We've earned a trip to the park on a sunny day | Matt Mohan-Hickson

The sun is shining and for the first time in a year things are really starting to look up.
Belgian police officers surround bystanders at the Bois de la Cambre park, in Brussels, last week. Picture: AFP via GettyBelgian police officers surround bystanders at the Bois de la Cambre park, in Brussels, last week. Picture: AFP via Getty
Belgian police officers surround bystanders at the Bois de la Cambre park, in Brussels, last week. Picture: AFP via Getty

It feels like we are about to turn the corner and begin to wave goodbye to the nightmare known as Covid-19

The vaccine drive is continuing to run at a pace and after a truly brutal winter, lockdown measures are beginning to be eased again.

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We can even meet family and friends in outdoor spaces once again.

As my parents and brother live at the other end of the country, that is a reunion I am going to have to wait a few more weeks for.

But I do not begrudge anyone who rushed out to safely reunite in parks or private gardens – or at least make plans to do so in the coming days.

If I could safely teleport up to the north-east, I would be doing it right now – mid-sentence as I type.

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So I couldn’t help but feel my eyes roll as I saw the same old shaming of people meeting in groups outdoors.

It is something we saw in the summer of 2020, all those pictures of ‘crowds’ in parks and packed beaches.

However the camera can be deceiving and make people look a lot closer together than they actually are.

But more importantly the chances of catching coronavirus outdoors are much lower than when you are indoors.

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After all the hand-wringing about the crowded beaches such at Bournemouth last summer, it turned out that there were no outbreaks linked to public beaches.

It is far, far, safer if people are meeting outdoors – so let’s stop with the faux outrage online next time a picture pops up of groups in a park.

As long as people are following the rules, sticking by the rule of six and keeping up with social distancing, that is what is important.

We have all been locked up indoors for so long, we have earned a trip or two to the park on a sunny day with our loved ones.

But I do draw a line at littering.

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If you can carry drinks and food to a public area, the least you can do is put it in one of the many bins at your disposal.

Or take it home with you if they are full.

A cracking punch-up on a big screen is a Good Friday must

I spent Good Friday exactly the way that God intended – eating fish and chips and watching Godzilla fight King Kong.

I will leave the arguments over mushy peas v curry sauce up to biblical scholars, but scraps are clearly a must for all good Christians.

However, it is leaving me feeling more than a tad disappointed that cinemas remain closed. The thought of watching Godzilla and King Kong duke it out on the wide screen is leaving me pining for the cinema.

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Imagine being able to see these giants towering over you on the big screen, knowing that you are in for hours of mindless fun.

Also the cost of renting new movies leaves the eyes watering and pockets crying.

Since when did Easter eggs become so expensive?

I am starting to wonder why the Easter bunny doesn’t need to file for bankruptcy once the holiday is over.

A quick glance at the chocolate eggs prominently displayed in supermarkets last week and the prices were eye-watering.

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In Tesco I found myself having to do a double take after seeing £15 written below a Lindt egg. A quick trip down a Google rabbit hole led to the discovery of a ‘big green egg’ at £1,665 – in fairness it came with a ‘fire ring’, cooking grid, and tel-tru thermometer, whatever any of that means.

I do have a sweet tooth, especially when it comes to chocolate, but despite being a fan of those Lindt truffles, the thought of spending £15 on an Easter egg is too much.

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