We live in uncertain times. Successive lockdowns to counter the spread of Covid-19 mean that I have been staying at home most of the time for the past 10 months or so. I work from home anyway, as such disruption with regard to work has been minimal, but not being able to go to places as I please is very restricting. I rely on public transport, and I last travelled on a bus on 16 March 2020. Perhaps I was excessively cautious, but as I did not have pressing needs, I did not use public transport during the periods over the summer and in December when the restrictions were loosened. Once this is all over, I will get on the tube and bus to travel around different parts of London aimlessly for a whole day.
Like many others, I live in hope that the current lockdown will be the last and the vaccines will work for future variants, because I am not sure how well I would cope with another around of restrictions in a few months’ time. I wouldn’t say I am on the edge, but I am getting tired, quite fatigued by it all. In many respects I am fortunate: for instance, I do not have children to homeschool or old relatives to look after. I am not particularly sociable, so being on my own is perhaps not as onerous as it is for others.
Access to open spaces and nature, namely Wimbledon Common, has sustained me throughout this period. Without it, I have no doubt that my mental well-being would have suffered greatly.
I live quite close to it and pay for its upkeep through the Commons Levy (W&PCC Levy) collected with the council tax. I don’t go for a walk every single day, and even when I go for a walk, I do not necessarily carry a camera, but over the weekend, there were two different weather conditions that prompted me to take many photographs.
On Saturday, 23 January 2021, it was misty.
24 hours later, on Sunday, 24 January 2021, Wimbledon Common was covered in snow.
Wmbledon Common tends to be quite busy on weekends, and more so when there is snow, but there is plenty of space to maintain social distance. Sometimes people walk four abreast occupying the entire width of the path, and some joggers seem to think that they have the right to run in the middle of the path, which are annoyances but unlikely to be too dangerous.