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Posted by Andy Brown on 23 July 2020
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Results of June 2020 Competition - Coronavirus Mini-Sagas
I was a bit nervous about setting this as a competition: what if no one entered? Or worse still: what if they did, but the mini-sagas were rubbish? In the event I needn't have worried on either count.
I was really impressed with the standard of entry. Given how enjoyable this was to judge, I may try running another mini-saga competition in 6-12 months' time.
Just to remind you: the competition asked you to write a mini-saga summing up your experiences of the Coronavirus lockdown period in exactly 50 words (with up to 15 words allowed separately for a title).
The Winner
It was very close, but in the end I've chosen this entry from Ray Jennings as this month's winner:
A receding hairline led to me shaving my head. Covid-19 gave me an idea, so I stopped shaving at the start of lockdown to see how I look these days. The result? My baldness is worse, and what little hair I have left has gone grey.
I've started shaving again ...
I liked the humour, and the clever title swung it for me. Congratulations to Ray, to whom a £50 Amazon voucher will be winging its way.
Runners-up
This entry from Andrew Kenyon nearly won, capturing as it does the sense of being imprisoned in a routine during lockdown:
Wake-up: I suppose so
Shower: optional
Brush teeth: probably for the best
Clothes: sweatpants
Coffee: necessary
Log-on: wifi allowing
Zoom: "what on earth is that wallpaper?!?"
Lunch: chocolate biscuits
Zoom: "I look like I need a shower"
Exercise: same route as yesterday
Tea: takeaway (supporting local businesses!)
Wine: obviously
Sleep:
Another near-winner was this excellent mini-saga from Harry Rogers:
I'm an introvert, at last a crisis that plays to my strengths: stay home and don't visit others. Optimise your queries and hunt down those perimeter sniffing swine from the comfort of your back bedroom.
Didn't count on all those extra WebEx meetings the extroverts stuck in my calendar though.
Other entries
Linda Waterworth is clearly enjoying her lockdown!
Loud colleagues come with a mute button - God Bless Teams!
For the first time we've been proud to give people the clap but with masks it's harder to know if you're being mugged or seeing caring caution.
No commute.
More money than month!
Don't burst my bubble, I like it!
Julie Hague deserves kudos for being the only person to not only write a mini-saga, but also make it rhyme!
My lockdown experience has been better than most.
My house has been quiet, I've not had to host.
I've enjoyed living life at a much slower pace,
Only seeing immediate family face to face.
Overall my experience hasn't been bad,
Lots of good times in my house have been had.
Finally, Sade Tolani captured some of the fear experienced by many over the last few months:
Is it or is it not?
Do you or do you not?
Have you or have you not, got the dreaded Corona virus?
I dared not cough, in case people thought, I had the dreaded virus.
Locked in.
Locked down.
Locked safe.
Away from dreaded Corona Virus.
Finally, Paul your entry was disqualified (only 48 words and no title - sorry to be so strict). Thank you to everyone who entered the competition!