Twelve months ago, our politicians at Stormont were getting their feet under the table again, thanks to new decade, new approach.

They'd had almost three years in the wilderness during the suspension of devolution, and there was definitely some evidence of optimism in the air, and then COVID struck, and they've been in firefighting mode ever since.

So, how has the past year been for those in the storm and bubble,

in particular for those who were still finding their feet in the corridors of power?

Rachel, how did things look from where you were sitting 12 months ago?

Well, I suppose I had a bit of a different expectation.

I had worked previously for Stephen Agnew, MLA,

who I had taken over from just two months earlier in November

when a decade your approach was signed.

And we were not part of the talks process.

So I didn't know what it was going to be like.

I also didn't know what the assembly was supposed to be like, if you know what I mean,

what a functioning assembly actually looked like,

because it only worked for him during the time that was in recess.

And then we had all the excitement of reform and suddenly hit with the pandemic, as you say,

so not a month later, which has rightly changed

everything and the focus of government. So it obviously meant that priorities had to change

and things that we thought might happen in 2020 had to be paused.

Liz, how did it look from where you were sitting?

I suppose it was, as a culture shock, I came from, from council, and I also worked in social work, so coming into the assembly was it was a big culture shock I came from from council and I also worked in social work so coming into the assembly

was it was a big culture shock and trying to even to just get a handle on the logistics of the

place find my way around it and still struggle with that one but you just think that you're

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