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Why lockdown has been the breather that Scouse Bird Blogs needed, even after getting the virus

3 years ago

Why lockdown has been the breather that Scouse Bird Blogs needed, even after getting the virus

When youā€™re known for saying what you think, and not really worrying about who likes or doesnā€™t like it, the idea of suddenly enjoying peace and quiet seems unlikely.

But for Scousebird, aka Steph Johnson, lockdown has been the breather thatā€™s given her a bit of a work/life reset – even though she contracted the virus back in the spring.

ā€œObviously some things have been rubbish, I had the virus in the first couple of weeks of lockdown, Iā€™ve had holidays cancelled and Iā€™ve not been able to see family,ā€ she says. ā€œBut Iā€™m choosing to focus on the good things”

ā€œMy attitude is to always look for the good in any negative situation so although weā€™re all going through a really challenging time, there are positives to be taken from everything.Ā 

ā€œFor me, the way I was working before lockdown wasnā€™t sustainable, it was too much, so this just forced me to slow right down and do other things.ā€

What she did was shift her Scousebird shop online temporarily, and make the most of extra time with her four-year-old daughter.

ā€œWe were still able to run the shop online so we just adapted which I suppose is what Iā€™ve always been good at ā€“ adapting quickly and looking at different ways of doing things. It was really right up my street.

ā€œAt home it was just me and my daughter in our little bubble, so we played in the garden, did drawing and watched films together, and I got into cooking a bit more because there was nothing else to do. I bought all the kitchen gadgets and I switched my travel social media account to travel and food and I did more on the house account, just showing what was going on in my life.

ā€œI had a herb garden on the go, in little pots, and Iā€™d tend to them every day because thatā€™s all I had to do. When I went back to work, I planted them in one of the borders and went ā€˜right, you can fend for yourselves now guysā€™, but my basil and mint plants are thriving so Iā€™ll definitely keep that going.ā€

Although sheā€™s thrown herself into doing more cooking, 35-year-old Steph says sheā€™s in the minority whoā€™ve come through summer having lost weight rather than piled it on. Thatā€™s partly because of one of the weirder side-effects of the virus.

ā€œI didnā€™t have a really serious case or have to be hospitalised ā€“ I had a cough for a few weeks, and I lost my sense of smell. That went on for about two or three weeks, then it came back and a month or two later it started changing. Things like meat smell like the Dock Road, make-up and washing liquid smells really chemically, and all dairy products smell like sickly sweet porridge so if I make toast with butter Iā€™ve got to try and get it in my mouth before I smell it so I canā€™t eat it!

ā€œIā€™m hoping at some point my sense of smell comes back normally, but Iā€™ve actually lost a load of weight and come out of lockdown weighing less than when I went in because everything smells so disgusting.ā€

Steph says with lots of her usual work put on hold, no more pub quizzes to host or events to go to, she focused on the Scousebird socials, posting a certain amount every day to keep that contact going.

ā€œObviously, with a four-year-old they want to be with you all the time, so I had to wait until she was engrossed in a film or sheā€™d gone to bed and then Iā€™d get some work done. I just throw things out on Twitter as and when a thought occurs to me and other than that itā€™s mostly videos because theyā€™re easier to record and I can just deliver exactly what I want to say.ā€

As for the feedback, Steph says she did notice more frustration and anger during lockdown ā€“ ā€œI think some people were more likely to kick off at things that probably wouldnā€™t normally bother them ā€“ but mostly it was positive.

ā€œAnd anything negative, I donā€™t tend to take personally anyway, I just think itā€™s their problem ā€“ it used to upset me more in the beginning, but Iā€™m genuinely not bothered now.ā€

Nearly seven months after lockdown started, Steph says 2020 really hasnā€™t been all bad.

ā€œI think one of the best things to come out of this has been more of a community spirit,ā€ she says. ā€œI know all of my neighbours now and we had a little street community going on during lockdown, sat in the front gardens all having a chat.ā€

Sheā€™s got plans for the business too.

You can order the new Scouse Bird 2021 diaries now

ā€œWeā€™re going to be moving the Scousebird shop to the city centre because our shop in Crosby Village is getting knocked down early next year, so weā€™re going to be right the middle of town.ā€

You canā€™t keep a Scousebird down for long, so what is her message to Liverpool now?

ā€œIā€™d say choose to focus on the good in every situation, look after each other and shop local ā€¦ and f*** the Tories!ā€

Make sure you are following Scouse Bird on all of the normal social media channels using @ScouseBirdBlogs


 

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