FRANCE

WINDSOR ROBERTS COLLINSON 1979-1985

BIARRITZ – AUGUST 2020

France went into lockdown before the UK with schools, restaurants and bars closing and only being able to travel within 1km of your own home. We had to carry documentation stating why we had left our homes (shopping, medical urgency, exercise etc). I think this was all that could have been done.

I feel that travel restrictions were lifted far too quickly as, living in a tourist attraction, the levels of Covid-19 cases have increased significantly since the holidays started. I also think the French do not adhere to rules as well as most countries…this is probably a ‘latin’ thing but it amazed me that people ignored the rules when it suited them.

I was impressed by how the French, when confronted with something we have never experienced before, reacted quickly and effectively and put people’s health over economic issues.

I also genuinely enjoyed lockdown; for me it was great, (I hate to say it), however we live in a nice house with plenty of room, a garden and the weather was hot so my daughters did their school work in the mornings and sunbathed in the afternoons. Spending so much time with them was wonderful as being sixteen and eighteen, I normally don’t see a huge amount of them! I addition to the family time, Covid-19 has been a significant benefit to my business, although, I dislike stating positives when so many have suffered.

I work from home and travel back to the UK frequently, I have enjoyed not having to do that, however, I would like the normality of sports to return and to be able to not have to wear masks when leaving the house (Biarritz has rules about having to wear a mask when outside your own property).

I think it will take years to get back to doing what we used to do without restrictions however there have been significant improvements in many areas such as home working etc. Normal? What is normal anymore?