My Day

[Meantime]

2 hours ago, MauriceMynah said:

The way I see it is that if tier 3 failed to control the problem, then it was inevitable that a tier 4 would be needed. It wouldn't surprise me if a tier 5 comes along sooner or later, total lockdown with bells on.

To be honest the only thing which irritates me is the number of people who think that certain things are essential. They are not. Sport is not an essential. Haircuts, tattoos, gyms and pubs/restaurants are not essential.

Take the guy sleeping rough (and there are plenty of them) and ask him what is and is not essential. Ask the pensioner who is having to choose between "Heat or eat" what is essential. Oh and don't start me on "mental wellbeing", the problem all sorts of people seem to be having if they can't have their own way.

No, I've had enough of peoples whinging. Put everyone on tier 9, only to be released from it when they have been inoculated.  

Rant over?,. nah not even started yet!

Here's a curved ball then! Is education essential? or supermarket shopping?

[ExSurveyor]

6 minutes ago, Meantime said:

Here's a curved ball then! Is education essential? or supermarket shopping?

By the definations laid out today, yes they are.

Schools have bbeen given a higher priority and food is pretty essential.

[BroadAmbition]

Went to Asda in Donny earlier this evening for our weekly shop, nowt new there as I'm tending to do more of this nowadays to try and cut down the risk of exposure to my MrsG as she works in our local Spar shop.

Got home ok, then Horrors of horrors, realised I had left my treasured clipboard in one of Adsas'  finest shopping trolleys.  Now my clipboard has got my life in it, appointments, some estimates (Well one at present) not entered into the p/c, not to mention two rather nice photo's of 'B.A' all sorts of notes and two Christmas cards I had just bought for MrsG

Back I went and blow me I found it in the trolley in one of those trolley shelter things first time of looking - Result

Yesterday early evening had a right proper argument with two teenagers in our Spar shop that had no face coverings on, of course they are exempt as they are ignorant selfish teenagers, they are in the right and I'm the nasty old man of a bully here.  The virus won't affect teenagers nor are they capable of spreading it.  I very much doubt I will see them in 'Our' village shop again ever, let alone with a mask on - serves em right

Clay shooting tomorrow, third Sunday on the trot which will means I will have expended 600+ cartridges in three days shooting - Nice one

Griff

[Chelsea14Ian]

Think we all deserve a bank holiday next year.

[Meantime]

11 minutes ago, psychicsurveyor said:

By the definations laid out today, yes they are.

Schools have bbeen given a higher priority and food is pretty essential.

It was obviously a leading question on my part, because things are not always as straight forward as people like to, or might think.

The information below is from PHE and is the list of places that people claim to have visited before having symptoms or going for a test. 

Supermarket (visiting and working) 1084 15.6%
Secondary school (attending) 1044 15.0%
Primary school (attending) 867 12.5%
Hospital (visiting) 302 4.3%
Care home (working) 190 2.7%
Gym (visiting) 151 2.2%
Pub or bar (visiting) 143 2.1%
College (attending) 132 1.9%
Restaurant or cafe (visiting) 128 1.8%
Nursery preschool (attending) 123 1.8%
Hospitality (working) 122 1.8%
Warehouse (working) 121 1.7%
Clothes shopping (visiting) 100 1.4%
Special needs educational setting (attending) 85 1.2%

Top of the list are supermarkets followed by Secondary and then primary schools, which goes a long way towards explaining why the recent upsurge in the virus was happening before the end of the last set of National restrictions in November.

I would suggest that supermarket shopping is essential, although the frequency could be debated, AND the supermarkets need to reimpose the limits on numbers in the stores like they did during the first lockdown in March, as well as drumming home the message on keeping apart 2 metres. Too many shoppers feel they are safe because they are wearing a mask, even those that aren't wearing it under their chin.

As for schools, they should have closed during the last set of National restrictions. There could have been two weeks of online learning at home and two weeks nicked from later school holidays to make up for lost time. Even now the Christmas holidays should be extended and learning time regained by shortening Easter and the Summer holiday.

[grendel]

on my once weekly food shopping trip yesterday I noticed two things, during my trip I only saw one adult person without a mask, this was an older cashier, who was behind a screen at a till.

the second thing I noticed was the number of people dragging a horde of screaming unmasked brats around with them in the supermarkets.

while education is very important, it does seem that a lot of the reason for continued spread is the fact that children are passing it around at school then taking it home.

Almost everyone I know who has kids is telling me that they are getting their child tested due to a number of cases occuring in their class at school. under the initial lockdown the numbers came down and the spread was controlled, but this recent lockdown has not seen such an effective control in the number of cases. only in the first lockdown did we shut the schools.

finally, its now clear that everyone on my Christmas list will be getting food for their presents, as we are Tier 4 now, and as I am male, I now find that all the non food shops are once again closed, so in 4 days time when i get around to buying presents all the shops that are open will be food shops.

[Chelsea14Ian]

I do feel for my business.We in catering have been hit hard.I've not worked since March.Nor have many involved  in the food industry. Yes Education is important, but the spread  of infection in schools and Universities is high.People must take responsibility for there actions.Think of others and not of themselves. Now is the time to step up.

[Gracie]

All I know is people are dropping like flies in my town and surrounding areas, the virus is spreading like wild fire. I fully understand the need for a tier 4 'lock down' something has to be done, the powers that be are damned if they do and damned if they don't though

I just wish some people would take it more seriously re teenagers as in Griff's post, I've also seen older people refusing to wear a mask or stay distanced. My children do not come to the Supermarket with me now, they know the risk to their Grandad and how important it is to keep everyone safe. To be honest they've adjusted better than some adults and certainly behave better than some adults 

My day today is going to be spent with the children, a walk along the sea front for some exercise and maybe a film or two later with a glass of wine, for me not the kids 

Stay safe 

 

[MauriceMynah]

11 minutes ago, Chelsea14Ian said:

I do feel for my business. We in catering have been hit hard.

Ian, Whilst I can understand your sympathy for the industry in which you used to work, spare some for the other industries who have been equally hard hit. Actually, that's most of them!

Unless a business is one of the "essential" jobs, the probability is that it has suffered badly. In that sernse we are all in the same boat.

My own business is permanently down and out. It would seem that the Antiques and Collectables market is not essential. I am one of the lucky ones. When all this started I was on the brink of retiring and closing down. This virus has merely accelerated the process. I cannot say the same for my friends in the trade. several have bankruptcy and house repossession looming on the horizon. The hospitality industry is not alone in its suffering.

[grendel]

even essential services such as the utility service i work in have been hit hard this year, with the first lockdown we went down to 10% of our normal workload during that first few months as construction sites closed and set up as covid secure sites, despite the upturn in construction since, we are still not back to our normal work levels. we have lost some staff during this too, so those of us that remain are busy.

[Chelsea14Ian]

I do feel for many other businesses. In fact theres very few winners in this time.I clearly  speak as a Chef,I will also beat the drum for health  care.Each time I hear the news about  numbers raising,It concerns me.Can hospitals cope with numbers  needing ITUs,due to this virus.I'm not exaggerating I was very lucky my Cancer  was caught early and treated quickly. Sadly theres no doubt  this virus this has affected badly on non Covid health care. 

I do as I say care for anyone that has been affected by this virus, but will have more knowledge regarding my business and my experience with health  care.

[addicted]

Well my day yesterday was alright for a while  I spent the afternoon making the various different stuffings for the Turkey. Our plan was for our daughter and family complete with granddaughter's boyfriend  to join us here in Cambridgeshire for Christmas Day and Boxing Day with them arriving from their home in North London late Christmas Morning. The reason we decided to have them here is that My daughter runs an internet company from home and for at least 2 months has been working a punishing schedule  of a daily routine of starting at 07.30 till well after midnight 7 days a week! Despite having taken on 5  helpers.  I really thought she had earned a break and a bit of spoiling. So ....I 'd just finished stowing the stufffings in  the freezer. Not being as young as I used to be I've been trying to spread the load and  do things that I can freeze without spoiling  as I don't have the necessary stamina to do it all on the day  any more and  having finished what   I was doing I turned the t.v. on just in time to hear the latest news....... Our Christmas was cancelled! So really my day didn't go so well. We've postponed Christmas, we will have it as  soon as lockdown  has gone away.  It just remains now for us to go in search for much smaller turkey just for Tony and me.  One that we won't be eating for the nexr month! Whatever you are doing  this Christmas and whereever you are planning to do it  have a lovely time everyone and best wishes from Tony and me  for a much better thus happier New Year!

 

Carole

[LizG]

I had spent most of my free time in the last few days, making Christmas nibbles for the freezer.  So it is well stocked with sausage rolls, cheese straws, chicken goujons and satay, mini quiches and a nice raised meat pie!  We had also had our sausage delivery and from work I get a turkey - as usual we ordered large!

The plan was it would be me, husband and middle daughter who is still staying with us. My brother would also come down on Christmas Day for the night and this year for the first time as we felt it was her safest option mother in law!  Then youngest and husband decided they would come to us before going to his family in Kent and return my car!  Everyone visiting was planning to isolate for 10 days.....................

So we are now in Tier 4, as is daughter and husband.   Mother in law will go to a different family in Norfolk and my brother will be home on his own!  Today we made a quick run to the Beaconsfield Services on the M40 to reclaim my car from daughter 3 (long story) and give her some Christmas nibbles for the freezer and two crackers!  We had already swapped presents two weeks ago before they decided to come - the services was very busy this morning with many other people doing exactly the same!

We had brought forward our Welsh visit to last Sunday thankfully so they all have presents and some nibbles for the freezer!

Apart from some presents and cards being in the wrong place, things could be a lot worse and I now don't have to make any BREAD SAUCE!!!! Nor do I have to spend the next week making beds, washing sheets and remaking beds!

And although I had several people offer to take some of these boxes off our hands, I have been assured they won't go to waste - the delivery arrived on Saturday so a few more days before they can be tested!

[ExSurveyor]

Tier 4 sucks.

Matron has been busy making up food parcels for the boys and daughter in laws for the days they were due to be with us over Christmas.

She normally does a bake day for all four grandchildren, this has now been split over two days to separate them. They are allowed to visit as we do child care for them.

Much muttering has been going on and the number of lists has increased, I have kept out of the way by giving the patio a good clean after it was relayed and completed Friday.  675 f2 is a lot of cleaning.

[Turnoar]

Tier 4 was announced with a bit of billowing from London last night... I see parts of the rest of Europe and indeed the world are refusing our planes. So, you can leave tier 4 to go somewhere else so long as it’s not tier 321 on our doorstep... but the mugs will have you if you dare darken their runways. Not really lockdown though is it especially if the planes have passengers on the return journey. Again.... come on uk.gov wake up. If we have to suffer lockdown let’s make it effective and do what we say, we don’t want to lose another year of our lives.

[ExSurveyor]

8 minutes ago, Turnoar said:

Tier 4 was announced with a bit of billowing from London last night... I see parts of the rest of Europe and indeed the world are refusing our planes. So, you can leave tier 4 to go somewhere else so long as it’s not tier 321 on our doorstep... but the mugs will have you if you dare darken their runways. Not really lockdown though is it especially if the planes have passengers on the return journey. Again.... come on uk.gov wake up. If we have to suffer lockdown let’s make it effective and do what we say, we don’t want to lose another year of our lives.

Tier 4 has had a serious impact on those of us who will follow the guidelines, unfortunately a number of selfish idiots chose to get out of tier 4 before lockdown. You can't easily legislate for stupid and the rest of us pay the price.

I suspect those who rushed abroad will be crying " it’s not fair" when they struggle to get home and have to isolate.

[NorfolkNog]

5 hours ago, LizG said:

And although I had several people offer to take some of these boxes off our hands, I have been assured they won't go to waste - the delivery arrived on Saturday so a few more days before they can be tested!

       

[Turnoar]

2 minutes ago, psychicsurveyor said:

...unfortunately a number of selfish idiots chose to get out of tier 4 before lockdown. You can't easily legislate for stupid and the rest of us pay the price....

My fear exactly, I hope they’ve not come to Norfolk, it’s bad enough without a further strain in the mix.  Judging by the pubs I biked past today which were open trade is slow unless the customers all walk there. I fear for the livelihoods of the staff, managers, owners as well as the mental health of people on their own who find their family in the community. The problem needs containing and that means everybody and every form of travel locked down!

[YnysMon]

We had been planning to drive up to Anglesey to bring my father in law down to MK for Christmas. When we spoke to him last week though, he said he would feel safer staying in Anglesey. Though it will the the first Christmas for ages that we haven’t been together, he obviously made the right decision given we are now in tier 4. Last I looked Anglesey had the lowest number of cases in Wales. 

[ZimbiIV]

To all those that left after tier 4  was announced.

" Sorry we are now closed to ALL that were not in their tier on Christmas day"

For your own safety and the health of those that remained, we have to deny re-admittance.

paul

[Turnoar]

Wow, I just checked out the arrivals and departures boards for Heathrow.... who are uk.gov trying to kid that Tier 4 is serious? The virus is simply not being contained. Does anybody know why airline passengers are seemingly exempt?

[NeilB]

I think it’s because the tier guidance is just that - guidance, there is no actual law preventing travel between tiers.

Like a lot of people we’re following the guidance, but a lot are not.

[ExSurveyor]

Probably best if Covid specific thoughts in general moved onto one of the dedicated threads so as to keep this one just for ' My Day'

 

[ZimbiIV]

Second PS on another thread.

paul

[Islander]

Having managed at last to bring Lady Linda back to Thorpe for the winter. I spent yesterday cleaning both boats. Today was spent putting up the Christmas lights at last. Hopefully a few more people will do the same.

Colin