Lockdown Blog – Philippa Garratley & Russell Davies

These are trying times, with the old norm of being able to do pretty much what we wanted when we wanted – it has been a huge shock to be what initially seemed as under ‘house arrest’ but in reality it’s not as devastating as we first thought.

We were stuck in Spain when they went into lockdown, where everything shut over night that was scary! So heading back to the UK, not sure if we were able to get on a plane, but we did and we arrived home safely in one piece. We’re lucky to have such beautiful scenery stepped into the back yard, to see the hills.

By the end of week one things were not great , always looking for something to do, the house has never been so clean, even the oven. From week two and onwards  we were settling into the new norm , listening to the rumours, the only news is how bad everything is, it was very easy to get into a rut, but…

Someone was looking down on us, Russell and myself got the call from Pontypridd RFC – we offered to support the lovely guys at the club to carry out patrols around Sardis Road after a number of incidents were reported.

Yes we were out in the fresh air and with different scenery. With all social gatherings prohibited, we felt useful again. No more cleaning for ME! (OK Russell?)

Happily we went off to use our hour of exercise wandering around the ground. It seemed very eerie as dusk was setting, very quiet with no real sound, not the Sardis Road we are used to – no Alex , Dale , Diggy, Chris –  it was a very strange place to be.  Normally it would be a joyful location, even when we didn’t win and  the tingles ran through me as I stepped onto the pitch to pick up some rubbish that had been blown onto it.

The days got lighter and the weather got warmer, the feeling of belonging to somewhere had become stronger, being part of a great group and feeling needed took the dark edge of the so called ‘house arrest’. So here we are again, another three weeks of lockdown, although we cannot escape death, we can make an effort to delay it.

On the positive side, social isolation might be a never-seen-before opportunity to practice greater self-reflection. We have been conditioned all our lives to run from one thing to another, it has become far too easy to run away from ourselves and what is really important – family, friends and health.

So we are ourselves embarking on a new  journey – we had to move our planned wedding at Pontypridd RFC to September, so yet again, the darkness loomed, feeling sorry for ourselves, and after several  phone calls to the guys at the club, Steve and Mark have been amazing in helping us move what was to be a May wedding.

What day did we say for the wedding?… We can’t clash with the start of the season, we don’t want away fans there with us … what if the game is televised, not sure if its a Friday evening or a Saturday?

So we went for a Sunday and after lots of deliberation we are there, so the benefits of house arrest had a positive result. However if you were to ask Russell he would say, ‘House of Pain’ is exactly what he’s signing up for!

So here’s to the rest of the summer – enjoy the sun safely, as it will shine since we are limited to going out, stay safe and see you all when the new season starts, as it will  one day – not next week, not even next month but at some point we will be standing in the Sardis Clubhouse saying “we are so lucky to be here”.

Philippa Garratley & Russell Davies