This is part 3 of the Happy Barnet Covid Crochet Blanket. Made to capture and remember some of the many key events and themes of this year. You can learn more about my project on my main blog post where you will also see links to the other sections of the blanket as I complete them.

If you have any suggestions for other squares I’d love to hear from you in the comments below or at hello@happybarnet.com

I hope you enjoy looking through the photos below and learning more about my project.

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21. Jigsaws. Not every at home entertainment involved Netflix or Zoom, good old fashioned jigsaws made a bit of a comeback during lockdown too.

22. Home haircuts. With hairdressers and barbers closed everyone was faced with two choices, let it grow or have a go! Many folks cut or dyed their own or their partners’ hair and photos or videos were shared online of their “lockdown haircut” showing off both the successes and the less so successful outcomes, including those brave souls attempting to give themselves a fringe! Folk also got bolder with usual restrictions from work dress codes etc no longer applicable and bright colours or shaved heads were also a pretty popular trend.

23. Sourdough starters. Generally home baking was a popular activity during lockdown but hands down, the most popular of these projects was Sourdough Bread with folk passing on their sourdough starter to friends and family and showing daily updates on how their starter and their technique was improving.

24. PPE. If people didn’t know what PPE was before 2020 they definitely knew about it by the end of the year. PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) was in high demand globally, this coupled with restrictions within companies manufacturing the items plus restrictions around travelling or transporting goods between countries meant there was a genuine shortage in many countries. Criticisms were made about some governments, in particular the US, for their lack of supplies and slow response to the shortage, putting medical staff at risk when treating Covid patients. In the UK, volunteers from across the country formed groups on social media such as “For the love of scrubs” to sew, you guessed it, scrubs and caps for medical staff. Whilst home sewn fabric masks were not acceptable within hospitals, a number of companies and individuals or private groups with the right equipment made plastic visors which could be used. Requests for materials for these were put out and made by the general public. Stationery cupboards were checked for the right weight of laminates, fabric stashes were raided and donations dropped of at hastily made points across cities.

25. Sewing Machine. As mentioned above (see PPE), many volunteers made scrubs and caps for medical and care staff at home on their sewing machines. In addition to this, sewers were quick to go into production at their kitchen tables or craft rooms to make face masks as soon as it became apparent that that was going to become an essential item for everyone as we started to come out of lockdown. Eventually these were of course available in shops but this took time and of course money. One local group in Edinburgh called the Edinburgh Mask Makers brought volunteers together, raised donations of money and materials and coordinated the production and delivery of thousands of masks for both children and adults, firstly to local social and care groups then smaller organisations and individuals and families. All were given freely, although donations were accepted by those who could make them.

26. Postal and Delivery Services. Not only did postal and delivery services continue as usual, their demand increased massively. It was reported that postal workers described it as busier than Christmas. Workers had to wear masks and gloves and leave items on doorsteps before stepping back to give the occupant the safe space to open the door and collect the item. As online shopping increased, so did the need for delivery services. Additionally restaurants, cafes and bakeries in the UK were initially allowed to open for delivery only services which meant that even businesses who had never provided delivery services before, began to create options for their customers to bring in income such as a doorstep delivery of an afternoon tea or a fine dining meal all ready to be finished off and plated up at home.

27. Captain Sir Tom Moore (medals). Known across the UK as Captain Tom, Captain Sir Tom Moore became an unexpected household name and national hero in 2020 when on the 6th April, at the age of 99, he began a fundraiser in his garden to raise money for NHS Charities. His goal was to raise £1000 by his hundredth birthday by walking laps around his garden. Every day he was outside doing his laps in his now famous navy blazer with his medals showing. By the end of the 24 day challenge, Captain Tom had raised an incredible £32.79 million with donations from over 1.5 million donors. On 17th of July 2020, he was made a knight, adding Sir to his official title.

28. Protests. There were different types of protests during 2020, this square however relates specifically to those protests against the restrictions people were faced with as part of the effort to stop the spread of the virus. Conspiracy theories and misinformation were formed and spread about the virus. These ranged from it being a hoax, a man-made virus from China, caused by 5G, not fatal or no more harmful than the flu. Unfortunately in some places this included parts of the media and politicians which of course had a huge impact on the public’s reaction. Additionally it seemed in some places that the wearing of masks or restrictions around schools or businesses being opened etc was politicised. These factors combined with some individuals unwillingness to wear a mask, practice social distancing or follow other restrictions resulted in demonstrations and protests both online and in, often large, public gatherings. This included the UK.

29. Public Transport. Whilst many services were temporarily removed or reduced, public transport continued to be provided across the UK throughout the year which meant that public transport workers were another group of key workers at risk due to their interactions with the general public. Masks were made mandatory eventually but there was no such policy in place in Scotland until towards the end of June. In London, the TfL, (Transport for London) reported 43 deaths of bus drivers by mid May.

30. Flattening the Curve. This square may look a little odd compared to the others but this is a graph we were shown in news reports constantly as the benefits and reasons for a lockdown were communicated. It was accepted that it was impossible at that stage to contain the virus and instead the goal was to slow it down enough or flattening the projected growth of cases so that our health care services would be able to manage and those infected would get the treatment they needed. This was made all the more crucial when the shortage in ventilators was taken in to consideration. Without this approach, the overall number of cases may be similar but it was predicted they would happen in a much shorter time frame, putting the number way above the white line on the chart which indicated the numbers health services could respond to and therefore more individuals would die.