Coronavirus in Portsmouth: People taking 'godsend' daily exercise in lockdown speak of benefits

So does that mean compliance with the rules is low across the country and lockdown is pointless as so many are flouting the law?

Let’s look at those figures in closer detail. Hampshire police issued 567 fixed-penalty notices between March 27 and December 20 last year, including to 34 businesses.

The figures show 22 people were fined in Hampshire last year for not wearing masks, either on transport or in other places where it’s mandatory.

The Office for National Statistics estimates there are 1.85m people in Hampshire, including around 215,000 in Portsmouth (and around 44,000 of those are children).

It seems the big number of Covidiots quickly becomes a tiny fraction of the population, perhaps even taking into account those who are not caught.

Portsmouth’s public health director Helen Atkinson told The News: ‘Since the third national lockdown was introduced the people of Portsmouth seem to have really got on board in their effort to stay at home to slow the spread of the virus and so help protect our local NHS services, which we all know are incredibly stretched at the moment.

‘So I’d say “thank you and well done” to everyone who is making the effort to abide by the rules. I know it’s not easy, but it is vital, and the majority of people in our city are doing their bit.’

Portsmouth North MP Penny Mordaunt said people in the city had been ‘stoic’ and ‘absolutely heroic’ – and their actions, together with the vaccine, will save lives.

She said: ‘The vast majority have stuck to the rules, and made immense sacrifices.’

The News has today caught up with some of those in the majority who are following the rules to protect the NHS, and save lives.

Teacher Tracey Fleming, 51, lives with her two teenage children, Amy and Adam, and her husband Tony.

At the weekend she goes for a walk with both children, 13 and 18, making use of the once-a-day exercise that is permitted.

But on other days she walks with her colleague and friend Kelly Vaughan-Carpenter along Southsea beach.

They are among the thousands of people sticking to the stay-at-home order.

Joining them each time is Tracey’s Jack Russell and Dachshund cross, four-year-old Rocky, and Kerry’s six-year-old Cockapoo, Connie.

‘You choose to be a teacher because you like to be around a lot of people and so sitting online all day every day is not very pleasant,’ says Tracey.

‘I can interact with the children but it’s just not the same as being in the classroom - I miss my colleagues.

‘Kerry is a colleague of mine. We try to meet up and chat about work, our lives, and just get out and have some fresh air.

‘It’s really nice because you have some company rather than it just being my husband and children all day every day.

‘The fresh air and sunshine is good for you. It’s so uplifting to be able to get out.

‘We share how we’re feeling and just feel a little bit more positive.’

Without this chance at going for a walk life ‘would be miserable,’ Tracey said.

Kerry, 43, agrees and said: ‘Just being able to go out is a godsend.’

She lives with her daughter Larissa, 15, and husband Tom. But much like Tracey, Kerry values the chance to see a friend for exercise.

‘It’s been very lonely being home so it’s quite nice to meet up and chat about school stuff, and being able to meet up with one person is so good for your wellbeing and mental health,’ she says.

READ NEXT: Health leaders thank residents for patience over Covid-19 vaccine rollout

‘It’s that feeling of normality, we can have a normal walk for just half an hour – we can feel the world is just still ticking along and there’s something outside.’

Are they worried others are breaking the rules that they’re carefully sticking to?

‘I don’t know of anyone who isn’t doing it,’ Kerry says, and adds that we’re ‘at the point where people are frightened to drive anywhere. You think “what if I get stopped?”.’

Tracey says: ‘It’s really difficult to know because we often walk through Canoe Lake and in the basketball courts there are 15 young playing basketball together, and you used to see quite big groups along the seafront.

‘I think people are getting better now. People are more scared because of the new variant which is much more virulent – my friends and family are all doing the right thing.’

Photos of a packed Southsea seafront don’t mean that everyone there is ignoring restrictions - Portsmouth City Council leader Gerald Vernon-Jackson has already said most seen there this weekend are trying to stay socially distanced.

It’s just a hard thing to do when 70 per cent of land in Portsmouth is built on, with 16 per cent classed as green urban (pitches, gardens, parks and the like).

Before tougher restrictions came in Angela Barnes, 69, and her friend of more than four decades, Janice Burkinshaw, struck upon a quirky way to spend time together in lockdown by sitting outside in opposing tents to have Sunday dinner.

That’s off the menu with the national lockdown, but Angela and Janice, both widows, meet each day for a walk in quiet spots.

Sometimes they stroll at the foreshore, or in Milton or Kingston cemeteries - all to give them exercise, fresh air and motivation.

Angela, proud of their six-mile walk on Monday ‘at my age’, said: ‘That’s all we can do.

‘We meet every day, having a long walk at as quiet a place as we can, anywhere we can be where there’s not lots of people.’

Pouring rain has understandably put the pair off, but not without surprisingly heavy consequences.

‘It rained all day and I had no motivation whatsoever. I don’t think I got dressed until two o’clock,’ Angela says.

‘There was no purpose to the day. I was thinking “what is the point” and that’s a horrible thing to say but that’s how I felt that day. When you meet someone for a walk you think “I’ll do that before” – we need the fresh air, the chatting, the exercise.

‘It’s good for us both – physically and mentally.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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