We previously reported on the contrasting lockdown experiences of two elderly Port Erin residents who live alone - now we revisited them to see how they found lockdown 2.0.

In March last year, Peter Archer, 71, a former RAF serviceman, kept busy by making socially-distanced deliveries of homemade curries to people’s doorsteps.

On the other hand, Kathy Best, 79, a former secretary and private pilot, was isolated in her flat for three and a half months for fear of catching the virus.

Both are actively involved with the charity Southern Befrienders, which works to combat loneliness in the community - with Peter volunteering as a ’Befriender’.

During lockdown, this involved him making routine phone calls to southern residents who live alone to check in and have a chat.

Because of his role in the charity, Peter was also issued with a Shoprite yellow high-visibility ’Community support worker’ jacket which allowed him to do priority shopping for vulnerable residents.

He said the circuit-breaker was psychologically easier to deal with than last year’s lockdown, because he knew it would only last for three weeks, compared to the first when the eventual end was unknown. However, he said that he was ’a bit disappointed’ to hear the virus had returned because of what brilliant efforts the Manx community had put in to maintain the island’s ’bubble’.

By contrast, Kathy said that this recent lockdown ’seemed worse than the last one’.

She explained this was because it was announced so unexpectedly, and the disruption to normal routine came as a shock - particularly as she had only just begun to feel safe going out without worrying about the virus.

However, she says she is determined to get back out for food shopping now the lockdown has ended, because she does not want to have to rely on others to do this for her ’when there is no need to’.

Kathy said that she welcomes the immediate return to normality in the island, adding: ’I think we all knuckled down [for the circuit breaker] and I think we were more determined to stop it this time.’