ExSurveyor

I do despair of people wanting to expand the list of what can be done, Watch the news, see the dreadful numbers of people dying, the rising numbers of frontline staff dying, the huge financial cost of these measures, then ask your yourself if your 'want' is worth it. Many people have given up employment, businesses built over many years and visiting family to follow government advice and direction. Surely you can manage to go without your preferred past time for a while longer. I do admire those that live minutes from the broads for showing restraint and not visiting their boats despite the temptation. Being realistic, it has only been five weeks of lock down, not five months.

I have a very thick mop that grows fast, every 4 weeks it has to be cut and thinned out. When I moan about the grey they always say " you will never be bald though" I might rewind 30 years and have a pony tail. I will need to get an estimate before the next cut. I have used the same hairdresser for 45 years, now on my third snipper as the first one moved to Australian after 25 years, his business partner passed away a few years later. I am now on the trainee who joined 34 years ago and is now fifty and owns the business. I like continuity.

We live in hope.

The longer the economy is locked down the more painful the austerity. The saving grace is that most governments are printing more money to provide support, this devalues currencies equally. Those countries that were struggling with recession before will suffer more than others.

It must be about a balance between the two. If it goes on longer than needed there is a very real risk of stringent cuts to services and much higher taxes in the future. Austerity will be the watch word for many years otherwise.

Matron says as I worked so hard I can sit in it on the drive and she will spray water over me.

Deep clean, compound, polish, repaint roof, rebuild and repair seats, scrub canopy and paint mudguards bright yellow so I can find the trailer in the yard. Only have a few bits left to do then I need another project to avoid sorting the study out.

I was sort of thinking of retirement next year but not convinced it was for me. However I am enjoying my present not working situation, only one bad brain fart in 4 weeks is telling me time for change. Working along side the housing market it remains to be seen if it will actually recover this year at all. The decision to reopen the business and sell it later or just not reopen will depend on how the market recovers. At the moment it costs very little to keep it shut and the staff still get paid, how long the government can offer this support remains to be seen. Funny old times we are living through.

What a fantastic tribute to a fantastic old soldier.

The money raised by Captain Tom is to support charities that support NHS staff. Money for PPE isn't the issue, finding supplies is the problem. Ian, do what you feel you need to do and raise money for who you want, some would find fault whatever charity it was.

Peter, I have a cunning plan, it involves your kayak and some bungy cord. It will give you exercise whilst keeping you near the shore.

Yes, via a few diversions. I have a sample in the post. If that doesn't fit, plan B is the lightly sand the plastic insert to tidy it up, I may even experiment with some plastic paint.

Yes, that has recently been reinforced. The swindlers were trying to steer applicants to their own high interest products.

You can always rely on the banks, to take a good scheme and turn it to their advantage. The chancellor didn't reckon on the banks torpedoing his plan, I hope all the CEO's and Chairmen are summoned to the Bank of England and told which way the wind is blowing. Local Authorities and even HMRC have managed to implement schemes that have only been in existence for a few weeks.

My thoughts on the behavior of the banks would get me moderated. They have such short memories. I have dealt with banks for 40 years in business, when you need to borrow they aren't interested unless they can screw you over, when you don't need to borrow from them any more they try to screw you on transaction fees. I do hope the government grab them by the throat and give them a good shake, then hit them with extra taxes when this is over.

As far as the legislation is concerned, it automatically ends in April 2022. The national bodies and media have muddied the waters by trying to clarify things, more so recently, rather than stick to the government message. Loop holes will exist, forget them and stay at home. IF, local bodies are interpreting it with too much zeal they will have to stop on that date, if not the majority of the public will turn against them. Parliament built in this safeguard and the courts have dismissed a number of fines issued. As a country we are generally passive, but those that abuse our general good nature will find that as a whole we will push back if provoked. I am content to stay at home and follow guidance whilst it is needed. No one should mistake that for an opportunity to erode my freedoms afterwards. To put it in perspective, a few silly coppers have got carried away, they are only human, they have been ' spoken' to. I know a number of police officers, they are not enjoying this situation any more than we are. The bigger issue is the security of the Chief Constables advice to the troops, this should never have been published. On the whole the Government and police are doing a good job in very difficult circumstances. Other minor authorities are struggling but again doing the best they can.

The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020 This is the UK legislation that covers it.

A bit of light relief. We will all be out and about, one day.

Glad it is only 32' in total.

I have got a sample coming from Wilks, blimey it is expensive.

Bats have never had a good press. Nothing wrong with bats as long as they are left in the trees and caves instead of being taken to a wet market or served on a plate.

The emergency services don't have the luxury of social distancing from each other in their vehicles.

I made sure I had paint when the lockdown was looming, ( we need a smug emoji ) What I didn't check was if I had brushes and rollers

When people look for loopholes it is impossible to produce legislation that doesn't have them. Just look at tax law. If everyone followed the spirit, rather than the letter of the law, the 'authorities' wouldn't need to spend time clarifying. If I am out for a walk I might pick up milk or bread and anything I need from the hardware store next door on the small parade of shops. I needed stainless steel bolts and washers, I could have driven to a chandlers 4 miles away and incorporated it into collecting visor parts but I found them online and they arrived this morning. We can spend another few weeks observing the spirit of the lockdown or fight it and spend the summer in our homes instead.

Local, small independent hardware stores are allowed to open. My one has most things available including paint and tools. Worth trying if you have one.