Lewis Byers

Class of 2020 FP Swaps School Uniform to Work on the Front Lines During Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic and the subsequent lockdown brought an abrupt end to Class of 2020 FP, Lewis’, school days. From looking forward to his Maths and Physics Advanced Highers (yes, really!), the excitement of the end of term and all the leavers activities for Form 6, many were suddenly in the position of not being able to leave home or meet with friends. Lewis considers himself fortunate to have already been employed at Tesco Riverside. Having hung up his school uniform on Friday 20th March, he swiftly began wearing his Tesco uniform full-time.

Lewis held a temporary part-time job at Tesco’s Riverside branch in the run up to Christmas 2019, working on the tills. Lewis was lucky enough to be kept on afterwards and was working a few hours per week. With lockdown that soon changed, and Lewis began working full-time with his role changing to front door duty. Mostly, he was controlling the number of people coming into the store and ensuring that those queuing outside maintained their distance from each other. People were largely tolerant of this and Lewis says he didn’t witness any trouble. However, other members of staff weren’t so fortunate, receiving verbal abuse at times.

Due to lockdown restrictions, many people were left isolated and lonely meaning their only contact with the outside world was whilst doing their weekly shop. These people wanted to talk and Lewis was more than happy to oblige, the conversations being many and varied. Some people complained about the panicbuying of toilet rolls while they themselves left with trolleys stacked to the brim. Others shared a wide range of opinions, from conspiracy theorists who thought it was a global government plot, to many who were in complete denial that there was even anything to worry about. Lewis credits his HSD education for helping him to develop his confidence in dealing with people. He thoroughly enjoyed interacting with all the customers and still says hello to many of them when he bumps into them elsewhere.

In many ways, it was understandably a difficult time to be working in this kind of role. Being on the front door meant Lewis was exposed to large numbers of the general public, bringing about some concern around the associated risks. However, Lewis says it did bring many amusing moments too. There was a wide range of homemade PPE that kept the staff entertained – one highlight being a recently retired teacher arriving at the store while kitted out in gardening gloves! The various lockdown hair styles were a point of amusement, including some interesting colour choices from fellow HSD pupils. These would have made for some entertaining prize-giving photographs had the restrictions been lifted in time!

Looking back, Lewis says it is a strange feeling to think that in a short space of time he went from solving partial differential equations in Advanced Higher Maths to counting the number of people going in and out of the store. It is clear however, that working during the lockdown phase of the pandemic gave him a regular routine. Working with a great group of colleagues of a similar age was also good for his mental health – everyone was in the same position and the camaraderie kept them all going throughout.

Lewis left home for university in September 2020 to study Mechanical Engineering at the University of Glasgow. Whilst he is saddened that his time at HSD has ended and that, as a year group, he and his classmates will always feel a bit cheated that they didn’t finish school in the usual style, Lewis says they are all determined to have their moment together in whatever way they can when it is safe to do so!