Even if you were utterly fed up of waiting for a Government annoncement that was nearly three hours late in its delivery on Saturday evening, by now, you will probably know that as of today, we are in lockdown as the coronavirus pandemic tightens its grip and a second wave arrives.

People are being asked to stay at home and work from home, (unless you are unable to), with the exemption being, this time, that schools and universities will remain open. Non-essential shops, restaurants and leisure facilities will close, but essential shopping and medical resources will be accessible and you can leave your home for exercise outdoors, providing care for vulnerable people or volunteering and visiting members of your support bubble for those who are isolated. You are allowed to meet one person from outside your household outdoors in a public place.

On Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson told MPs there was “no alternative” but to introduce a national lockdown to prevent the NHS being completely overwhelmed.

What will this mean for us locally? The truth is, no body knows.

Will it only be a month? Will we spend Christmas with our families? At the moment, nobody can answer these questions with any certainty. Many jobs are under threat, as we have seen with big employers such as Dickies; some retailers and businesses will really suffer and of course, above all else, people will have lost loved ones and endured greater hardships than we will ever know. I am sure that even the chirpiest of those reading this are having down days from time to time.

Whilst The Journal sadly had to go in to hibernation earlier this year, the decision has been taken, to the relief of the team, to keep running during this next lockdown. But we’ll need your help. Please let us know of any of your local stories - let’s try and keep positive - and advertisers - we can help you if you are changing the way you do business and need to reach a captive audience. We can help you, and you can help us.

We’ll be working from home as of Thursday, so please be patient if you are unable to reach us straight away. Our phones may be diverted or you can call: 07800 608459. There will be answerphone options or you can email us at: [email protected] and we will get back to you. Readers can also connect with us via our social media channels @MNRJournal

So, try to be patient, be kind, look after one another and stay safe. Check on others and talk about how you feel. You are not alone - there are lots of people out there that can help you - we have put together a local guide, so please do take a look at that.

We look forward to being your eyes, ears and hopefully a source of comfort and normality as we all navigate this strange and challenging year together. Becky Brooks