#LastNormalPhoto: Thousands share last images before lockdown - BBC News
We asked you to post your last "normal" photo before coronavirus. A lot of you replied.
It all started with a little request we made earlier this month.

We asked you to send us the last "normal" photo you had on your phone before coronavirus changed your life. Hundreds of you responded. We were overwhelmed.

On Saturday, we brought you 13 of those stories - from major sporting events to family gatherings to a wedding. We then invited more of you to share your photos online using the hashtag #lastnormalphoto.

Thanks largely to a tweet by journalist Robyn Vinter, it quickly became one of the top three most-used Twitter hashtags worldwide.

Among the tens of thousands of photos shared online, there are some common themes. Food, friendships, the utterly random events that make up our lives. Many people's photos showed the last time they were with relatives, after lockdowns forced families apart.

Sue Clark's last "normal" photo was at her daughter's baby shower on 7 March. Her grandson Theo was born in late April.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Sue #StayAtHome 🏡❤️ This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

The lockdown meant Sue was unable to see or support her daughter during the final weeks of her pregnancy, or to be close during what was a difficult birth.

"Luckily all turned out fine but this is a situation where as a mother your instinct is to be there - but unfortunately I felt I had to follow the rules," she told the BBC.

Sue and her daughter are now arranging to meet at a distance in a park next week.

Social distancing rules mean group events may now feel like a distant memory, but lots of you shared photos of crowds in close proximity only a couple of months ago.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by 🇪🇺 Susan Kassab 🇪🇺 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Miton This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

A lot (and we mean a lot) of the photos also showed people eating in restaurants and bars, or going to clubs or theatres - places that have been inaccessible for many of us for at least two months, and may remain so for some time.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Greg Bossick This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 5 by Emma-Jayne Reekie This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Some found a photo of their workplace or university, looking back at a time before remote working was introduced to reduce the spread of the virus.

Olivia Simpson's last "normal" photo was taken on a commute to university on 13 March.

She would normally meet friends in the library so they could work together, but like thousands of students across the UK, she is now continuing her studies alone at home.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 6 by olivia. This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Others had been anticipating big events before the new rules took effect. Several people shared photos of the dresses they bought for a prom that could not go ahead.

One of them was Emma Canzanese, 18. She chose her prom dress on 5 March - it made her feel confident in herself. But the prom was later cancelled because of coronavirus regulations in New Jersey.

"I'm happy I still bought it for any future occasion," she said, "but it would have been amazing to roll up to prom and show off."

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 7 by 🦋 Emma Loves Yuta Jaemin Haechan Taeyong 🦋 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Some joked about how abnormal their last "normal" photo was.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 8 by Dr Dani Rabaiotti This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Dr Dani Rabaiotti, a scientist with the Zoological Society of London posed with a meerkat at London Zoo for her last photo.

The zoo has been closed to visitors since late March due to the coronavirus lockdown and staff say it now faces an uncertain future.

A friendly meerkat is not as abnormal, however, as a meal of fried chicken and donuts.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 9 by Vibi the Alien This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 9 by Vibi the Alien

If you could go back to the start of the year and give yourself some pre-lockdown advice, knowing what was about to happen, what advice would that be?

We will use a selection of your responses in a future article. Your name, age and location would be included unless you state otherwise but your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your response. Please include your name, age and location in your email.
• None The last 'normal' photo on your phone