LUKE MARSDEN: I want 'the old normal' back

Did you say it will be the best year yet and let’s “smash it?” If you did, I’m going to bet that you won’t be far wrong because let’s face facts 2020 was a write-off.

Cast your mind back a year, we entered a new decade full of hope for what would lie ahead, instead we got Australian bushfires, Prince Harry and Megan exiting the Royal Family, Donald Trump’s impeachment all before a little-known thing called Covid-19 came along.

We were told to stay at home, sunbathing in a public space became illegal, the government mandated how much exercise we could have and who we could and couldn’t hug, zoom became a word for video calls rather than something on a telescope and wearing a facemask was mandated almost everywhere and not just at Halloween, speaking of, trick or treat was also forbidden.

2020 was a belter wasn’t it? I don’t envy Boris Johnson. He is doing a thankless task in impossible circumstances but I’m sure he doesn’t envy our frontline heroes, literally saving lives on a daily basis.

This year will be better, it has to be, our town has taken a tough blow from this pandemic, with many of our local businesses and high street almost disappearing, but we can rebuild and get things back on track.

I don’t want a new normal I want our old normal and if we all work to continue to battle Covid-19 then 2021 is the year we can try to get back to our old normal. Usually saying happy new year is just going through the motions but this year I mean it more than ever, happy new year!

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