structure into my day.
It’s usually around this time I get a call from one of the other girls on the team, we keep in touch via Google Hangouts a lot but it’s nice to actually speak to someone on the phone.
5:30 pm
That’s me done for the day, workwise at least. To be honest I’m always on the lookout for the latest digital news and it’s when I’m not working on client tasks that I have chance to do this. I can lose hours reading articles and listening to podcasts from industry experts.
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Emma with her dog (Picture: Emma Nesham)
However, first port of call once work is done is to take the dog out for a walk. We’re incredibly lucky to live on the outskirts of the Yorkshire Dales and we have a fab walking loop from our house which takes us past the ruins of an Abbey and along the banks of the River Swale.
It’s just over three miles and leaves us with just enough time to get a nice tea together (although admittedly this sometimes ends up as a jacket potato) I’ve often been tempted to move away from Richmond, but right now I’m feeling more grateful to have stayed here than ever.
One thing I always cursed myself for, prior to working from home, was that I NEVER met my step count as I’d come home from work after a day at my desk and head to the gym or flop onto the sofa. Now, 5:30 comes and I’m looking forward to my walk which has me averaging over 11,000 steps – what was my excuse before all this?
7 pm
Back from our walk, dinner all sorted and it’s time to sit down and watch some Netflix. As with social media, we have been limiting how much TV we watch – purely because we have no idea how long this lockdown could go on for, so we don’t want to run out of things to watch.
We’ve decided to watch The Nest so that’s what is on the agenda this evening before my boyfriend undoubtedly falls asleep on the sofa alongside the dog.
10 pm
Bedtime and for me and I’m straight onto my iPad to do some reading. I’d rather have a physical book, but I’ve signed up to my local library and they have thousands of e-books available for free.
I always loved to read and have found it’s really helped me to stay calm during lockdown, rather than scrolling down social media and getting consumed in news articles.
Right now, I’m reading ‘Becoming’ by Michelle Obama and I have some other fab books on my list that I hope will not only keep my brain busy but help me learn something new as well.
‘Doctor, engineer, lawyer, banker’, these are all the buzzwords for the entrenched class system in the Pakistani community (Picture: supplied)
Ask any Pakistani child and they’ll tell you ‘Are you going to be a doctor?’ is the most common question they’ll hear growing up.
Both of my parents are doctors and sure enough, my older sister started studying medicine when I was just 10 years old.
But the indoctrination didn’t stop there.
The social circles my family frequented in my local community are a breeding ground of doctors. Everyone works with everyone else and are raising the perfect children to follow in their footsteps.
So you can imagine their surprise when I realised quite early on in school that I didn’t even want to study science.
For my GCSEs, I chose history and Classical Greek and had to introduce the idea to my parents of studying an Arts subject. Their concerns were quickly dismissed since I wasn’t yet dropping or limiting any science routes.
By the time A Levels came around, I was preparing to drop all science subjects and study history and classics to prepare myself for university as I wanted to pursue a career in journalism. My household turned incredibly tense.
In the lead up to submitting my A Level options, there were countless arguments, attempted compromises and visits to teachers in order to understand the viability of my options.
The day of the options deadline, I submitted them without my parents’ knowledge. When I finally came clean a few days later, it was to a lot of vitriol on all sides of the family, telling me that I was making a mistake and an immature decision.
It was only after I reassured them that I would study law or a law conversion that they decided to gamble on these subjects. Especially in the first year of my A Level studies, I was dragging my parents along with me.
Law was my red herring, because even at the time, I knew that that wasn’t the path I wanted to go down.
I don’t hold my parents’ reaction against them because the culture that manifests in this community made it a natural one. Up until this point in my life, I could count on less than one hand the number of Pakistanis that had studied humanities.
Wanting your child to have a secure future isn’t a crime. Especially for families less fortunate than my own, this narrative makes sense.
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My community is yet to make the connection between not encouraging our kids to study humanities and our missing voice in the creative sector (Picture: supplied)
In the 1990s, there was a big trend of doctors from South Asian countries moving to England and finding jobs within the NHS.
At such an uncertain point in their lives, the medical and science professions formed a sense of stability and community that resonated across a generation. They viewed it as a stable career path with good pay coupled with noble intentions.
After uncertainty in their own situations while moving or growing up, it would make sense that for the next generation, they want to build a secure foundation for their prosperity.
STEM is seen as the way forward. And that’s a path a lot of South Asian kids living in the UK take.
In a study conducted by HESA, around 10,000 British Asian Pakistani students were enrolled into higher education for ‘medicine, dentistry and subjects allied to medicine’ in the 2017/2018 academic year.
In contrast and in that same year, only 2,000 students from the same ethnic group enrolled into higher education to study languages or any degree under ‘historical and philosophical studies’.
Even comparing only medicine and dentistry (2,635) and historical and philosophical studies (755) there is a huge disparity in numbers.
Fortunately for me, I am now at a stage in my studies and personal journey, where my parents have accepted and are proud of the decisions I am making.
For many of my peers, this is not the story. They have been pressured into studying science, or believe it is their only choice. In the Pakistani community, the rishta culture also adds an element of pressure.
‘Doctor, engineer, lawyer, banker’, these are all the buzzwords for the entrenched class system in the Pakistani community. It is a gold star on your chart and a medal parents wear when they talk about their children.
I distinctly remember the time in my final year of school when my peers and I would discuss our degree choices. There was always a short hesitation before I said ‘Classics’ and odd looks around the room.
The emotional labour of explaining my choice, defending my employability and intelligence took a toll on my own self-esteem. I would constantly question if I had made the right decision until sound bites like ‘actually I will receive transferable skills opening up a number of career options’ became second nature.
Even now, two years into my degree, although I receive more positive responses, it sometimes feels as though I am behind a glass wall with people waiting to see if I fall or fly.
This lack of representation soon becomes a vicious cycle, feeding into preconceived fears and not allowing for reform in curriculum and workplaces to make them more accessible.
My community is yet to make the connection between not encouraging our kids to study humanities and our missing voice in the creative sector. Change starts from within.
A Lincoln dad has used his unexpected time off work to create the ultimate in-house arcade for him and his son to play in (Picture: Steve Addison / SWNS)
Don’t stress out if you haven’t got the most up-to-date gaming console to keep you occupied through lockdown.
Take inspiration from this dad’s crafting skills instead.
Steve Addison, 32, spent hours designing and crafting a full-size retro arcade machine for his three-year-old son Felix to play with in lockdown.
He did it all by himself for under £150, despite having no DIY experience.
The dad used an old Atari computer and arcade buttons and wood he bought off Ebay.
Now little Felix can play old-school classics including Super Mario, Spyro, Crash Bandicoot, Sonic the Hedgehog, Pac-Man, Pong, Street Fighter, and Mortal Kombat.
Steve, who works as an assistant manager for McDonald’s, decided to take on the project after being placed on furlough due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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Despite having no DIY experience, Steve was able to craft the arcade all by himself (Picture: Steve Addison / SWNS)
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And he did it for under £150 (Picture: Addison / SWNS)
Steve, of Lincoln, said: ‘I knew it was inevitable that we were going into lockdown so I made a start just before self-isolation rules fully kicked in.
‘I got an Atari from my mother in law for Christmas but I had no slot for it with everything else we have hooked up to the TV.
‘I’ve always kind of wanted an arcade machine and I suggested the idea to my wife who kind of laughed me out the room.
‘My capabilities of when it came to DIY were little to none so she thought something bad would wrong, cutting off my finger or something.
‘It got to the start of March and I just wanted a little project to keep my mind focused on something and keep me busy as I knew work would be shut.
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He painted on characters, with Felix’s help (Picture: Steve Addison / SWNS)
‘It was a slow process at the start as I was still at work but when we went into a lockdown that’s when I got it all finished off.
‘It took about two weeks to plan and a week to build. Most of the games are ones I have fond memories of that I wanted to share with Felix.
‘The little man and I have been on a pretty much every day since.;
Steve is pleased with how the end product turned out although his wife Kerry, 29, an NHS mental health nurse, had her doubts about the idea.
But Felix got fully behind the project and helped to pick out his favourite characters to include as part of the colourful decoration.
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The arcade will keep the duo entertained in lockdown (Picture: Steve Addison / SWNS)
Steve added: ‘I painted all the characters individually myself. There’s a few of them which my little boy chose.
‘He recognised ones like Pikachu, Mario, Crash Bandicoot and I added ones like Ryu and Link from Legend of Zelda.
‘He loves seeing all those characters come to life.
‘Cutting out the pieces, sanding it all down and joining them together took me about two days.
‘It was specs of it all that took the most time because I’m not a joiner, not in any way, shape or form.
‘I work at McDonald’s, I’ve not got any skills in this area, so I took my time with it.
‘I made sure I planned everything quite meticulously and stuck to them. Sanding it down was the main issue for me.
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Impressive, right? (Picture: Steve Addison / SWNS)
‘There’s the odd wonky bit but from a distance and the pictures, it looks great.’
The machine runs off a simplistic computer called a Raspberry Pi, which was developed to be used in schools to teach children about programming.
The project cost under £150 to make and was put together using over the counter materials.
To buy a similar arcade machine brand new would cost in excess of £1,000.
Steve has already had offers from friends to build them their very own version, which he is happy to do after developing a newfound passion for woodwork and joinery.
He said: ‘The wood comes to about £50, the arcade buttons came to £40 and were just from eBay. The Raspberry Pi computer is a refurb model I found from eBay for £25.
‘I walked past an old table in my garage, so I started to make a second tabletop version too and that is nearly done.
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Steve now plans to take up a carpentry course (Picture: Steve Addison / SWNS)
‘When work reopens, I’m going to put it into my staff room for my colleagues to play on their breaks.
‘I find it quite flattering that people think I have DIY skills, but I can guarantee them I don’t. I struggle with DIY. I like working with computers mostly.
‘I put my mind to it, got it done and got a really good outcome from it.
‘Because I’ve had that much passion towards it, my wife thought it might be good for me to do a joining and carpentry course in college, which is a great idea for me.
‘I loved doing it and sharing it with everyone. It was nice to see people’s reactions when it was online and it just made me feel really proud.’
And of course, Felix absolutely loves the end result of all Steve’s hard work.
Steve added: ‘They have released programmes for the Raspberry Pi that let you allow you to run and emulate games.
‘We are on Bubble Bobble quite a bit, he likes the little dragon on that and it’s quite simple for him.
‘Quite often I find him on it because he’s figured out how to switch it on, pick a game and get cracking with it. He’s really switched on and clever
‘He’s got a cracking little button-bashing technique and somehow he manages to kick my arse every time.
‘I’ve got a couple of educational like Sesame Street and there’s a Winnie the Pooh game.
‘Funnily enough, he is not as interested in those because they are educational, but he still goes on and from time to time.
‘Spyro, Crash Bandicoot and Sonic the Hedgehog he loves, which is one of my childhood heroes, so it’s nice to see that my son now enjoys it as well.’
Have you completed an amazing DIY project in lockdown? Get in touch to share it by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
The traditional Anzac Day Dawn Service, National Ceremony and veterans march did not take place this year following restrictions on public gatherings and social distancing measures in place as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. (Picture: Alex Ellinghausen-Pool via Getty Images)
Anzac Day will have looked different for many Australians this year, as the annual communal services of remembrance, traditionally held at dawn across the country, will have been replaced by smaller, sometimes individual, moments of reflection and remembrance at home.
In lieu of large gatherings of people and community services, this year the national Anzac Day ceremony in Australia was watched live online by thousands who were staying home amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The National Commemorative dawn service, broadcast from the Australian capital of Canberra, was only attended by a handful of leaders and veterans.
‘Our remembrances today small, quiet and homely will be,’ Prime Minister Scott Morrison told the nation.
What is Anzac Day?
Celebrated every year on 25 April, Anzac Day is a memorial date in Australia and New Zealand, spent honouring those who have defended their countries and served in the armed forces.
Anzac stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and similar to the tradition of Remembrance in the UK, poppies are used as a symbol of respect, honour and remembrance and are traditionally associated with the day.
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Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Jenny Morrison lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier during the 2020 Anzac Day commemorative service in Canberra, Australia. (Picture: Alex Ellinghausen-Pool via Getty Images)
The tradition of honouring Australia and New Zealand’s servicemen and women began in 1916 and was first introduced to commemorate Australian and New Zealand troops’ contributions in Galipoli, Turkey, fighting the Ottoman Empire during the First World War.
While the original service was held to commemorate soldiers, now the date is used as a memorial day for all the many contributions the two countries have made to ‘wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations’.
What are Anzac biscuits?
Anzac biscuits are a delicious treat traditionally associated with Anzac Day.
Made using oats, coconut and golden syrup, the oaty biscuits became associated with Anzac Day because the same biscuits were thought to have been sent to soldiers during the First World War and onwards.
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Anzac biscuits are a tasty tradition that is easy to mark at home. (Picture: Getty Images/Foodcollection)
The ingredients in the biscuits made them ideal for sending to troops overseas because of their long-lasting shelf life.
The ingredients you need to make an Anzac biscuit recipe at home are as follows:
85g porridge oats
85g desiccated coconut
100g plain flour
100g caster sugar
100g butter,(plus extra butter for greasing)
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
How to make Anzac biscuits:
Heat your oven to 180C (fan) or otherwise 160C/gas 4
Chuck the oats, coconut, flour and sugar in a bowl
Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in the golden syrup
Add the bicarbonate of soda to 2 tbsp boiling water, then stir into the golden syrup and butter mixture
Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the butter and golden syrup mixture. Stir gently to incorporate the dry ingredients
Put dessert spoonfuls of the mixture (without eating it) on to buttered baking sheets, about 2.5cm/1in apart to allow room for spreading
Bake in batches for 8-10 mins until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Then TUCK IN!
No, you can’t test for a fever with your hand (Credits: Getty Images/Tetra images RF)
You wake up covered in sweat but you’re shivering. One minute you’re steaming, the next freezing. That’s it, I’ve got a fever, you think – and up your hand goes to your forehead to check.
Oh, maybe not…it feels fine, you say as you wipe the beads of sweat off onto your sopping pyjamas.
Well, we’re sorry to break it to you, but you may not be fine just because you don’t feel as hot as you think.
The only way to know for sure if you have a fever – that’s a temperature of 37.2’c or above – is by using a thermometer. You may have grown up with your mum whipping her hand across your forehead to check whether you were really as ill as you were making out but in reality, the old hand method isn’t massively accurate.
In fact, according to a study in the journal Tropical Medicine and International Health, patients who self-reported feeling feverish at a rural teaching hospital in India only had a 58% chance of actually having a fever.
It’s really important that you have the equipment handy to test for a high temperature because having a fever is one of the key symptoms of coronavirus.
But what if you’ve only got an old thermometer? Apparently, it doesn’t matter how ancient your thermometer is so long as it’s intact and not damaged or out of juice. If you’ve only got one that goes under the tongue, be sure to thoroughly clean it with soap and water before using.
If you don’t have a thermometer at home but you do suspect a fever, do not go out to buy one. It’s definitely better that you stay at home just in case you do have coronavirus.
Fevers do tend to come with a few tell-tale signs and under the current circumstances, it’s better if you take the cautious approach and stay in bed or self-isolate in your room or home if you do think you’re coming down with something.
Other signs to watch out for:
shivering/chills
fatigue (unusual levels of tiredness)
headache
body aches (not from exercise or PMS)
sweats
facial flushes (looking ‘peaky’)
feeling breathless or weak
If there’s someone living with you who could feel your head with their hand, that’s also a good shout – just so long as they’re not vulnerable (they also need to give their hands a jolly good scrub before and after!).
Make sure that they use the back of their hand as our palms are less sensitive to temperature changes, meaning that they may not think you feel hotter than expected. If you have a fever, you’ll be hotter all over – not just in your face or forehead – so they may also want to give you a feel in other places such as your stomach, back and neck.
The island of Linga is for sale (Picture: Apple Maps /SWNS)
If you’re desperately pinching the pennies to put away money for a deposit on your first home, you might want to reconsider.
For less than the price of a London flat, you could go ahead and buy an entire island all to yourself.
Linga, a 63.75 acre island in Vaila Sound, on the west side of Shetland, is on the market for offers over £250,000.
The island is between Scotland and Norway (it’s actually closer to Norway) and is described as ‘a place of spectacular scenery and beauty with an abundance of wildlife’.
The ‘scenic and sheltered’ spot is close to the Shetland mainland, and has year-round access.
The island has two derelict cottages, with planning permission granted to rebuild them as well as to construct a new cottage.
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Aerial view of the Shetland islands, near Linga (Picture: DeAgostini/Getty Images)
It also has planning permission for the building of a pier, and a storage shed with reception area and new agricultural buildings.
Oh and there’s a two-acre loch with a traditional watermill – super peaceful and picturesque.
Planning consent includes a windmill and solar panels for power, septic tanks with reed beds for sewage and rainwater capture from the cottage and shed roofs to provide the fresh water supply making it eco-friendly and energy efficient.
After plans for a nudist group to buy the island fell through, Vladi Private Islands is now looking for a new owner for the space.
The chosen person will need to be okay with spending quite a bit of time alone, as no one else lives on the island, and will need to be handy enough to build or renovate living spaces.
They’ll be rewarded with gorgeous natural views and access to the mainland (as long as you have a boat).
All McDonalds restaurants in the UK and Ireland are closed as the company attempts to cope with the new restrictions enforced because of the coronavirus pandemic. (Picture: Yui Mok/PA Wire)
Since then, the fast-food restaurant chain has tried to sate the nation’s longing for the golden arches by giving away their Happy Meal box template for people to recreate their kids’ favourite Mc-treats at home and they’ve even revealed the recipe for their sausage & egg McMuffin.
Despite these gestures, the public’s longing for a double cheeseburger served with a large coke and fries has not waned, so much so that it seems we’ve turned to wishful thinking.
It’s been reported that McDonald’s plans on re-opening on a ‘limited basis from next month’, and social media went wild as customers clamoured for more information on the restaurant chain’s plan to ‘re-open’.
But, sadly for McDonald’s fans around the UK, all was not as it seemed.
Is McDonald’s drive thru really reopening?
We’re sorry to be the bearers of bad news, but no, McDonald’s drive thru is not planning on reopening soon.
The restaurant chain took to Twitter last night to respond to the flurry of questions and reactions to the rumour that they were reopening, telling fans that they had ‘no confirmed plans just yet’ to reopen either their restaurants or their drive thru service.
‘Well, our notifications are going wild tonight – we miss you too,’ McDonald’s tweeted.
‘We promise we will update you here as soon as we have confirmed our plans. Stay safe, stay at home and we will see you soon.’
Confirming their position, McDonald’s also reiterated: ‘We have no confirmed reopening plans at this time’ in response to a customer query on social media, and reassured a concerned employee by saying: ‘Your safety is our top priority. When we have confirmed plans, we will contact restaurants and update our employees.’
Another box of McNugget replacements from the freezer for tea it is then.
VLM2020 may have been postponed but we can still move and raise money together (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
The London Marathon 2020 was supposed to be going ahead tomorrow (Sunday 26 April), until coronavirus happened.
After months and months of gruelling winter training (shout out to everyone who did their long runs during Storm Dennis), this was supposed to the victory lap – the glorious 26.2 mile finish around our beautiful capital. Now, everyone will have to wait until October…if we’re out of the woods by then.
But whether you were prepped to run the race, were planning on going down to Tower Hill to watch or you’re just getting into running in general, there’s a virtual challenge we can all take part in tomorrow. .
The 2.6 Challenge is a virtual run designed to bring us runners together to raise money on what is usually the best day in the UK racing calendar.
Women for Women is just one charity asking supporters to give it a go on their behalf. It’s asking for people to dream up an activity based on the numbers 2 and 6. That would be jogging or dancing for 26 minutes, walking 2.6 miles, or something entirely non-sport related.
Simply do whatever activity you’ve vowed to do then donate via Women for Women’s International donation page here.
If you’d rather donate your money to a broader spectrum of charities, however, then you may want to get involved with the New Balance 2.6 Challenge on Strava.
All you have to do is sign up to the challenge on Strava, log 2.6 miles between 26 April and 2 May and donate to a charity of your choice. You can run or walk – or do a mixture of both. It really is the taking part that counts.
Donate your money at: uk.virginmoneygiving.com/giving (there is a 0% platform fee for all charities), before sharing a picture of your run or walk, using the hashtag #TwoPointSixChallenge. Anyone who completes the challenge will earn the New Balance 2.6 challenge digital badge on Strava and will also get an exclusive 26% discount at Sport Shoes.
Millions of pounds are raised every year by marathon runners. Many marathons and races usually take part in the spring so charities are missing out on a huge amount of money as a result of them being called off. Last year, Virgin Money London Marathon raised a record-breaking £66.4 millon for charity – an extraordinary amount for a one-day event (although anyone who has run one knows that it’s anything but a one-day event).
When my first serious boyfriend left me, we hadn’t had sex for six months.
For the previous two years of our relationship, I had been in and out of hospital, trying every contraception method available, and spent countless hours being prodded with ultrasounds in an effort to get my painful periods under control.
I was told it was likely I had endometriosis, which occurs when cells that resemble the uterus lining grow in other parts of your body. In my case they grew on my sex organs, which made intercourse extremely painful.
I searched desperately to cure myself. I pumped my body full of hormones, spending hundreds of pounds visiting multiple specialists. When nothing worked, I came close to tears by trying to let my boyfriend penetrate me.
The guilt when he couldn’t was enormous. My boyfriend was never vocal that he needed sex in order to stay together but I convinced myself that was the case.
The proliferation of online porn and the pressures of social media made me feel like everybody else’s relationships were dandy and their sex lives must be crazy good.
We started to argue regularly, triggered by my fears that he would leave me and eventually the spark dwindled. I was heartbroken when he ended it and as the months of singledom dawdled on, I really missed the feeling of physical intimacy.
It’s great that women are encouraged more and more to talk about sex and that TV shows depict and celebrates female orgasms. Female pleasure is being taken far more seriously and that can only be a good thing.
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I couldn’t even enjoy a second of foreplay without writhing in pain (Picture: Mollie Davies)
Yet hearing my friends talk openly about their mind-blowing orgasms when I couldn’t even enjoy a second of foreplay without writhing in pain left me feeling small, and overwhelmed with jealousy. Masturbation was possible sometimes but at least if it didn’t feel good, I was only displeasing myself, and could try again another time.
I felt like half a woman, certain that sex was necessary for somebody to love me. Endometriosis also affects fertility and I convinced myself I’d be part of the 50 per cent of women less likely to conceive because of it. I couldn’t have sex; surely no man would want me if I couldn’t give him a family, either.
With my boyfriend gone, I scrolled through dating apps listlessly, condemning every man because ‘he wouldn’t get it’, or ‘he looks too fun to understand’. And with no one there to keep me glued to my phone or consume my weekends, I had no choice but to start listening to my body.
I started eating better, doing more yoga and began taking the advice of my doctors to slow down rather than trying to rush to feel better.
My endometriosis would never go away and the fear that I would be single forever as a result didn’t abate, but I came to understand that I could at least be healthy again if I realised my limits.
Then I met Jasper*. We were introduced through friends and he seemed to be everything I’d ever wanted. My friends assured me that he was a good guy, and from early on I could see that he had the kindest heart.
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I realised that my body was nothing to be ashamed of (Picture: Mollie Davies)
I was open from the beginning about my endometriosis and how it would affect our sex life. He listened carefully and replied that he didn’t think it was a big issue. I was shocked – I was so sure that nobody would ever even want to try and understand.
In fact, he wanted to try and help me find routes to make things more bearable. He kept trying in a way that made me feel sexy and wanted, but never pressured.
With Jasper I discovered that intimacy, real intimacy, isn’t based solely on sex; it’s about trust and feeling comfortable with somebody.
It stems from the pillow talk afterwards; from cuddling and staying up until 3am laughing. These things are all about vulnerability and emotion, not physicality, and when there is an emotional connection, you get the magic.
I realised that my body was nothing to be ashamed of, that post-sex-blood on the bedsheets was not my fault. I knew I could say ‘no, not tonight’ and not feel guilty about it. I could come home from a bad day and cry to Jasper, and the love would still be there.
Slowly, I learnt that any guy worth my love would understand and respect my body, and that I am at my happiest when I do things to please myself rather than men.
Our relationship lasted a year and we ended amicably knowing that it simply wasn’t right long-term. Now I’m dating somebody new, and I’m in a really good place.
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We want to have sex with the person cherish but it isn’t the be all and end all (Picture: Mollie Davies)
I’ve found a balance of holistic and medical approaches that work for me and am confident in being open about my pain. I do want to have children some day but am slowly coming to terms with the idea I might not, especially as there are so many different routes to take to become a mum.
Crucially, not feeling like I have to ‘give in’ to sex makes me more able to relax, and makes it easier as a result, so that sex – when we do have it – is brilliant. People expect me to be vanilla, as though you can only be sexually adventurous if you have sex every day but I still crave it, even if my body says no.
For so long I bubble-wrapped myself against men, denying myself love and affection because I felt so embarrassed by my condition. The natural assumption is that healthy relationships come with good sex, and that couples who are truly in love have more sex than their miserable counterparts.
Of course, we want to have sex with the person we cherish but it isn’t the be all and end all. I know now that while I may have less to offer in the bedroom, I can love wholeheartedly, make my partner laugh and treat them with respect – and that’s a pretty sweet deal.
Love, Or Something Like It is a new series for Metro.co.uk, covering everything from mating and dating to lust and loss, to find out what love is and how to find it in the present day. If you have a love story to share, email rosy.edwards@metro.co.uk
What’s it like living that van life amid the coronavirus pandemic?
A little grubby, in all honesty.
One woman who lives in a van says she’s had to give up showering due to lockdown measures, as her motorhome didn’t have warm running water and public spaces where she would usually bathe are closed.
Freelaance commercial photographer and videographer Nikki Bigger, 29, originally from Kingston, Canada, has been travelling around in a van for years, first trying out the lifestyle back in November 2015 for two years while in New Zealand.
When her visa ran out she returned to Canada and realised she would be far happier living in a van and travelling full-time.
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Nikki, from Canada, fell in love with van life back in 2015 (Picture: Mediadrumimages / Nikki Bigger)
So in March 2019, Nikki bought a Ford Transit 250 van for £19,556 (34,000 CAD), which she was able to spread across monthly payments.
After three months of planning she spent just 30 days and £9,203 (16,000 CAD) converting the van into a permanent home on wheels complete with a beautiful fully functioning kitchen, bed, electricity and generous workspace, with the help of her family.
Since then, Nikki has lived on her van full-time and is currently based on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.
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The photographer and videographer bought a van for £19,556 and turned it into her permanent home (Picture: Mediadrumimages / Nikki Bigger)
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She has everything she needs inside the van (Picture: Mediadrumimages / Nikki Bigger)
But while her lifestyle has given her a load of freedom, it has made adjusting to the coronavirus lockdown a little tricky.
With gyms closed she’s unable to have a shower, and is struggling with being unable to freely wander her surroundings.
‘COVID-19 has affected my life more than I was expecting,’ says Nikki. ‘The gyms are closed so I cannot shower.
‘I do have an outdoor shower in our van but it’s too cold outside to use it.
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She loves the freedom her lifestyle brings (Picture: Mediadrumimages / Nikki Bigger)
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But lockdown did mean she couldn’t shower for two weeks (Picture: Mediadrumimages / Nikki Bigger)
‘Most parks are gated closed so there aren’t many locations I can park other than a Costco/Walmart parking lot, it feels very crammed because I’m usually outside or at a cafe, and being forced to stay inside the small space is definitely frustrating when the weather is cold outside.’
Nikki has managed to rent a plot of land with two other vans, where she and other travellers are now in quarantine together.
After two weeks without a shower, Nikki and her new lockdown buddies have built a heated outdoor shower in this space so they can finally get clean.
Now she’s feeling fresh again, Nikki is back to sharing her adventures on Instagram, where she talks openly about the realities of a nomadic lifestyle.
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Nikki shares her adventures on Instagram to inspire others to try van life (Picture: Mediadrumimages / Nikki Bigger)
‘Simplicity, not owning much, mostly the freedom to go anywhere anytime [appealed to me about van life],’ said Nikki.
‘I felt that I lacked freedom a lot in my life when everyone was telling me I should go to school and get married and have kids, but that’s not what I wanted. So, van life allowed me the freedom to pursue exactly what I wanted so I could feel confident in my decisions.
‘I absolutely love life on the road. I love how free I am, the minimal cost of living, the feeling of being in a cosy tree fort every night, and gathering with van friends around a fire.
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She spends her downtime relaxing in the van’s cosy inteiors (Picture: Mediadrumimages / Nikki Bigger)
‘This lifestyle has given me pride knowing that I can create my reality. Converting a van into a home and creating a career from a camera; it has given me happiness in knowing I am capable of achieving whatever I want..
‘My life has improved tremendously because I was not happy in an apartment paying tons of money, and in a job where I had a boss, I am now so so happy.
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Just look at those views (Picture: Mediadrumimages / Nikki Bigger)
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‘If you are interested in this lifestyle, do it! (Picture: Mediadrumimages / Nikki Bigger)
‘My use for Instagram is to inspire others to believe in themselves and create the life they have dreamt of. I’m always available to chat and help anyone out.
‘If you are interested in this lifestyle, do it! Know that you can, know that you want it, and work hard until you achieve it.
‘And if you have any questions, I’m more than happy to help.’
Are you seeing out lockdown in an unconventional style? Get in touch to share your story by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
One day we’ll be able to run together – please hold out until then! (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
More of us are running than ever, thanks to the lockdown.
Depending on where you live, running can be a pretty lonely, solo activity. In town, the canals may be packed with marathon trainers trying to get in their long runs but out in the ‘burbs, it’s just you and the odd dog walker or Parkrunner on the road.
Since the gyms shut and we were told to stay indoors bar one outing for physical exercise, however, the running community seems to have exploded everywhere. Every local park, woodland and side road now boasts runners of all speeds, ages and experience.
I asked Twitter whether there were any new runners out there who were planning on keeping the habit up once this crisis has passed.
ð thanks Kelvin!
Yeah I picked up running again the last 6 weeks and planning on keeping it going after lockdown ðââï¸ðª
(I say this on the endorphins of just coming home from a run ð)
Iâve gone from not being able to run to being able to run. I started a while ago but never got into it, but now Iâm going most days. Mum is avid runner so I go out with her but she is more half marathon distance and Iâm still dying at 5k ð
Beth Nunnington is the same: ‘I used to run about 15km a month and am currently on 150km since lockdown (despite not being very good!). I definitely don’t think I’ll be joining the gym again for a while.’
At a time of real social isolation, this is an incredible thing. It’s heartening to see so many people clearing their minds by moving their bodies. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll have seen mates who always swore they’d never run or thought you were mad for running, start clocking up the miles themselves. How the tide has turned!
Running is unique in that it’s accessible to many. It’s free – all you need is a pair of trainers (and even then, some barefoot advocates would quibble you don’t need shoes at all). It requires no journeying to get started – just step over your front door and start. You can do it whether you’re 7 or 77. Even some disabilities aren’t a barrier (if you have the right support in place). And unlike many other types of fitness, it really is just about the taking part. The only race is with yourself.
The amazing thing about being part of the running community is that even if you aren’t part of a physical club, you know that you’re part of a massive movement of people anyway. You just have to look at Strava to see the number of people who are also moving their bodies, putting one step in front of the other for a variety of reasons. On Instagram, runner post their routes, personal highlights, personal lowlights, advice on training and sweaty selfies. Random users cheer you on and congratulate you for making it out.
And that’s before you factor in turning up to your first Parkrun, 10K or longer race. Some of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet or befriend will be through running. There’s something magical about the process of laying it all out on the road that helps with getting rid of all inhibitions – leaving you vulnerable to making new, lifelong friends. Once social distancing is over, you might want to start running with a mate–just be wary of the fact that you’ll get closer than you ever thought possible and possibly sign up to do something ridiculous like a 100km ultramarathon.
We can push ourselves during lockdown by trying to get faster but ultimately, this period is about keeping things ticking over, being sensible with how far we run and how long we’re out of the house for. If you’ve never run before, there’s never been a better time to work up to a 5 or 10K.
But once this is over, wouldn’t you like to see what you’re really capable of? They say that if you can cope with being on your feet for an hour, you can stand it for four (or at least I say that and I’m sure it’s true)…so why not carry on running and sign up for a challenge in the autumn or in 2021?
Of course, marathons aren’t for everyone and there’s absolutely no need to run them just because you’re a runner. If you do want to see exactly what you’re made of, they are great for bolstering your own self-confidence and proving that your mind is capable of getting your body through incredible feats.
James Thomas, AKA Fudgie Runs, is a running blogger who initally started running as a means of losing weight.
He tells Metro.co.uk that mental and physical health aside, the explosion of running during the crisis ‘will bring the running community even closer together.
‘Running isn’t just all about running fast – it’s great to see so many shapes and sizes out running. It’s really good to see so many people picking it up. I’ve seen so many people out running who I’ve never seen jogging before.’
Don’t forget, of course, that the joy of being outside when you run at the moment is something that doesn’t go away in times when we can go out as much as we like. The pursuit of vitamin N (nature) really shouldn’t end when the lockdown does. Part of the reason we’re in an environmental mess is not enough of us care or recognise the importance of nature and we don’t protect the green spaces around us.
Running is inexorably linked with an appreciation for the outdoors. Unless you love running on main roads, the more you run, the more you’ll discover patches of greenery, towpaths, canals, woodland paths, recreation grounds. In London, you can run from Stratford (east) to Regent’s Park (northwest) entirely on canal walkways – how amazing is that? Just go onto Strava and start planning out your routes.
Sarah Carson is another new runner who has tried to run in the past but couldn’t make herself… until now.
‘Brockwell Park is on my doorstep and I’ve needed to get back into exercising for so long, so I have started doing Couch to 5K,’ she says. ‘I’ve been cynical about that for years but it’s actually so great and manageable – I finally understand the benefits of building up fitness and strength rather than just being pissed off I can’t run a half marathon straight up.
‘Now I’m thinking, “God, I’m living for these half-hour pockets of time in the day when I run through the park at sunset and the city looks gorgeous… how can I make sure I still have them when this is over?”‘
Sarah says that she hopes being forced to discover outdoor running and its benefits will be more motivating and long-lasting than being told about how awesome running it is. It really is something everyone has to discover for themselves.
She tells Metro.co.uk that she’s aiming to run three times a week and maintain a devent level of fitness. But it’s not just about the physical benefits.
‘For my brain, it feels so important. I think your emotions are heightened when you’re inside all day (I don’t have a garden) and without any outside variables, you can monitor them much more closely and figure out what makes you feel better worse.
‘My sister and I are far from our family – a number of members of which have been ill or vulnerable. We’ve just been going mad with worry cooped up inside and the very small amount of running we’ve been doing has truly been the only release we have found to physically do something with the stress of it all.’
So how do you turn your coronavirus cruise into a long term habit?
James says: ‘The big one that helped me to keep going when I started was attending my local Parkrun.’
Once they start again, head down to your nearest meet and give it ago.
‘Then build up to entering a 10K race and think about joining a local running club,’ James continues.
‘Meeting like-minded people and making friends you can carry on running with really helps because it makes training into a social event.
‘Oh, and buying some shiny new trainers always motivates me!’
You may find that regular gym work helps with your mental health but running in nature is another great way of calming the mind and flooding the body with endorphins. You don’t have to choose one or the other – the great thing about running is that you’ll get better the more you cross-train.
Once studios and fitness centres reopen, go back to boxing, HIIT, dancing, swimming, yoga-ing. Enjoy moving your body in all of the ways. But please don’t forget the spring affair you had with running. Running is always there, whether it’s sunny or raining, Monday or Sunday, pandemic or not.
Keep it up now and you’ll be moving for years to come.
The shops may be closed but the internet is still selling stuff – and you’re buying it! (Picture: Ella Byworth/ Shutterstock)
When lockdown was first announced, you may have thought for a moment that this would prove to be a money-saving opportunity. So long as your job was safe and your rent secured, not being able to drift in and out of supermarkets and clothing stores would inevitably leave you with more cash in the bank.
How naive we were. Five weeks down and we’ve bought more stuff online than ever.
Salons closed? Buy a next-day-delivery home waxing kit. Feeling peckish? Amazon do some handy snack boxes. Starting to exercise at home? Time to buy a complete mini-gym which you’ll probably never use again. We’re ordering so much online in fact, Amazon announced earlier this month that it was hiring an extra 100,000 more workers to cope with the demand.
So what’s behind this continuous internet shopping binge?
Well for one thing, we’re all spending even more time online. Whereas once, we may have cycled, walked or driven to work – giving us a tech-free hour – we now roll out of bed, into the shower and onto the sofa to start work. We’re scrolling from the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep.
Targetted ads are getting more contact time with us than ever – and that means that we come across items that fit with our brand all the time.
Secondly, retail therapy is called ‘therapy’ for a reason. Buying stuff really does make us feel good – even if it’s only very temporary.
When we shop, we experience a rush of dopamine – one of the feel-good hormones. A study published in the journal Psychology and Marketing revealed that shopping can improve low mood. Interestingly, it also found that shopping while in a bad mood can make you more impulsive with your purchases – perhaps because you’re subconsciously trying to cheer yourself up quickly and with whatever you can find.
That boost can come for a number of reasons. When we imagine ourselves wearing a new outfit or using a new product, we tend to visualise ourselves being happier – and that projection of happiness can make us feel brighter immediately. Shopping can also give us a sense of control when things seem a little off-kilter. Right now, there’s so much we can’t do, but buying beauty products can help us feel in control of our skin, books can offer escapism and education, ordering chocolate and coffee online means we don’t have to queue at the supermarket.
Remember, however, that this dopamine hit is only temporary. It’s also worth considering how affordable all this internet shopping is for you given the economic uncertainty. If you’re buying stuff and you find that your mood slips once you’ve opened the package, or that you’re buying something every day without feeling fulfilled, then it’s time to really look at why you’re shopping. Is it your coping mechanism? Do you just want a little excitement in the form of post? Or do you actually want and need what you’re buying?
It might be a good idea, before you swipe right on your mobile Amazon app, to do a little head-clearing routine.
Move from wherever you are – leave your desk or bed and go to another room. Sit down, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Try breathing in for four seconds, holding for four and exhaling for six. Go for three or four rounds and once you’re done, ask yourself if you really want whatever it is that you were thinking about buying. Just giving yourself an extra couple of minutes to think could make a big difference.
And if you’re struggling with anxiety in general, remember that exercising, meditating and acts of self-care are going to help in the long run. Shopping may be a part of your self-care at the moment but taking control of your finances and personal space are really important and powerful tools for maintaining or promoting better mental health.
While celebs moan about spending lockdown in what is essentially a castle, those of us in flats bitterly scroll through photos on Instagram to figure out which of our friends are lucky enough to have access to a garden.
Spare a thought for people in teeny-tiny studios.
Dana Amundsen, 28, lives in a micro-apartment in Columbus, Ohio, with her cat, Kiki.
Her apartment, which costs her $900 (£730) to rent a month, has just 289 square foot of space. It’s essentially just one long room, with her bed reaching distance from the kitchen, and has only one window.
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The 289 square foot flat is essentially one long room (Picture: Dana Amundson)
While many of us would go stir crazy cooped up in such a small space for the lockdown, Dana really doesn’t mind how small her flat is.
‘I’ve wanted to live in a studio apartment since I was a teenager,’ Dana, who works as an esthetician and illustrator, tells Metro.co.uk.
‘I moved to South Korea in 2017 and it’s very common for single people to live in tiny efficiency apartments called onerooms. I got used to it and loved living in one, so when I started looking for apartments in the US I knew I wanted a studio.
‘I’m a homebody so I don’t really mind being stuck at home. I love my tiny apartment. It’s cozy and easy to clean.’
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Dana has Kiki to keep her company (Picture: Dana Amundson)
She’s made the apartment, which has kitchen appliances and a tiny bathroom with a shower, feel more like her own with clever storage options, such as a wall-hanging setup for her bike.
Having a small space has also made Dana streamline her possessions.
‘I think putting things on the wall really makes a space feel like it’s yours,’ says Dana. ‘It’s a very definitive action, drilling a hole into the wall.
‘Utilising wall space is also essential in a small home because you don’t want to take up valuable floor space unless you have to.
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The bed (Picture: Dana Amundson)
‘Choosing a desk was also a really important milestone for me. Having a space to work on my art makes a place feel like home.
‘Since my apartment is one long room with only one window I think a lot about how to divide the space and how I can bring more light in.
‘I have really high ceilings which is great because it makes the space feel less claustrophobic. I’ve started taking advantage of that and hanging paper garlands from the ceiling to function as dividers that still allow light to pass through.
‘You get really creative about storage when you have a small space. I chose a daybed with drawers so that my bed could double as a dresser, and I’ve found multiple uses for the Ikea TRONES storage units.
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The kitchen area along with Dana’s desk (Picture: Dana Amundson)
‘You also tend not to keep as much stuff around because there are fewer places to hide your clutter. I love to read but I only have a small collection of physical books and buy digital copies of new books, for example.’
And, of course, she has her cat, Kiki, to keep her company in lockdown and beyond.
Kiki is a six-year-old tabby who Dana adopted from a shelter years back. She’s affectionate, talkative, and loves to play with Dana’s things (instead of her large collection of toys).
Kiki is a massive source of support during lockdown, but Dana has still found the pandemic tough. Not because of her limited space, though.
‘It is really difficult to be separated from my friends, family, and coworkers,’ Dana explains. ‘I’m worried my social skills will be forever impaired after months of being alone! I’m thankful I have Kiki to hug and cuddle with.
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Dana misses seeing friends and family, but is endlessly grateful for Kiki (Picture: Dana Amundson)
‘I work as an esthetician and salons are closed, so I’m struggling financially, which has led to a lot of anxiety.
‘I do draw so I’ve been trying to make time to practice my art and look for freelance jobs doing that. The unemployment system here is totally overrun and underprepared, so many of my coworkers and I have been denied or withheld unemployment benefits.
‘The governor of Ohio holds a press conference every weekday and I try to watch it and stay informed, but it’s really overwhelming. Things change every day and there’s a lot of uncertainty.’
There’s a small gym in Dana’s building, but she hasn’t been going there since the outbreak of Covid-19. She’s now spending lockdown mostly in her flat, only going out for walks, to pick up groceries, or to get things for Kiki – always while wearing a mask.
She’s made her small space a sanctuary, seeing out lockdown by looking after her health and working on her skills.
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The view from Dana’s window (Picture: Dana Amundson)
‘Since I’m not working, I’m trying to focus on my health,’ Dana adds. ‘I make sure I exercise and shower in the mornings and have three meals a day.
‘I have a group chat with my family and we check in every morning. I play phone games, have Netflix parties, and call my friends. I’m on Twitter and instagram a lot.
‘I try to draw, study Korean, and read a bit each day as well.
‘It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re home all day so I’ve tried to give myself a schedule.’
If you’re spending lockdown in an unusual living situation, get in touch to share your story by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
Nicole transformed her garage into a rainbow-themed playroom for her children (Picture: Nicole Roberts)
Nicole Roberts, 25, saved up for years to be able to turn her garage into a toy room for her two children.
Now she’s finally completed the DIY project, we think it’s definitely worth showing off.
Nicole, a hairdresser from Newport, Shropshire, saved up for a garage conversion for years before moving into her home, eventually spending around £5,000 for a builder to remove the garage door, brick up the front, add a window, insulate and board the room, and add a door.
Once that was all done she was able to turn the room into a dreamy play area, decked out in rainbow brights.
The transformation from a plain white room into the magical playroom cost just £450, with Nicole doing it all by herself.
Nicole, who shares her home transformations on Instagram at @my_persimmon_home, told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk: ‘This room was originally a garage but I knew before I moved in that I wasn’t keeping it as a garage as new builds lack storage and I needed the extra room for the kids’ toys and other bits.
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The garage had to be bricked up, insulated, and given a window (Picture: Nicole Roberts)
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The £5,000 conversion gave Nicole a plain white room to play with (Picture: Nicole Roberts)
‘I saved for the garage conversion over a couple of years before I moved in. The conversion cost around £5,000 to complete.
‘My partner is an electrician so we saved on that as he did all the electrics. We also had a family friend plaster the walls. We used Dulux white paint for the walls and bought carpet from Carpetright. The whole conversion only took about a week.
‘I knew from the beginning that this room needed to be bright and colourful and what better way to achieve that than with a rainbow theme.
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The mum-of-two stuck to a rainbow theme (Picture: Nicole Roberts)
‘I started with the furniture in this room, which is all from IKEA as they are fab for holding so many toys. In total the storage cost around £250 but it was worth every penny. I wanted to keep the storage a neutral colour as I know the rest of the room was going to be bright.
‘I then started thinking about how I could make the walls less bare without having to paint them. I bought the rainbow sprinkle stickers from a small business called kiddysticks and they cost about £20.
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The colourful makeover cost just £450 (Picture: Nicole Roberts)
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Anyone else inspired to try some DIY in lockdown (Picture: Nicole Roberts)
‘I loved the idea of the kids having their own little home corner with the washing machine and the kitchen and market stall.
‘The kitchen is from ebay and cost around £60, the washing machine is from ASDA and cost £25 and the market stall is from Aldi and cost around £20. The little metal baskets are from TK Maxx and were £25 each.
‘The rug is a massive focal point in this room and it was handmade by a small business called HeidiBaskets Crochet and it cost around £60. The table and chairs are also from IKEA and cost around £20.
‘The educational train stickers are from owlandbrolly for £55, and I purchased the labels off Etsy for £12.
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The kids love the end result (Picture: Nicole Roberts)
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There’s even a mini play kitchen area (Picture: Nicole Roberts)
‘I do have plans in the future to add some shelving to the walls to display their art work also.’
Nicole and her kids are delighted with how the room has turned out, and she says it would be possible to recreate this look by buying supplies online during the lockdown.
‘This is my favourite room in the house as it’s so bright and cheerful,’ she says. ‘It’s also very easy to keep tidy as everything is labelled.
‘The kids’ reaction to this becoming their room was amazing. They couldn’t believe it was all theirs!
‘I find decorating my kids’ rooms so easy with buying everything online. Recently with everything going on with self-isolation it’s a brilliant way to pass the time and keep my mind occupied on something I love!’
Max is transforming his flat into his own indoor rock-climbing centre (Picture: Max Raymond)
For many people, the vast expanse of time brought about by self-isolation feels like an opportunity to accomplish long put-off goals.
In most cases, this means no more than brushing up on GCSE Spanish, whittling away at a six-pack or rediscovering a bygone talent for 1,000-piece jigsaws.
But one man residing in a small, two-bed council flat in Bermondsey has taken things a step further. Or should that be a foot hold further?
He’s built an indoor climbing wall.
‘I had the idea for a while, but it was one of those things I thought I’d never actually do,’ Max Raymond, 36, tells Metro.co.uk.
‘When lockdown started I needed a project to keep me sane while working from home.
‘I do a lot of cycling, surfing, running and climbing during normal times, so without any of those things to do I needed something physical and active to keep me focussed.’
Max, a management surveyor, kicked off the project by making a work bench out of an old coffee table someone had fly-tipped outside his building.
‘All the climbing holds are made from recycled wood I’ve found lying around,’ he says.
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Max is crafting the holds with old bits of recycled wood (Picture: Max Raymond)
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On of the holds Max has made (Picture: Max Raymond)
The rest of the equipment – a drill, a handful of other tools and the bolts – Max bought from his local builders’ merchant, which remains open.
‘I’ve spent about £200 in total, but £90 was on the drill which I was planning on buying anyway,’ he says.
Considering Max ordinarily spends £65 a month on membership of his local climbing wall, that’s not bad going.
Max watched how-to clips on YouTube to give him a rough idea of the process.
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The staircase has become a climbing wall (Picture: Max Raymond)
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The process has cost Max around £200 (Picture: Max Raymond)
‘The videos were helpful, but they all showed people building a plywood wall and drilling the bolts into that,’ he says. ‘I don’t have the luxury of enough space to build a second wall somewhere though, so I had to just do it all on my staircase.’
The process involves drilling a hole, putting the fixing in and then gluing it into the wall using a chemical anchor called Anchorset. The bolt can then be screwed into the fixing ‘and it’s strong enough to carry your weight’.
Currently the walls around the staircase and a part of the living room have been co-opted for the ambitious project. Fortunately, Max’s flatmate, Maria, is on board.
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The finished holes, for holdings to slot into (Picture: Max Raymond)
‘She’s used to the sound of woodwork and drilling now,’ he says.
Tweaking how you eat and shop can make a huge difference (Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)
Earlier this month, we brought you the depressing news that waste is up 300% since the beginning of lockdown.
While nature might be ‘healing itself’ from all the destructive human behaviour that tends be a part of ‘business as usual’, we’re still consuming and dumping stuff into the ground which doesn’t biodegrade. Of course, it’s not all our fault – the recycling plants can’t open due to the crisis.
But that doesn’t mean we have to give up on trying to live slightly greener lives while we’re stuck at home.
There are plenty of ways to make lockdown more sustainable. In fact, being at home gives us time to adapt our habits without the distractions that come from being super busy or on the move. If you’ve ever tried to go plastic-free, for example, you’ll know how hard it gets when you’re at work and unable to buy any food that isn’t heavily packaged.
So don’t worry if you haven’t nailed the perfect banana bread, started on your fifth book or managed to run 10K yet. There are much more fulfilling things to practice – like reducing your carbon footprint.
Remember, it’s not about being perfect – just give it a go and see what sticks.
Think about your food waste
The inital rush to stockpile on bog roll and pasta seems to have subsided but there’s still a temptation to buy as much as possible while you go to the shops. Not only is buying more than you need going to put a strain on the suppliers and on other people’s baskets, but it inevitably leads to food waste.
Last weekend, I heard someone in Aldi laughing about the fact that they’d had to chuck half of the stuff they’d panic bought at the start of the crisis away because it had gone rotten. They may as well have opened their windows and chucked a handful of cash in the air.
Money aside, food waste harms the environment. Around a quarter of man-made greenhouse gas emissons are created by food waste and if food waste was a country, it’d rank third for greenhouse gas production after USA and China. As food rots, it releases gases which are 25 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in terms of trapping heat in the atmosphere. It also takes a lot of water to produce food.
And then, of course, we come to the obvious point, which is that wasting food at a time when according to the Trussell Trust, 1.6 million people were dependent on food banks in 2019 (a figure that is bound to have gone up during this crisis), is totally immoral.
Try:
If you have food that you can’t use and which is reaching its sell-by date, why not download Olio – the food sharing app. It connects neighbours with each other, as well as to local businesses to share food rather than chuck it away. It’s fast, free and friendly.
Create a compost heap if you don’t have one already. Composting saves water by helping the soil to retain moisture, provides necessary safe space for bugs and worms, and saves on landfill space. You can stick all your plant-based food in there as well as teabags (if in biodegradable bags) and coffee grounds. Smash your eggshells so that they break down sooner.
Make a shopping list of the stuff you need and want before you get to the supermarket so that you’re not tempted to buy whatever you see.
If you bought too much at the beginning of the pandemic and you’ve got lots of non-perishables that you won’t eat (dry pasta, tins, sealed packets of biscuits and crisps, sauces), you might like to make a donation to your local food bank. You can find your nearest one here.
Add more plants into your diet
Now isn’t the time to diet or self-flagellate for not being able to go fully vegan. We’re all going through a tough time and food undoubtedly plays a big role in calming us down and bringing us joy. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t try to reduce the amount of animal fodder you eat and increase your plant intake.
Lots of us have more time at the moment, making this the perfect opportunity to experiment in the kitchen. Plant-based cooking can be really cheap – cheaper than buying meat and fish – so if you’re worried about your wallet, don’t be. Veganism doesn’t have to mean spending loads on meat alternatives and coconut ice cream (although it most certainly can if you like that kind of thing!).
Going vegan saves 4,200 litres of water and 9.1kg of carbon dioxide a day. Agriculture accounts for 70 per cent of the water used throughout the world so if you chuck away 1kg of beef, you waste 50,000 litres of water – which is bonkers when you think about it. Having at least one meat-free day a week can make a massive difference.
Try:
Having at least one meat-free day a week and experiementing with different vegetarian and vegan recipes. Dhals and chickpea chana are super cheap to make and incredibly nutritious – both are packed with tonnes of fibre and plant protein
If you want to have a go at something fancier or try making vegan puds, check out Bosh!, who have loads of easy-to-follow recipes for all kinds of plant-based meals.
Want to learn how to cook vegan food with a professional? Plant-based chef, Monica – AKA Cook With Amore – is hosting live Facebook cook-along classes every Friday at 5.30pm. It’s operating on a donation basis so pay what you can and learn to cook some delicious grub in your own kitchen (her food is ridiculously delicious!).
Limit your internet shopping
It’s so tempting just to order all the things when you can’t go out. If you’re anything like me, you set your clock by the brave postie coming to deliver – for many of us, it’s the only person we might see or talk to all day. No wonder so many of us are indulging in regular onlineretail therapy at the moment.
But internet shopping comes at a heavy environmental cost. Everything comes in packaging that can’t be recycled at the moment – and some of it (think: those big plastic Amazon envelopes) – can’t be recycled any time. Unless you’re willing to hold on to your cardboard until the recycling points reopen, think about what you’re ordering and just how necessary it really is. Could you get it the next time you visit the supermarket? Do you need it now?
If you’re ordering your food online, that can also come with a lot of packaging so just check that your chosen supermarket does bagless shopping. Morrisons has removed bags from its deliveries, with certain items being placed in paper bags to maintain product quality. Of course, it may not be possible to pick and choose who you shop with and if you’re at all vulnerable, you’ll have no option but to order online.
Try:
Ordering food from a supermarket that offers bagless deliveries
Reducing the amount of internet shopping you’re doing from places like Amazon who often deliver products in a huge amount of packaging
Reuse what you have
There’s never been a better time to have a big clear out…except that all the recycling banks are closed as are refuse dumps.
Rather than flytipping, why not see what tat or old clothing you can reuse and make into something useful? Empty wine bottles make for great candlestick holders, while litre bottles can be filled to make dumbbell alternatives (one in each hand can really get you working). Old pillowcases can be refashioned into wash bags for NHS staff and you can turn your old t-shirts into face masks. All you have to do is wash everything at 60c when you’re finished and perhaps stick a sheet of kitchen towel on the inside of your mask which can then be put in your compost bin.
Try:
Looking at what you want to chuck away and see it can serve another use – at least until the recycling banks re-open
Turn fabrics into rags for cleaning, or into face masks/washbags
Use your bottles as vases for spring flowers or candle holders
Bigger plastic bottles can be made into DIY dumbbell weights
Use your spare cardboard to store things away or create self-care packages for when it all gets a bit much (you could have a shoe box containing a candle, a sheet mask, some sweet treats and some nice hand moisteriser, for example).
It’s all about making small tweaks and doing the best you can. You don’t have to get it right all time and it might not be possible for you to be more green right now if it’s taking all you have to stay on a level. But if you are concerned about your footprint at the moment, then it’s always worth having a go at reducing what you can.
When you’re going through infertility, it feels like you’re the only one who ever has (Picture: Suzy Stanton)
The human race exists because women give birth. Finding out you’re one of the women who can’t grow a baby in your tummy is hard – when you’re going through it, it’s unbearable.
I always assumed I’d be a mum. It was never a question of if, it was when. I was naïve and assumed I’d get pregnant as soon as we started trying. When I didn’t, month after month, I felt like a complete failure. My body had let me down and I hated it for that.
When you’re going through infertility, it feels like you’re the only one who ever has.
It’s a lonely place to be. Every month starts with hope. Every niggle, twinge or cramp that I experienced, waiting to see if I was pregnant, was over-analysed.
This hope would then be replaced with all-consuming sadness when my period arrived. My monthly slap in the face to remind me that my body couldn’t get pregnant.
It felt like every other woman I saw was carrying a baby in her tummy or pushing a child in a pram. How come they had this and I didn’t?
Infertility affects around one in seven couples in the UK and while campaigns to raise awareness are crucial for those going through it, we also need to highlight the need for sensitivity from those who haven’t experienced it.
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My route to motherhood was meant to be through adoption so that I could be a mum to my two girls (Picture: Suzy Stanton)
People seem to think it’s acceptable to ask when a woman is going to have kids.
I will never forget going back to work after a holiday, when a colleague said I looked different. She then asked if I was pregnant. We’d been trying for quite a while by then and nothing was happening, and I was shocked that she’d asked such a personal question.
When I said I wasn’t, she wouldn’t let it go. She said she was sure I was, but understood why I didn’t want to say. It took every ounce of my strength not scream at her. I couldn’t believe her insensitivity. She didn’t really know me and had no idea what I might have been going through.
That’s the thing with infertility. You don’t know who’s experiencing it. It’s not like a broken arm that everyone can see is damaged. The pregnant woman you see in the street may have had five rounds of IVF before this pregnancy. The work colleague you roll your eyes at for being late might have done a test that morning and found out she isn’t pregnant, again.
Questions around pregnancy are often asked without consideration of other people’s personal situations.
And now we’re in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. While the implications of the virus on people’s physical wellbeing is pretty obvious, what’s less so – unless you’re experiencing it – is the impact it will have on those who were due to undergo fertility treatment.
The advice to stop providing non-essential treatments like IVF for the time being will be devastating for many.
For some, it will be the end of their dream of having a birth child.
But it’s worth remembering that not being able to have a birth child doesn’t mean you can’t be a mum. If you want, explore other options like adoption – but also give yourself time to grieve, before you move on.
As for my own situation, I believe things happen for a reason. I now think that I was always meant to be the one in seven. I was never meant to get pregnant.
We looked into IVF, but realised very quickly that treatment wasn’t something we wanted. It felt like opening ourselves up for more heartbreak and I didn’t feel strong enough to cope with that.
For us, adoption felt like the right path to create our family. It was something we’d discussed a lot and once we made the decision, it felt like a weight had been lifted.
Our eldest daughter came home five and a half years ago, when she was nine months old. We were happy as a family of three but then we found out about our youngest.
She is a full sibling and unfortunately, as the birth mum’s circumstances hadn’t changed, the plan for her was adoption. So we said we’d like to be assessed for her. She came home 18 months ago at five and a half months, four years to the day after we met our eldest.
Being their mum has helped me love my body again. They grew in my heart, not in my tummy.
The Fertility Network is the UK’s national charity which provides help and support for anyone experiencing fertility issues.
I’m having a random dream where I am performing at a big show but my duet partner is TV’s Dr Hilary; this is perfectly normal of course yet he keeps tapping his mic! Too loud Dr Hilary!
The mic tapping continues and before I know it I am dopily awakened by the tapping as it turns out to be our dog, Eevee, trying to get our attention through the kitchen door.
A little nudge from my husband James’s feet informs me that it is my turn to go and fetch her. Seconds later, our little bundle of fluff (Eevee is a Cavapoochon) is snuggled in on the bed next to us.
By snuggled in, I do of course mean lying on her back diagonally across the bed, legs spread out and waking James up properly as he now has a couple of inches of space left. Poor James, though that will teach him to leg nudge me.
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James and Eevee (Picture: Joanna Forest)
9 am
Eevee and I are still in bed yet James has now been up and dressed for a good two or three hours. In my semi-sleep, I can hear him in our office, hastily typing on his computer, like the world depends on it, as he continues to work from home, even at the weekends.
Every now and then I hear muffled voices as he joins a conference call. James’s job may be full on right now for him, but at least it’s giving him some sense of normality.
For me, an independent artist and self-employed, the entertainment industry is particularly hard hit during lockdown.
Surely there are only so many online live shows one can take? I lie in bed a little longer and ponder this thought, what else can we do as performers when shows have been cancelled yet still want to be busy?
Feel a bit sad but then I check social media and notice that I have a load of mentions that people are listening to and enjoying my music during this lockdown. People can be so kind. I smile, knowing that things are not as bad as they seem. I know how lucky I am. So many people are struggling right now. We are very lucky, but I am of course still sad how this has impacted on my work, which I love so much.
10 am
Up! A bit late I know, but I’m finding it hard to get the energy to do anything amongst all this, and given that Eevee the dog will now get two decent walks a day from each of us, I’d better get cracking with her first one. It means as we walk Eevee alone, we don’t get to enjoy a walk out together. I hope it won’t be too long until we are back to some normality.
A cup of Yorkshire Tea later (I’m normally a bog standard Tetley kind of girl but stocks were limited) and I am braving the outside world. We live in the middle of Epping Forest so I am grateful to have so much wide-open space.
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Enjoying a cup of tea (Picture: Joanna Forest)
The forest is normally quiet, albeit apart from the sound of squirrels rustling and birds cheeping, but during lockdown it feels even quieter. It’s probably my imagination but it feels still and echoey.
Our walk takes us through thick forest and some footpaths. I don’t pass many people but those I do are generally pretty good at observing social distancing. Someone wobbling on their bike towards me though sends a little panic through me as they struggle with the uneven terrain but they manage to find their balance and continue at distance with a smile. How quickly the jitters can set in.
12 pm
Back home, James is making loud grunting noises as he takes a break from the office and stretches. Was he always this noisy?
We make ourselves a turkey sandwich and chat through the latest Covid-19 stats. It’s strange, I remember it feels like just a few weeks ago that we were analysing the numbers of people on the cruise ship infected and stranded and thinking how scary that would be, especially as I have headlined shows on ships. Today, those numbers pale in comparison to what we are seeing worldwide and in the UK. I take a deep breath, finish my turkey sandwich and eat some crisps.
2.30 pm
There are a few different things I could/should be doing right now. One of my best friends, Lucy, runs a very successful theatre school in South London and she has asked me to create an online workshop for the hundreds of children she looks after.
My second album, ‘The Rhythm of Life’, was a classical album for the whole family and designed to appeal to younger ears. Since then I have been doing what I can to run sessions with young children in their schools to give them a taster into the world of classical music.
The workshop I am now doing for Lucy is a pre-recorded version of that, so I spend the afternoon filming the warm up section for it which includes me doing over elaborate yawns, pretending to chew gum, making door screeching noises and then performing scales as accompany myself on my piano.
4.30 pm
I have two audio interviews coming up including a podcast tomorrow where I will be chatting about favourite songs of mine, yet instead of making notes I find myself checking social media again, and worry as some friends have been describing symptoms of the illness. The podcast prep can wait whilst I check on them.
5 pm
James has taken break to take Eevee on her second walk of the day. I hope her little legs can handle it. I take the opportunity to jump on a video call with a group of my friends who call themselves ‘the lovely loves’. I don’t recall why we call ourselves that but it basically entails us saying ‘hello love’ a lot in funny voices and having tea parties.
Today is no exception; we drink tea and talk nonsense for a few minutes before delving into each other’s experiences from the last couple of weeks. Like so many people, these calls give us a boost. In this strange time it seems like checking in and connecting with friends and family is most important.
8 pm
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Speaking on TalkRadio (Picture: Joanna Forest)
I’ve been asked to appear on Talk Radio. Was originally meant to be in their spectacular studios by London Bridge but the plans have been changed so that it’s a phone in. I’m on the ‘Bad Ass Women’s Hour’.
It’s great to be on a show like this where the questions come thick and fast about my singing, performing during this time and how the landscape might be after all of this. I’ve never considered myself bad ass before but after this perhaps a small part of me has found a new inner confidence. GMB I am ready for you.
10 pm
Exhausted after what was eventually a busy day. Video singing workshop done, radio interview nailed and some positive news just now that my show where I duet with Paul Potts has been rearranged for September so really hope that it can happen on the new date. In the meantime, a bath, bed and Dr Hilary will have to do again.
20 Homebase stores have re-opened in the UK (Picture: Getty Images)
With the UK now firmly past its first month in lockdown, many have taken the chance to renovate their homes, spring clean, and pick up those domestic DIY tasks that had previously fallen down their to-do list.
Until now, this has been somewhat difficult, owing to the widespread closure of DIY stores across the country.
However, this is starting to change, starting with B&Q’s decision to open 155 branches after last week trialling the re-opening of select stores.
And now Homebase is following suit in lifting up the shutters on a small number of stores.
So, which stores are open, and what hours are they operating?
Which Homebase stores are open?
The following stores are currently open for business.
Hamilton Edinburgh Altrincham Telford Sheffield Chesterfield Road Leeds Worcester Rugby Newmarket Norwich Sprowston Bridgend Haverford West St Albans Bracknell Ewell Streatham Vale Basildon Haringey Folkstone Orpington
Stores in England and Wales are open from 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, and 10am to 4pm on Sunday.
Stores in Scotland (Edinburgh and Hamilton ) will be open from 10am to 5pm every day.
As always, it is recommended you double check the opening hours of your local branch on the Homebase store checker.
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Many are putting their latent DIY skills to use during lockdown (Picture: Getty Images)
The Homebase website states: We are trialling the opening of 20 stores, with strict controls in place to ensure shopping is safe for everyone. Our remaining stores in the UK will offer a collection and counter service.’
The strict controls include the inclusion of perspex screens at tills, guidelines on the floor to maintain strict social distancing and accepting card payments only.
The DIY chain is yet to confirm whether or not they plan to open more stores across the country.
