Diary your lockdown experience

Message from Buckinghamshire Council

The coronavirus pandemic is having a huge impact on normal life and is affecting us all in many different ways. It is an event that will go down in history, and there will be much to learn from this hugely important moment in time.

So there is an effort underway to document peoples’ experiences of the coronavirus outbreak and what it’s like living in lockdown.

Buckinghamshire Council’s archives team in the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies is asking local people if they would like to keep a diary of daily life during this time. The idea is that people log their feelings and experiences and, once we begin a return to more ‘normal’ life, that the diaries are submitted to our archives team. They will store these logs safely for use in the future by researchers.

If you would like to take part it’s certainly not too late to start up. You can record your experiences either digitally, or on paper; whatever works best for you. We’ve got a few tips below if you need a helping hand to get started.

You can describe how your life is now, including thoughts, feelings, facts, whatever you think is important and you can include photos. All submissions will be securely stored.

Gareth Williams is Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Culture. He said:

“This is a very difficult and challenging time for the whole country and it is impacting us all in many different ways. For the vast majority, life has been turned upside down, and this is an unprecedented moment in our country’s history.

It is important we record details of this major event and keeping a diary is a brilliant way for future generations to get an insight into how the coronavirus outbreak has affected people on an individual level. We all know the stats will be recorded but it’s also important future researchers understand how this situation has impacted people on a personal level, how they feel about what is happening and how we have all had to adapt in different ways.

We would be delighted to accept any diary submissions once this is over and please do contact our archives team if you have any questions.”

Not sure where to start?

• Try a daily log with bullet points
• Write about the weather
• Include descriptions of what you have been doing each day
• What are you missing about daily life?
• Write about the news
• Write about how you are feeling, including your worries and fears
• Include colour, drawings and sketches if you want to

This is something the whole family can take part in and please remember - there’s no right or wrong way to keep a diary, the most important thing is that it reflects you.