Accentuate the positive: what have been the BENEFITS of theLockdown/Furlough?

[PaulB]

I suspect most of us would go back to our pre-March world of this year in terms of what we can do, who we can see and where we can go but there have been some benefits. Less pollution going into the atmosphere, mainly from airports I'd suspect being the main one. But have you benefitted in any way?

For me, the months I've been furloughed has allowed me to read so many books I always intended to get around to. On-line qualifications have also been done to the extent I'm now over-compliant with my job and my responsibilities - if we ever do go back, that will be worthwhile.

But the main one is music - much more time to convert from my Ukulele to my electric guitar. I was fumbling around on my bass guitar for a couple of years but now there's more time to devote to a six-string electric guitar and I've found the early stumbling blocks have largely disappeared and I'm much more comfortable on it now. The F and B chords are still a struggle so I've just found hundreds of songs that don't inflict that particular torture on me and I'm fine. I'm no B.B Clapton or anything but the strumming and rhythmic part I'm happy with.

 

[Slick]

I worked right through the lockdown but I'd be lying if I told you I didn't miss the odd last minute meeting because I was out on my bike.

 

[robjh]

The garden. Seeing the whole changing cycle of flowers over the whole summer, and eating fresh veg as each crop matured from June to October, without a big gap where a holiday usually comes. Given the choice I will probably still take the holidays, but this has been an unforeseen pleasure.

 

[PaulB]

I worked right through the lockdown but I'd be lying if I told you I didn't miss the odd last minute meeting because I was out on my bike.

This is surely a matter for the Gesta...I mean, the police?

 

[Slick]

This is surely a matter for the Gesta...I mean, the police?

To be fair to my boss who is based in England, I spun him a yarn when he first called me as I had an hour to get home. I thought I could make it if I took a short cut over the hills but eventually had to call him and admit the truth.

He laughed quite heartily and arranged the meeting for later in the day.

 

[BoldonLad]

Being retired, Furlough has not affected me personally. However, observing younger family members and acquaintances, I think many people have discovered that online working from home can have significant benefits, not least of which is the time saved in commuting. The people I know who have been furloughed have had mixed experience, most seem to have faired well, but, at least two have ended up out of a job, presumably on the basis of "if we can do without him/her for 3 months, we don't really need him/her".

 

[ColinJ]

Well, my sister is feeling pretty chirpy... She had been complaining that her retirement plans had been completely overturned by changes to the UK women's pension age. She would have to work longer, pay more contributions, and (what irked her immensely...) 6 years later than expected, she would get half the lump sum previously promised and a significantly reduced private pension.

Work was doing her head in, so she had been thinking about packing it in and making do on a reduced pension until she got to state pension age. Then Covid-19 came along and there had to be cutbacks at work so she was offered voluntary redundancy, which she jumped at. She got a nice lump sum and has now retired to a cottage in Devon!

I am spending less. I am not travelling anywhere except by bike or on foot because of the virus. I am putting off buying new things as long as possible and it looks like I will be able to limp through to my state pension in early 2022.

I haven't really got stuck in on my guitar yet, but have fettled it and it is ready to go! I had lent it to someone years ago and when I got it back it never played as well as it had before. It took me years to find out that he had lost the bridge when changing strings and had replaced it with one that was about 5 mm too high! It now has one the right height and I have fitted a new set of strings. Those damn barre chords are my nemesis too!

 

[Drago]

Internet shopping has improved and delivery seems better. Otherwise, its made bugger all difference to my life - i get my hours bass practice in today just the same as I did pre covid.

 

[screenman]

I have a benefit, I can wear those larger size clothes that were to big for me prior to lockdown, thinking about it that not be a benefit.

 

[gbb]

Worked all the way through so it's made little or no difference to me.
Lockdown 1, it was nice while everything was genuinely quiet, flytipping almost non existent, roads quiet, petrol as cheap as it had been for ages.

 

[PaulB]

Well, my sister is feeling pretty chirpy... She had been complaining that her retirement plans had been completely overturned by changes to the UK women's pension age. She would have to work longer, pay more contributions, and (what irked her immensely...) 6 years later than expected, she would get half the lump sum previously promised and a significantly reduced private pension.

Work was doing her head in, so she had been thinking about packing it in and making do on a reduced pension until she got to state pension age. Then Covid-19 came along and there had to be cutbacks at work so she was offered voluntary redundancy, which she jumped at. She got a nice lump sum and has now retired to a cottage in Devon!

I am spending less. I am not travelling anywhere except by bike or on foot because of the virus. I am putting off buying new things as long as possible and it looks like I will be able to limp through to my state pension in early 2022.

I haven't really got stuck in on my guitar yet, but have fettled it and it is ready to go! I had lent it to someone years ago and when I got it back it never played as well as it had before. It took me years to find out that he had lost the bridge when changing strings and had replaced it with one that was about 5 mm too high! It now has one the right height and I have fitted a new set of strings. Those damn barre chords are my nemesis too!

Sorry to hear about your sister - well her earlier pension thing, that's bloody awful! Six years more for half what she expected!

When things clear again - if they ever do - maybe we should combine Yorkshire/Lancashire geetars and do a session.

 

[screenman]

I have more money in the bank than I did pre lockdown.

 

[PaulB]

Internet shopping has improved and delivery seems better. Otherwise, its made bugger all difference to my life - i get my hours bass practice in today just the same as I did pre covid.

Oh, don't talk to me about internet shopping! That caused me immense problems commencing on Friday and are likely to go on for some time.

The amount of cardboard we had from this activity meant we had way more than would conceivably fit in the bin and the refuse men were on the way. I crushed a lot of it by jumping up and down and compressing it under foot. That was going well until I got over-ambitious and put a big thick pile on the floor and jumped up to stamp it down but I landed on the very edge and it threw me backwards and I landed flat on my back on the hard concrete pathway with a huge BANG! The pain shot through me like I was giving birth to a paving stone. Hideous. It's to the left of the very bottom of my spine and there's a big lump, very painful to touch. Even indoor cycling's out because of the stretch on the down stroke with the left leg.

 

[Saluki]

I worked through lockdown but not having commute time meant that I could read, think and use the time when I was expected to do some sort of socialisation to not socialise. It was great, like not having a headache.

 

[Dirk]

Saved money and lost weight being unable to eat out so much as previously.