Lock Down

This morning I went Wickes for a piece of ply to finish a tidy up in the workshop. After queing  for a while I got to were the sheets of ply should be. The shelfs were empty. A young assistant was wandering about looking lost so I ask were the ply was?. He pointed to an empty shelf and grunted some thing. Another guy behind me ask when they were getting some more in stock. The reply was" Maybe next week". We both couldnt bellive what he said.
Next try B&Q. The que was about 100 yds long but I wasnt in a rush. When I got near the door other people were going in the exit door bypassing the que. The two guys on the door didnt notice this. 
I got my ply but the stock was limited.
When I got back management asked me to go across to Lidl.No pasta, no toilet rolls, hardly any dog dinners and I was swore  at by a woman for taking the last loaf of bread. In the car park there was a Polish registered min bus with four shopping trolleys alongside it.
I have lost all feelings for our fellow humans  how have we  survived this far.

After today’s agro I thought it was finished until our daughter found she has been tested positive. She had some one on her ward that tested positive last week and she started coughing yesterday.
Her and her boyfriend live with us so we are self isolating with her. We have no symptoms so I don’t think we need to be tested. We are waiting to hear from our son when he finishes work. He will have to self isolate until he is tested. He works in the kitchen of a large pub in this area. 
This is not how I wanted lockdown to be forced on us.

Sorry to hear about the positive tests Dave, hope you get through it O.K.
My wife did, she still has a dry cough and gets fatigued every couple of days.otherwise she's gets on with life.
Boaby

Thanks Boaby, Eventually contacted our son. He is feeling fine but is self isolating in case. I will start the phone calls today. Dentist appointment, pharmacy and doctors to cancel flue jab. 
I might have mis read this but I dont think I can even take muttly out. We only do 100yds to the end of the street so he wont be too bothered I suppose. He has enough dinners and bickies for the next 14 days. He is a bit short on chews but we can get round that. 
Boyfriends mum and dad have offered to shop for us if we get desperate but we will take it a day at a time.

Dave 418 wrote:Thanks Boaby, Eventually contacted our son. He is feeling fine but is self isolating in case. I will start the phone calls today. Dentist appointment, pharmacy and doctors to cancel flue jab. 
I might have mis read this but I dont think I can even take muttly out. We only do 100yds to the end of the street so he wont be too bothered I suppose. He has enough dinners and bickies for the next 14 days. He is a bit short on chews but we can get round that. 
Boyfriends mum and dad have offered to shop for us if we get desperate but we will take it a day at a time.

Pets at Home have an online store that delivers for free, we have Tags ,James Wellbeloved delivered in bulk, also Burns pet food for dry dog food. 
Take care.
Boaby

James Wellbeloved are cheaper on line than Pets at Home, we have been having JW delivered the next day free for years.

Just had an email JW Turkey and Rice £42  we have 2 bags at a time so keep a stock in also cheaper if buying two bags. Pets at Home last time we looked it was £60 plus. 

We order from Zooplus. they do do other pet brands.

If everyone had followed the simple rules set out since the last lockdown was lifted I doubt we'd be where we are today.
As it is I can just see lockdowns being imposed every other month for the foreseeable future.
When asked about masks on the radio yesterday, a virologist said we'd possibly still be wearing them this time next year, and restrictions could even be in place into 2022.
Sobering really.
Al.

Lock downs are no good for the economy, too many small businesses going bust and putting people out of work, protect the vulnerable and the NHS, most of the places we have visited have the strongest of COVID rules in force and not once have we felt threatened  it and my wife is in the higher risk group having MS,  all the extra money the government is paying out has to be recouped in the end

Its not looking good when I get a text from NHS tracing asking me to fil in a questionnaire. I found the web site as requested and it asked for the account details as per the text. Then it wants my NHS password????.
I asked for a new password and got seven texts to say some one has been trying to link to my password change. We have no hope if its this difficult to fill in a questionnaire.  

Surely the best option was/is to advise the elderly and vulnerable to be very careful indeed . . . as if they need such advice!!

Then let the rest of the country go back to more or less normal.

We now know that the risk of serious illness to most young(er) and healthy people is minimal, and whatever knee-jerk impositions we are forced to suffer, and for however long, the virus will still be out there waiting to get anyone and everyone eventually!!

The elderly and vulnerable are not in work anyway, so Rishi doesn't have to give them financial support, and they have no jobs to lose or businesses to fold up. The rest of the population could carry on keeping the economy going, saving jobs and livelihoods and also saving the Exchequer billions in support packages which would no longer be needed.

The most ludicrous aspect of this new lockdown is that something like a quarter of the population is mingling closely and carrying on as normal anyway!! Almost everyone under the age of 22 is at school, college or university, plus all the staff and ancillary workers also involved. They won't be spreading the virus of course!!!!!!

We all know that herding cats is far easier than persuading teenagers to obey the rules.

Well, all of us except Boris, apparently!!

Read The Great Barrington Declaration.  https://gbdeclaration.org/

Dave

Wales update - lockdown ends next Monday as planned. No travel restrictions within Wales and people in Wales can holiday again within Wales. 
Problem  -  finding sites open, it's always been a problem to find sites open in Wales from October onwards. Wouldn't want to wild camp in case locals think we've sneaked in from over the border. Will get a Wales sticker for the van.

Looking forward to the end of c19 on the 9th in wales.

Micky

Gromit wrote:Surely the best option was/is to advise the elderly and vulnerable to be very careful indeed . . . as if they need such advice!!

Then let the rest of the country go back to more or less normal.

We now know that the risk of serious illness to most young(er) and healthy people is minimal, and whatever knee-jerk impositions we are forced to suffer, and for however long, the virus will still be out there waiting to get anyone and everyone eventually!!

The elderly and vulnerable are not in work anyway, so Rishi doesn't have to give them financial support, and they have no jobs to lose or businesses to fold up. The rest of the population could carry on keeping the economy going, saving jobs and livelihoods and also saving the Exchequer billions in support packages which would no longer be needed.

The most ludicrous aspect of this new lockdown is that something like a quarter of the population is mingling closely and carrying on as normal anyway!! Almost everyone under the age of 22 is at school, college or university, plus all the staff and ancillary workers also involved. They won't be spreading the virus of course!!!!!!

We all know that herding cats is far easier than persuading teenagers to obey the rules.

Well, all of us except Boris, apparently!!

Read The Great Barrington Declaration.  https://gbdeclaration.org/

Dave

It is not often I disagree with you Dave but I think you have missed an important point.

Lock all the old and vulnerable away and let the herd run rampant ignoring all the rules as they inevitably will. Result is not many of them will die and herd immunity will be built up, apart from not being fare to those locked away you are failing to address the important issue right now.

The major problem we face is hospital beds, already in parts of the Country we are within a few days or weeks of having none available. Essential operations are being cancelled and treatments for other illnesses being delayed.  Release the herd and more of them will get sick taking up even more hospital beds which will mean even fewer beds available for the old, infirm and sick. Consequently a greater number are likely to die.

Economically of course this  is a disaster of unimaginable proportion. Jobs will be lost, businesses will fold but once this is all over the economy will bounce back and new jobs in new sectors will be created. The country will have a window to emerge as a better place stronger, more efficient, greener and with greater opportunities. 

With regard to education surely it must be a priority at whatever cost to keep the young who will be the providers of tomorrow in a stable learning situation.

Finally a personal thing and I want no one to take this the wrong way.

I have every sympathy with people who are 'locked down' and are in desperate need for whatever reason, I would be the first to help where possible. For the vast majority though this lock down is an inconvenience for a limited period of time and for some even an opportunity to extract as much as they can from the system.

Being 'locked up' is a far worse experience, I spent a period of time in a West African prison with a gun at my head until a ransom was paid. No food unless it was bought in for you, no facilities, you urinate on the floor and no bed just some old car tyres. I was sentenced to five years of that for a crime I didn't commit ( sounds like the A team ) and would have given all my assets gladly just to see my family and daylight again. Fortunately the ransom was paid and I walked free. Maybe that has coloured my judgement somewhat but compared to that lock down is a walk in the park. 

What we need is not being locked down, locked up, furloughed or have a circuit breaker, we need ALL of the public to use their common sense and then by being careful and doing the right thing there is no reason EVERYONE shouldn't be able to live their life as practically as possible. Ban all non essential travel in to or out of the Country and ban all non essential travel outside of your area of the country, don't advise against it, ban it.

There is no point blaming Boris, he is damned if he does and damned if he doesn't, until ALL the public start behaving properly this virus will be hanging around. Of course he doesn't have the answers, please step forward the man or woman that does

Now I am getting emotional, forgive me
Stay safe
'hog

You are quite right of course Hog, our leaders are terrified in case the extra Covid patients tip the NHS over the edge this winter, and not without good reason!

It has been touch and go for the last several winters, and even a relatively low number of extra Covid patients will prove critical.

What a pity the NHS has been so drastically under funded (and/or poorly managed?) for the past 30 years, as Professor Sunetra Gupta (Oxford University) had the temerity to say, quite bluntly, in a very recent BBC interview.

I think the most frightening and annoying aspect of all is that when this new lockdown is lifted we shall be straight back to where we were before. Whether or not everyone obeys the rules the virus is not going away, and may well be with us effectively forever! Until we have herd immunity, however it is achieved, we shall risk repeated lockdowns or similar short term drastic measures simply to bring the R number back under control again.

That is treating the symptoms, not the cause, and it will be less effective every time as fewer and fewer people remain willing to obey the rules. You only have to watch some of the disgraceful scenes that have appeared on the newsreels for quite some time now!

Cheers

Dave

Just read your post GH, wow, hope you haven't suffered any side effects from your time in Africa.
Enough from me re lockdown, when I see hordes of school kids descending on a local supermarket with no concern what so ever about the other shoppers welfare,  
Boaby

Thanks Boaby

It was quite difficult at the time (1998) and changed my perspective on what is important, in that situation you don't worry about yourself, your loved ones and how your death will hit them becomes everything. Others have been through far worse than me though. Must dash, 700 of us going to a rave in Bristol tonight. With modern technology the police must be able to identify these idiots, fine the lot of them heavily and they may be discouraged.

Don't bother with modern technology and fines. Just bring out the water cannons to disperse them.

I agree GH, can't believe I've turned into a really, really grumpy old man. The retail and hospitality trade deserve considerable sympathy as they have stepped up to make things, on the whole, safe for us to use. Sadly the "danger" messages have not permeated through the thick skulls of some people and they continue to behave as though life is normal when it isn't and won't be for a long time to come. There are people who genuinely lack the capacity to understand, I get that, it's those who choose to ignore the rules for their own selfish purposes who are creating problems for the rest of us.

On the last 2 trips we have been on I can honestly say that I have not seen any of the things being reported, the camp sites and hospitality establishments have been first class, shops and supermarkets at home all have rules and sanitation points in place, mask are worn, we live near Mablethorpe with its numerous campsite and yes it been busy at times Withernsea the holiday makers But the worst I have seen and it happened at the 2  nature reserves in our village was the hoards of Free loading * Inappropriate Word * in their vans that over took the car parks and left their rubbish and the rest of the stuff associated with  and this was in the full lock down

Things aren't helped by the pandemic deniers, of which there are a fair few in my own family. One of my nephews, who should know better at 50 years old, refuses to wear a mask anywhere. On the occasions he's challenged he falsely claims he's medically exempt.
His younger brother and sisters have thrown numerous parties and mini raves throughout lockdown and summer, and have every intension of continuing during the next lockdown.
Al.

Took Mrs B into St Andrews yesterday and she commented how the youngsters in school uniform and some young folk of student age were being very considerate, making sure to give her space (as an older person) both in the fairly small Tesco Metro store and on the pavement.

Noticed the town was much quieter than it was a few weeks ago, there were even lots of spaces in the fairly limited free parking nearest the main streets and also in the paid spaces, despite many of them now being barriered off to allow social distancing on the pavements.

Maybe many of the foreign students have left already, there were still a few golfers around though most of the guest houses and B&Bs looked fairly empty.

Still waiting to hear whether we'll be going into total lockdown here at the moment we're only on (Scottish) Tier 2 in Fife, so still free to travel around here - not allowed to go to Dundee (Tier 3) though that's no great loss in my opinion, other than going through to visit Broughty Ferry!

Cymro wrote:Yes, only 4 CAMC sites in Wales are likely to re-open on 9 Nov : Brecon, Pembrey, Chirk and Newport. Shall look at commercial sites, but probably limited. Would be so nice to have a few days away!

Was hoping Harlech would reopen but no reply to email enquiry so have booked 3 nights at Brecon next week.

Looking at Google maps, I'm not sure how we are going to get there without crossing the border. We can get to Chirk but then need to get around Oswestry.

An Expert, Carl Heneghan Daily mail today says.
Cases are flattening now! due to the current measures in place.
I say will parliament agree and vote down the lockdown?
We hope .
A lot of figures and graphs shown the other day.
These are projections that will likely be wrong.
Take weather forecasters for instance After about 4 days it out ! Millions spent and many years of work.
Will not be able to see what will be happening after a fortnight or even maybe after a month. with lock downs.
I pity the low pay workers losing jobs. All OK for government workers always on full pay.
If we all have to suffer lets spread the money as well as the pain.
Many parts of the country are very safe. Why close them down?
rant over

Micky