Pandemic diary: Newbury in a time of crisis

On 31 December 2019 the World Health Organisation received its first report that a pneumonia of unknown cause had been detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan. By 11 March 2020 the outbreak of what was now known as COVID-19 had been declared a pandemic. Towns, regions and entire countries started living in states of semi-lockdown or quarantine, in a desperate attempt to prevent public health systems from being overwhelmed.

On 20 March the UK government ordered schools, pubs, restaurants, gyms and other social venues to close. Three days later the prime minister, Boris Johnson, announced that people should only leave their homes to buy food, exercise once per day or go to work, but only if they were unable to work from home. The country went from normality to lockdown in a matter of days. Around the world, billions were affected.

"Pandemic diary" is a photo-journal that covers the first three months of this unprecedented period, from the point of view of one person, living in Newbury in Berkshire, a medium-sized English town. It covers the highs and lows of living in isolation, unsure of when, perhaps even if, life would ever return to the way it was before. It captures the tension and sadness as death-toll figures rose, along with a strong sense of national solidarity and self-sacrifice, as the crisis brought out the best that people are capable of. Then there were the heart-warming efforts of many people around the world, doing what they could to help everyone get through to a post-pandemic world, with creativity, compassion, improvisation and often, great humour. Just one story, but what a story.

This is the first book in the Pandemic diaries series, featuring many photographs taken along the local stretch of the Kennet and Avon Canal, as well as around Newbury. By the same author, Pandemic diary 2: Newbury emerges from lockdown. Also the UK Canals series, which includes 1: The Kennet and Avon Canal in pictures, 2: Wildlife of the Kennet and Avon Canal and 3: Weird and wonderful canal photographs. The author has also written, Living in a digital world: Demystifying technology.