It is five years on from the Covid pandemic, and not even four since the social distancing requirements were withdrawn.
I look back at the time with a sense of dread and surrealism. Did we really live through such a time?
For those of us in local government, it carried an additional burden although in many respects it was one of our finest hours, the extra care and dedication that council officers gave our communities was public service at its finest. But it was a time that what we did, or did not, do could hang heavily on our shoulders. My focus back then was predominantly on county council functions, where scrutiny was important. But there was a definite implication that lives depended on the decisions being made.
I cannot forget the human cost however. We lost too many people, including locally. Many people got sick, some still suffer the long term effects.
So it was with some satisfaction that on Thursday the Mayor officially inaugurated a Covid Memorial avenue of trees in the Memorial Gardens in Crawley Town Centre.
The trees that have been planted by the council are a variety called Upright Sweet Gum, which this time of the season in future years will be a burst of glorious colours and look very striking.
Not only did this fulfil our long standing manifesto pledge to residents to create a Covid Memorial for those that passed away, but it will, I hope, long stand as a record of this time and a place of quiet reflection where people can come and think of their loved ones no longer here.
I pray we never have to live through such a devastating period ever again in our lifetimes, painful and lonely at times. Young people will look back one day and wonder how we ever coped with such strange and unfamiliar events. I sometimes ask it now.
It was very moving to join councillors and local people who lost loved ones, such as Bhavna who lost her husband, former Mayor of Crawley Raj Sharma, or the council staff who lost people dear to them.
Life is such a precious, fleeting thing and this was a rare moment to pause to remember the past and what we have that we are grateful for, in the present. I hope this memorial avenue of trees will help everyone do that for decades to come.
Cllr Michael Jones
Leader, Crawley Borough Council