Hello readers, lockdown Lou here.

When asked how lockdown is going, I can’t help but be reminded of the opening scene in that early noughties classic film, ‘About a Boy’. In it, Hugh Grant lives alone in a very swanky house with no need to work as he receives a constant stream of royalties from his father’s 70’s Christmas No1. In his opening scene, he talks through how he spends his time;

‘I find the key is to think of a day as units of time... each unit consisting of no more than 30 minutes. Full hours can be a little bit intimidating... and most activities take about half an hour.’

When I reflect on it, it seems that I’ve been coping with all of this in a similar way. Obviously without the Christmas No1 royalties and swanky house (maybe Christmas 2021, SCO?). What have I been doing during lockdown? Well, a string of different activities helps me spend those ‘units of time’ – reading a book, going for a run, cleaning the flat, sitting in the garden, cooking and washing up and more cooking and washing up, and all of a sudden it’s time for a G&T and telly and sleep. And repeat.

Personally, I have been struggling with feeling that I’m a little useless – without going to work and playing I feel quite purposeless, and I’m sure that many people across all industries are feeling the same. However, I have been very uplifted listening to radio broadcasts of the SCO, and our Schubert recording with Maxim. As well as enjoying the beauty of the music, it’s a reminder of a normality that feels so distant at the moment. I miss the Orchestra and working so much and cannot wait to get back in the same room with everyone and play for ourselves and for you, our audience.

I won’t end on a negative though – every day I am cheered by little things that I don’t normally notice. Today’s funny event; we’ve just received a text from our neighbour (we text our neighbours now that we have had time to meet them and chat – a great positive) saying that he’s just caught one of our cats coming out of a window in the flats opposite. I wondered where Tig went all day, it seems he’s got a second family who are probably even more generous with the treats!

Hope to see you all soon, stay safe.

Lou

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