It has been a year since the first national UK lockdown, adjust our lives to living with the coronavirus pandemic and experiencing a lot of devastation.

There's no way to easily sum up the last year, so we wanted to share some photos and stories gathered as part of the Bridport Lockdown project that particularly touched us and highlighted the effects of life during the pandemic.

School life

By Jo Huxter/Salway Ash Primary School - March 28, 2020

"The date that time stood still. The photograph was taken on April 28 yet the date on all the whiteboards in school remains at March 20. The chairs are on the tables and all is quiet."

Community life

By Jane Silver-Corren

"I live in Walditch in Uplands, a cul de sac. Every Sunday at 4pm from March 22 we'd have a sing-a-long in the road. I run singing groups so I would lead this, with the help of family members and a neighbour who socially distanced from us.

"I have quite a good selection of fancy dress costumes so I tried to fit the costume with the songs. In particular, the families said our communal sing songs gave the kids something to look forward to.

"Everyone joined in. Sometimes I had to do two lots so different ends of the road could join in. We were all very careful about socially distancing. People joined in with singing, dancing and percussion."

Empty shelves

By @adventuresofdexterandme - March 19, 2020

"The most important fact from the very beginning of this was that we were not prepared. I told countless customers, days before we went into lockdown it had been busier than we were at Christmas. It was true, it had been busier than Christmas, but I always added that at least we had been prepared for Christmas. This was a total curveball and I don't think anyone could have predicted this outcome.

"The empty shelves were sobering to see, especially when they looked the same even after the 'delivery' had been worked. It was a knock-on effect from the warehouses, to the lorry drivers, to us working in the stores.

'Despite the frustration at not being able to get what they needed, I can honestly say that 99 per cent of customers were truly lovely. The amount of 'thank yous' we have had as a team from members of the public has been incredible and we really appreciate it, especially on the hard days."

Rainbows

Bella's - April 1, 2020

"Every storm is followed by a rainbow - hang in there, your rainbow is on its way!

"My daughters, Milly and Rosey, decorated the shop window to brighten it up and show our appreciation to all the key workers.

"We are looking forward to reopening as soon as we can and are sorry we can't open at the moment due to vulnerable staff and childcare. Miss you all!"

Young lives in lockdown

By Geneva Beaufort - May 23, 2020

"Visiting with grandma after quarantine has been lightened enough to see her, the fact that at two she had enough restraint and understanding to know she couldn't go in and have a hug without any reminder was quite profound.

"But to visit, and bend her body to see the pictures on the wall and listen to a story without making a fuss or a move was lovely.

"They've missed their grandma. She's so close, yet it's been so long since they've seen anybody that's not us."

West Dorset Scrubbers

By @annabellehuntcolourconsultant - May 14, 2020

"Because we have no immediate neighbours, I've felt a bit disconnected from the Thursday night clap for the NHS.

"I'm so pleased to be a West Dorset Scrubber so that I can make a meaningful contribution to the marvel that is the NHS.

"This bright and beautiful bunch of scrub tops are off on their way."

A new child in lockdown

By Kirsty Ellis - May 18, 2020

"This is my son being weighed an hour or so after he was born. You can just see my midwife with her PPE on.

"Gloves, aprons and masks had to be worn by anyone coming into contact with me or the baby.

"As I was induced, my husband was not allowed in with me until my waters had broken, which meant I was going through invasive examinations and having contractions on my own for two days before I had his hand to hold. I was trying to keep him informed through messaging whenever the midwives or doctors came in.

"It was a very difficult time but the midwives were really supportive and answered all my questions and were giving offers of support, telling me to just call them in if I had any worries, even though they were clearly very busy."

Messages of hope

By Rev Deb Smith - May 22, 2020

"I took this as I was walking to say prayers in some of the churches in the Bridport Team Ministry.

"It was the first Sunday we had to stop Sunday services, although our buildings were still open. A few days later our churches were locked.

"This is a picture of a message of encouragement chalked on the pavement by St Mary's, Bridport."

Children in lockdown

By @jewelstribeof6

"These are my children.

"Each of them has lost things during lockdown, be it their school, preschool or one-to-one time with their mum. They've lost seeing their friends and their family. But they've gained each other, they are learning together, walking together and playing together.

"It's not easy trying to home ed four kids, two of them are in different key stages and the other two are toddlers who have no idea why their world is so different.

"I just hope they will remember the laughs, the adventure walks and the unlimited time together. It is unlikely they will ever have this time again and it's precious."

Food bank

By Deb Smith - team rector at St Mary's Church, photos by Eddy Pearce - June 3, 2020

"At the beginning of lockdown, Cupboard Love was still operating on a collection basis. We had already stopped the social aspect of the food bank, where people congregate in the church building to chat over coffee and cake. Pre-lockdown they would have had a weekly catch-up with us, and then were able to move around the building to pick up what we had on offer - fresh produce, bread, toiletries, tinned foods and treats.

"As lockdown loomed, we came up with a system of pre-packing parcels so they could be collected from the church door, as we tried to make everything as socially distant as possible. Within a couple of weeks, we had come up with a delivery only scheme - which meant our amazing volunteers had to come up with a new way of doing things on the hoof.

"Some of them were themselves self-isolating and supported the efforts to run the food bank remotely, manning phones, updating the Facebook page, liaising with the amazing people who donate food to Cupboard Love and keep us going. Some were there creating new systems so we could log everyone who needed help, including those who had never used the food bank before.

"And then there were all the new volunteers who appeared in this crisis and helped to adapt Cupboard Love for lockdown and ensure it kept going. New delivery volunteers also came forward and got to work to ensure food went to where it was needed.

"St Mary's Church became a warehouse - the pews now shelving for different foods to make packing easier and to enable volunteers to keep two metres apart as they worked.

"When my colleague Pete and I went into church to film services we were surrounded by stacked tins of baked beans, Easter eggs, mountains of vegetables, every kind of food you could think of. When we celebrated the Eucharist for our online service we didn't want to tidy to clutter and tins out of sight. They were a sign of how our church had not closed its doors, a real sign of how the church has remained open and part of this amazing community.

"So, I want to say thank you to this army of volunteers, the CAB, the supermarkets and small shops who have been unstinting and generous, individuals and community groups who have donated money and goods, businesses, the town council and so many who just made things happen. To our amazing Carrie Gamble who shoulders it all and enthuses us to keep going. Thank you, Bridport."

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