Coronavirus And The Broads

[floydraser]

Just a thought: Boris said that a big factor is the R number. How long does it take to react to the R number? The 4th July is three, oops, two weeks away so given the R number could change, it would be foolish to commit this early?

[ExSurveyor]

Too much notice and the public will push the boundaries the same as they have with every other announcement, the government says next weekend so I can do it this weekend.

Opening up leisure will be a big step. Shops could be controlled, second home owners can't.

[Oddfellow]

4 hours ago, Vaughan said:

Driving past the triple locks at the Pont Rouge near Carcassonne yesterday I saw boats out on hire, from Locaboat, Le Boat, Happimag and Les Canalous, so the season is under way.  Not very many yet - driving past the bases I would say Locaboat have 5 or 6 boats out in Argens and Le Boat probably no more than that in Homps, so the season still has a long way to pick up from! They will be missing the UK customers (about 20%) as well as Australians and Americans but should now be no problem for the Germans and the Swiss, who are the main customer base. The French are only about 15% and those mainly in the off season.

By the way from next week in France it will once again be illegal to keep a child of any age out of school.

Thought I'd mention it . . . 

France (and most other countires) has made a much better job of managing this infection than England and though our rates appear to be dropping, there are still areas teeting around the R1 mark and some are thought to be over it with none, as I understand it, below R0.7. 

New Zealand's latest infection can be traced back to two brits flying in and with shops opening here, it would make sense to see how these smaller steps have an effect before opening more widely. 

There is mounting pressure on the English government to develop a proper plan to open schools. The government has put almost as many resources in the blame game as it did to getting them open before an embarrassing U Turn last week but the fact remains that the damage to education (and the economy)  has been deepened by the length of the lockdown and poor management of the virus situation. There is talk now of summer schooling which will potentially damage the tourism sector further if it is characteristically mishandled. But, of course, we can't ignore the very real problems of children missing their education and there really hasn't been any serious catch-up plan for this either. It seems impossible to me how exams can be taken next year for my son having lost 3/4 months of class time. 

All of these things need to be taken into consideration as there are knock-on effects to be felt across the economy in every sector both immediately and likely for a decade.  The uncertainty around this creates more problems and has helped me cement my decision to not continue into 2021 as I am unable to control vital factors that determine business viability in the short term. Heck, I can't even predict them with any reasonable certainty to commit spending dwindling funds on preparations for opening; for instance, wasted time and money on 2M ruling notices and such when we fully expect this to be dropped to 1M soon. 1 metre, incidentally, isn't far off normal social distance for a conversation; much closer and you become a space invader. 

As Track and Trace stumbles onward towards its eventual goal of being "world beating", I can imagine Matt Hancock making a comment in near future along the lines of,  "we never said when it will be world beating" but regular revelations over its inadequacy hardly instil confidence. 

Yet, the country needs confidence and it's not really getting it unless you just suck up what ministers tell you like a good little sheep. Gone are the daily experts in the covid briefings, gone are the weekend briefings, few are the answers to questions either at the briefings or over the dispatch box. 

Confidence is not something I have and will openly state that we have not planned for a re-opening as the goalposts are so likley to move and shift that I have better things to spend my time and money on. When you look at the guidance that kept day boats closed for a further two weeks longer than technically  necessary, having read a paragraph that basically said "clean properly between hires", you really do wonder whether some of this stuff is being written by a satirist or a serious government official. 

 

 

[Poppy]

The Caravan and Motorhome Club are re opening sites from 4th July. They must have been told something that the rest of us haven't.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/reopening-our-campsites/

[marshman]

I think the missing word is "planning" to open sites!!!!

[Happy]

9 minutes ago, Poppy said:

The Caravan and Motorhome Club are re opening sites from 4th July. They must have been told something that the rest of us haven't.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/reopening-our-campsites/

  The brewery that own my son and his partners tenanted pub are delivering their first order, next week, since lock down.  Will

just have time to settle before July 4th?    Guess I will have to try a pint , prior to opening, just to make sure its OK!

Busy re-painting garden tables at the pub at the moment but rain has stopped play.

Stay safe.

Regards Alan (aka Happy)

[Oddfellow]

8 minutes ago, Poppy said:

The Caravan and Motorhome Club are re opening sites from 4th July. They must have been told something that the rest of us haven't.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/reopening-our-campsites/

The whole domestic tourism industry is pinning its hopes on the 4th July and has been for over a month. I dread to think of how much money will have been wasted in these preparations should it not materialise. 

 

[floydraser]

9 minutes ago, Poppy said:

The Caravan and Motorhome Club are re opening sites from 4th July. They must have been told something that the rest of us haven't.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/reopening-our-campsites/

A little word in there which sticks out a mile: "intention". Which for me means it's not set in stone.

Camping and Caravan Club are saying pretty much the same. Some will open without facilities though.

[Ray]

It does seem odd that there is such a large movement behind opening on the 4th when there is no official word yet. Is it a form of lobbying, almost saying to the government "after all this preparation you have to say yes, people are expecting it and will rebel anyway if you don't"

Forcing their hand so to speak or trying to anyway?

[rightsaidfred]

8 minutes ago, Poppy said:

The Caravan and Motorhome Club are re opening sites from 4th July. They must have been told something that the rest of us haven't.

https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/uk-holidays/reopening-our-campsites/

That is an intention not a fact and still subject to government ruling, there is to much speculating and posturing going on in all sectors, to many people trying to force the issue by putting out false statements.

Fred

[vanessan]

5 minutes ago, Ray said:

It does seem odd that there is such a large movement behind opening on the 4th when there is no official word yet. Is it a form of lobbying, almost saying to the government "after all this preparation you have to say yes, people are expecting it and will rebel anyway if you don't"

Forcing their hand so to speak or trying to anyway?

Probably hit the nail on the head there Ray!

[Oddfellow]

14 minutes ago, floydraser said:

A little word in there which sticks out a mile: "intention". Which for me means it's not set in stone.

Camping and Caravan Club are saying pretty much the same. Some will open without facilities though.

There's no point in opening if nobody is allowed to stay away from home.

10 minutes ago, Ray said:

It does seem odd that there is such a large movement behind opening on the 4th when there is no official word yet. Is it a form of lobbying, almost saying to the government "after all this preparation you have to say yes, people are expecting it and will rebel anyway if you don't"

Forcing their hand so to speak or trying to anyway?

Maybe if "Daniel Rashford" could write to the government...... 

[grendel]

perhaps they ought to offer dominic cummings a free boat holiday on the 4th and see how fast things happen

[Oddfellow]

2 minutes ago, grendel said:

perhaps they ought to offer dominic cummings a free boat holiday on the 4th and see how fast things happen

To Burgh Castle? 

 

[MauriceMynah]

Moat as well

[floydraser]

So they could have kept completely quiet about 4th and then on the day announced that "from today" you can stay over night. Everyone would cry "Not fair! We need time to prepare!"

Or they could wait till the 4th then say "from the 11th.." and some would say "Not fair! We need more time!"

So maybe a good idea would be to say that on the 4th we'll make an announcement. Then some will interpret that to suit their own agenda, selectively ignoring the previous statement that everything depends on the R number. They'll be the ones crying the loudest if it doesn't happen.

Damned if you do....

[VetChugger]

Seems the UK "World Beating" track and trace app has been deemed unworkable and binned!

[ZimbiIV]

Only dropped because it does not work with apple phones, they won't release the needed coding.

You have use apple equipment if  want to use any of their software.

They couldn't get it work so had to go along to android for help.

Funny though I won't work with any apple products.

paul

[Oddfellow]

1 minute ago, ZimbiIV said:

Only dropped because it does not work with apple phones, they won't release the needed coding.

You have use apple equipment if  want to use any of their software.

They couldn't get it work so had to go along to android for help.

Funny though I won't work with any apple products.

paul

It's all Apple's fault...... 

 

[grendel]

I bet as much as you like even if they do get it working it wont work on my phone. (its a basic calls and text phone)

[CambridgeCabby]

Even if they get one that does work many elderly ,my mother included, would have no idea how to operate it 

[Smoggy]

There was a film about a guy with an old phone that dealt with electricity supplies, I think it was jurassic spark......

[marshman]

On a topic more related to the Broads, I was having a chat to the bloke who runs NYA in Horning, and I have just looked at their website!

So much for all those doomsters saying how secondhand prices would fall away rapidly - their stock has diminished rapidly at all levels so someone is spending their pennies!!

[Vaughan]

2 minutes ago, marshman said:

So much for all those doomsters saying how secondhand prices would fall away rapidly - their stock has diminished rapidly at all levels so someone is spending their pennies!!

They haven't fallen away yet, as the market has not yet been flooded by second hand hire boats up for sale.

I am afraid it is rather too early to try and prove the doomsters wrong at this point.

[Meantime]

For anyone with money in the bank there is no real investment returns to be found and interest rates are absolutely dire. The recent doom and gloom might make a lot of people who feel lucky to have come through the virus intact think what is the point of money in the bank earning nothing when I could be enjoying it now, or at least as soon as over night stays on boats return. Boats and cars could see a lot of activity due to impulse buys.