Let’s take a lighthearted look at some of the things we’ve learned during lockdown. Our Marketing Manager (and proud owner of 1,500 new pandemic era twitter followers) Jonathon Bright gives us his take.

As the UK lockdown begins to ease, with some restrictions being lifted and a return to school for some kids starting to happen, here at DWH Bedrooms (our Tower is, alas, socially distanced from us) I thought it would be a good time to reflect.

In no particular order, my take on some of the things we’ve learned during the Coronavirus lockdown so far.

Toilet role stockpiling is a thing

Remember just before lockdown and the shelves were being stripped? Of everything? But who was taking all the toilet roll. And why? I’m still confused what was happening with toilet roll and have visions of a nation of garages full of three ply.

Kids are great

My kids are amazing. Rainbow pictures to support the NHS, picnics in the park, painting stones to leave around our village to support key workers, helpful posters to remind us about social distancing. It makes a parent proud when young kids whose lives have been turned upside down embrace the new world with all the joy and enthusiasm they have.

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Kids are annoying

It’s like having three drunk parrots sitting on my shoulder 14 hours a day screaming rubbish and incomprehensible gibberish down my ear in between bouts of fighting with each other and constantly protesting the inhumanity of three hours of schoolwork a day.

Trump defies bookies and starts war in country no one expected

When Trump was elected most of Europe raised an eyebrow and has been looking at him out of the corner of its eye the same way I look at my kids when they’re up to something. But Trump yet again dumfounds his critic by starting a war with his own country. No one was expecting this. Bookie favourites Iran and Korea must be sighing with relief.

A lot of ramping up and down

If I hear of anything being ramped up one more time in a Government communication, statement or speech I will explode.

Older colleagues embrace new tech skillz. Kind of…

Anyone who works in an office and hasn’t used video conferencing will be familiar with it now. Very familiar. It took a while for everyone to get the hang of it.  In the early days there were plenty of clips doing the rounds of, shall we say, inappropriately dressed colleagues who didn’t realise they were on screen.

Video conferencing bingo was fun until everyone got the hang of it – ‘Tony you’re on mute. TONY YOU’RE ON MUTE’.

The question is how many companies will now realise staff can work very effectively from home?

Board games and jigsaws and fun after all

‘Yahoo its Buckaroo’ and ‘My turn to Operate’ may be familiar to anyone of my vintage but it’s amazing how much fun family games are. We’ve lost entire afternoons to Connect Four tournaments. All those jigsaws in our cupboard have finally been completed at least once and we’ve learned the planets by doing the one of the solar system. Don’t get me wrong, the kids still love the PS4 and tablets but we’ve spent a lot more time around the kitchen table hanging out whilst we play.

Family and friends are the most important in the world

This has been the hardest thing. Not being able to see out family and worrying about those we know working for the NHS and performing other front-line roles. With the easing of restrictions, we took our kids to have a socially distanced picnic in my parent’s back garden. You forget how nice, and normal, it is to just sit and chat and for the kids to see their grandparents.

The great outdoors is on our doorstep

Helped by great weather we’ve been out a lot in the local park. One of my kids has learned to ride a bike without stabilisers. Another has mastered a scooter and my oldest can do twenty kick ups (on a good day) when his pre-lockdown record was 3.

We’re lucky and live not far from Warwickshire’s countryside and whilst there have been plenty of restrictions, we haven’t had to go too far to find some great deserted countryside to explore just minutes from our house.

We know our neighbours better

The clap for carers on Thursday has brought out whole neighbourhoods. We’re lucky and know our neighbours pretty well but I’ve heard from lots of people that they know their community better.  The clap on Thursday evening has not only brought communities together, but it has acted like a weekly gathering to remind us we’re not alone.