What I won’t miss from the lockdown – Room 101

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Room 101 is a place introduced in the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell. It is a torture chamber in the Ministry of Love in which the Party attempts to subject a prisoner to his or her own worst nightmare, fear or phobia. Orwell himself named it after a meeting room in Broadcasting House where he would sit through tedious meetings.

It then became a BBC comedy television series based on the radio series of the same name, in which celebrities are invited to discuss their pet hates and persuade the host to consign those hates to oblivion in Room 101, a location inspired by Orwell’s torture room.

So, what would I put in Room 101 from the last two months:

  • Heartbreak – the families torn apart by the thousands of deaths and the horrendous reality of not being with a family member as they passed away and possibly not being there for their funeral. We will never forget the savage brutality of this virus.
  • Social distancing – whilst I completely understand the importance of this, and its effectiveness, I will certainly not miss it. To see the consequence, it is having on the elderly and those in the vulnerable category, has been heart-breaking. All grandparents want to do is hug their grandchildren and although FaceTime has been great, it just not the same.
  • On a slightly lighter note, I will not miss people holding their breath as they pass others and going around supermarket aisles avoiding anyone else like a demented Pacman from the 1980’s video game.

There is light at the end of the tunnel- let’s hope we can get there soon.

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