It was a feature of the first lockdown back in the spring of 2020 - and now it's returning.

The Thursday clap for NHS and key workers is back tonight, renamed clap for heroes.

On the strike of 8pm on Thursdays during the first lockdown, people paid tribute to those working hard in the NHS as well as carers everywhere.

Many people in Hitchin joined in, taking time to leave the comfort of their homes to acknowledge the efforts of frontline staff leading the fight against Covid.

Now the weekly clap is returning at the start of the third lockdown - and Hitchin Nub News wants to learn more about how people on our town feel about the public show of affection ten months on from the start of the pandemic.

Read on to find out why Hitchin youngster Freddie Cardy is feeling conflicted about the new event while having great respect for those working hard on the frontline in the fight against Covid.

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Annemarie Plas, organiser of the first 'Clap for Carers', announced on Wednesday that the weekly round of applause for our brave, hard-working and incredibly talented NHS staff would return, but this time with a new name: Clap for Heroes, writes Freddie Cardy.

The gesture is a show of support and a morale booster for the country's Covid heroes, but ahead of the inaugural Clap for Heroes, I am unsure whether I will be joining in.

The initial Clap for Carers was brought to an end after 10 weeks when it was clear that as summer approached, the coronavirus situation in Britain had finally improved, and there was less strain on the NHS.

But pandemic or no pandemic, being a doctor or nurse has always been an incredibly tough and unrecognised job.

One of the challenges of a gesture like the Clap for Carers is its eventual end, and I can see why an official decision was made to bring it to a halt.

Imagine a nurse coming home from a hospital after a 14 hour shift - it is now the 19th Clap for Carers, and the atmosphere is now similar to a behind closed doors football match, with only one man and his dog choosing to still voice their support.

With the country now in its third lockdown, people stuck at home once again and the NHS possibly in an even worse situation than March and April last year, I can see why the decision was made to restart the applause, this time with a different name.

But if you are one of our treasured NHS workers, what difference does a weekly gesture actually make?

There are hospitals around the country where they still have to pay for parking, because the funding for the hospitals is so low and a good way to make money is to charge people high prices for parking.

In November, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a pay freeze for over 1.3 million public sector workers.

There is clearly enough money in this country to finance a reasonable pay rise and good funding for the NHS, and anyone who applauds tonight should be active in campaigning for better PPE, free parking in hospitals and a sufficient pay rise for our healthcare heroes.

So if you do choose to clap tonight, here's a reminder: Claps will not put food on the table. They will not pay for parking, and they will not provide PPE.

Do you agree or disagree with Freddie? Tweet us @HitchinNubNews