People across Leeds support project to document life during Covid-19 pandemic

Over 50 entries have now been put forward for the city’s Covid Diaries project which aims to capture the living history of these unprecedented times by collecting the experiences of people across Leeds.

The Yorkshire Evening Post teamed up with Leeds City Council and developer CEG to launch the project back in May.

Thought to be the first of its kind currently underway across the district, the initiative aims to collect reflections and stories from as many people as possible and place them on public record for future generations.

Over the past few months, the Yorkshire Evening Post has been featuring some of the entries - such as community volunteer Sam Peters-Esterine who held keep fit classes for her neighbours in Hawksworth and Leeds film-maker Jonny White’s short movie ‘Desolate Leeds: A City in Lockdown'.

A recent submission to the Covid Diaries project includes Daniel Kennedy's poem called 'The Summer That Never Happened' which depicts lockdown life and includes the lines: "This was the summer that never happened, The one we all stayed home, And sat and learned to yearn, For the simple right to roam."

Laura Collins, editor of the Yorkshire Evening Post, said: “It’s wonderful to see that the people of Leeds have backed this project and shared their experiences of the pandemic. This is living history and so it is vitally important that we place all that we can on public record and document it for future generations.

“We have seen some great submissions from across the city - poems, stories, films, videos - all giving a really varied insight into what people have been going through.

“The project is still very much ongoing so please continue to share your stories of this extraordinary time in our lives and our city.”

The project is open to people of all ages to send in entries via video diary, blogs, photos, artwork, poems, songs and so on, to the website at www.coviddiaries.co.uk or via social media.

Further down the line, Leeds Museums and Galleries will also be looking into how they can be used in future displays and exhibitions exploring people’s experiences of the pandemic.

For more information visit www.coviddiaries.co.uk.

Daniel Kennedy's poem in full: 'The Summer That Never Happened':

The cricket stumps stood waiting,

The sun shone in the sky,

But on pitches round the country,

Not one person was heard to cry

“Howzat!” screamed the bowler,

“Dead plumb!” cheered his mates,

But looking for the umpire,

We soon recalled our fate.

This was the summer that never happened,

The one we all stayed home,

And sat and learned to yearn,

For the simple right to roam.

Pubs and clubs shut their doors,

Zoom became the new night out.

The only sport left to play,

Was harangue the lockdown flout.

Two walks a day? A BBQ?

Set curtains all a quiver,

While bad news from around the globe

Made tears flow like a river.

This was the summer that never happened,

The one we all stayed home,

Asking in horror every day,

Have the numbers dying grown?

We talked of masks and PPE,

And daily PM briefings,

Of Nightingales, and Captain Tom,

And wild conspiracy theories.

We put rainbows in windows,

We clapped at our doors,

And looked round in wonder

As the world hit pause.

This was the summer that never happened,

The one we all stayed home,

The one we thought we’d never forget,

Even after the years had flown.

But how will we remember?

And what lessons will we learn?

When the threat finally abates,

And normal life returns.

Less we forget should be the phrase,

That sits with us until our grave.

Connections made, friendships saved,

Loved ones lost, the oh so brave

Doctors and nurses who stood firm and tall,

And risked their lives to save us all.

The children who waved goodbye to friends,

Whose schooldays finished without an end.

The working from home, the furloughed masses,

Kitchen tables hosting weeks of classes.

The old and at risk locked indoors,

The fighting for loo rolls in grocery stores.

Time together, moments savoured,

Going an extra mile to help our neighbours.

That was the summer that never happened.

The one we all stayed home.

The one we will never forget,

Even after the years have flown.

A message from the Editor: Leeds has a fantastic story to tell - and the Yorkshire Evening Post has been rooted firmly at the heart of telling the stories of our city since 1890. We believe in ourselves and hope you believe in us too. We need your support to help ensure we can continue to be at the heart of life in Leeds.

Subscribe to our website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe. For more details on our newspaper subscription offers click here.

Thank you

Laura Collins