I left the vaccine hub with a sore arm but tons of gratitude | Cheryl Gibbs

Thankfully we’re all usually pretty healthy, so when we get ill it really comes as a blow.

Poor Harley has had a chesty cough for weeks now so I took her to the doctor which was easier in principle than reality.

She refused to cooperate, screaming the surgery down as they tried to take her pulse.

Matt’s also got a nasty cough and this week I came down with it too – it’s not Covid 19 thankfully.

Matt’s fully vaccinated and I had my second jab on Friday, but we all did tests just in case.

I’m truly thankful for our NHS and for the volunteers who give their time to run the vaccination programmes.

I went to Park Parade in Leigh Park for mine and had my second dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

While I was there – last Friday night at about 5.30pm – when most people are winding down from their busy week, I took a step back and looked at the manpower it took to run it.

I saw that practically all of the team had a volunteer badge – true heroes.

I chatted to a couple of them as I was waiting to go in (it was heaving) and they said it had been full-on all day.

They all looked pretty exhausted, but I also noticed something else about them all – they all looked quite pumped too.

Perhaps ‘excited’ isn’t the right word, but you could see that they were there because they believed in what they were doing.

There was this energy that I found quite inspiring.

No one wants to be in the position we’re in.

With ‘Freedom Day’ looming around the corner on June 21, we’re all feeling a little anxious as to whether or not it will go ahead.

But I am also so incredibly humbled by the camaraderie that exists between most to stick to the rules; be mindful of others; help and support this return to a ‘new normal’.

I left on Friday with a slightly sore arm, a looming headache but tons of gratitude for our volunteers and NHS.

Harley has suddenly become very clingy, it’s exhausting

I know that children usually play up with their parents more than anyone else.

In fact, almost every parent I’ve ever spoken to confirms their child is usually well-behaved, angelic even, when with others but a total nightmare when they’re at home with them.

Harley is usually very well-behaved with everyone, including us. Perhaps because she’s been poorly, or perhaps being a ‘lockdown baby’ she’s extremely used to undivided attention, but this week she’s been horrendously clingy, crying and having hissy fits if I don’t pick her up constantly.

I felt like a 1950’s housewife this week as I had to hoover with her on one hip whilst pushing the hoover around with the other arm. Not fun.

As a movie fan, I am grateful to be back in my happy place

We went to the cinema this week for the first time in two years.

We’re massive movie fans so as soon as we had the chance to get a babysitter, we decided to spend those few precious hours in the cinema.

What’s not to love?

A dark room, peace and quiet, except for the sound of the movie, popcorn and a drink – bliss.

We pre-booked our tickets to see Quiet Place Part II, which I highly recommend.

Although it was only an hour and a half long which made me feel a bit robbed to be honest – the experience was over just like that and way too quickly for my liking.

But it was just amazing to be back in the cinema, to be still, to be quiet – much like the movie!