100 days in Lockdown
On 4th January 2021 Boris Johnson announced that the country would go back into a third lockdown from the following day, with similar restrictions to those put in place the previous March. Covid-19 cases were increasing after rules were relaxed during December: NHS hospitals were nearing capacity and the number of deaths was growing fast.
Apart from essential trips we were locked in at home at a time of year when the days are shortest and the weather at its worst. We could only meet one other person outside and were not allowed to leave our local areas. It felt like a time of confinement and introspection. Anxiety was stoked by a constant litany of daily infections and deaths. The death rate (within 28 days of a positive test) peaked on 20th January at 1820 people in a single day. Vaccination had started and the hope was that it would reduce both cases and deaths. After 100 days we were only just starting to emerge from restrictions, and it would be another 3 months before the majority were dropped.
Incarcerated at home, I spent much time in my attic which is the centre of my photographic world. I have a view over the village and started recording the changing weather and scene each day, reflecting feelings of isolation and longing while anxiously waiting for better days. The long and particularly cold winter continued in stark contrast to the bright outdoor days of the previous year’s first lockdown.
We became obsessed by the death rate and these numbers are superimposed on the daily images. The data were those presented by the news each day and reflect lower reporting at the weekends. Deaths had reduced to single figures by 11th April, the first time for 7 months. In total over 152,000 people had died in the UK with Covid-19 mentioned on their death certificate. I completed this work 100 days after our lives had been put on ice.
The work has been produced into a book and below are some of the double-page spreads. The images can be clicked for a closer view.
