'Lockdown was announced while doing clients' hair'

Jodie Allen said lockdown made her reconsider her career

"The lockdown was announced mid-way through doing clients' hair, and it was all a bit frantic.

"It was like: 'What do we do? Do we finish the clients or have we literally got to chuck them out of the door and shut the shop and off we go?'"

On 23 March, 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the then Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first lockdown in the UK, ordering people to "stay at home". Former Shrewsbury hairdresser Jodie Allen thought it would last for two weeks.

Instead, it lasted several weeks but led to an epiphany which saw her pursue a career in teaching.

"I went back into the salon and I was just a bit like: "Oh, I don't know that this is what I want to do any more, forever'" she said.

"The stars aligned… it was about half 3 in the morning… I looked on Telford College website and there was a job advertised for a hairdressing lecturer."

She got the job, working at the salon two days per week, and teaching for three days.

She was put through university, got a teaching qualification and eventually became the learning manager for hair, beauty and catering at the college.

"I think the time out of doing the normal really made me think about what I wanted to do," she said.

Sarah Davies, a former midwife, used her medical skills to be a vaccinator during the coronavirus pandemic

Although much of the country ground to a halt, that year could not have been a busier time for teacher and former midwife Sarah Davies.

She administered vaccinations at Ludlow Racecourse as well as doing her college teaching job.

"I felt like it was my duty, I should use my qualifications and my experience to give something back," she said.

"I would teach my lessons in the morning online and then in the afternoon I would pick up the afternoon shift at the racecourse.

"It's probably one of my proudest achievements in all of my career… I think there's not many people who will be able to tell their grandchildren that that's what they did during Covid," she added.

Ms Davies said if she could go back, she would tell herself that it would be okay.

"We have all come out the other side, and there were many many negatives and we're still feeling the negatives, but we can take some positives."