What are you all up to
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Places of worship in England are allowed to remain open but very few churches in our area are doing so. Most are too small to allow for social distancing. Also they would have to have someone on duty to make sure that people are following the guidelines - hands, face, space - and that is not really possible for small parish churches. We are also allowed to leave home for volunteering purposes. I keep my cathedral volunteer parking permit on the dashboard of my car in case I am stopped
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It's significant restrictions but, given all the exemptions and provisos, it can't be called a "lockdown". In Spain last Spring the only reason you could leave your house was a 200m radius to walk your dog. Short and sharp, not the prolonged half-life that passes for a lockdown that we have. Harder and shorter is better for the economy too.
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Agree. It’s all the uncertainty of exactly what’s going on, and when, that doesn’t help either our population, our schools and our economy. It cannot be done here, simply because the resources to police it were picked to the bare bones pre pandemic, so it cannot happen, it could not be enforced.
To put our predicament into a different context, yesterday we had a similar number of new cases to France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands combined. In a single day. ☹️
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TDA, I think we lost our resources due to the banking crisis in 2008 and nearly going bankrupt, we were getting back to increased spending options when the virus struck.
I notice some countries have not caught up with their latest Covid figures due Christmas etc and they're not testing like we are. It's difficult to compare until the playing field is level.
I was up early today, I was having the most silly dream that we were on a campsite within "local driving distance" (up the road
) and i was handed a packet of frozen peas on arrival...at that point I woke up and remembered to get a Waitrose slot quickly with Goldie's two bottles of whisky trick!I then checked the delivery due early today (KJ I didn't have to pretend about the pies they'd been substituted and were ok!) We got the delivery sorted and delivered to our neighbours too. Then OH went to the chemist were yet again the prescriptions weren't ready for me or the neighbours. I had decided they must be ready after previous failed attempts and I know I should have phoned.
And it's still freezing cold!
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😀 the sun is out here welcome 🌞 I'd like to pull the conservatory roof blinds back, I've opened the side ones which have remained closed for weeks because of lack of sun - but I'm frightened I'll scare the sun away again 😱. Its reached a tropical 4.9c now 👍
Yesterday and today I have noticed slightly less traffic on my street dog walks. Didn't have the dog for 1st lockdown but definitely more traffic noise than 1st time. Still got the inconsiderate joggers 😤, yesterday chatting with a neighbour we had one run straight through our social distancing, I was standing in the road with a dog 🤬😡, waste of breath saying how inconsiderate earplugs in! Today I had started on a narrow alley footpath, approximately one third down it when in comes a jogger 😱, I turn and walk to the start and turn my side, he says oh I'm sorry I didnt mean to make you retrace all your steps, pointed out I had little option, fell on deaf ears...... it's not that long and a clear view, tight passing in past times.....
Number of cases around here are dreadful, still not heard of many having/had it. Just being extra careful.
Dropped OH at the dentist, went to buy fresh veg, was unsure if farm shop had reopened, hadn't, so drove to park and ride roundabout not much further on to turn around and give engine a run, notice Covid testing station, appears to take up quite some space, but caught site of a new, certainly since late October, sign advertising Sunday boot sales there ???? Luckily the grocers on the Vineyards open, like that one as well so veg dilemma sorted.
Off to prepare casserole and do veg before seeing which other tasks can't be left for another day.
Trying not to listen to the news, but it's a bit like having a scab - you just have to check the current situation.......
Edit I did see 2 fully open daffodils on our walk this morning and my recently purchased pots of snowdrops are on the cusp of opening. Not been for my fix of smelling winter sweet- too wet on the grass. I have to agree it gives a real lift brue.
I started one of the amaryllis yesterday - already in a pot just add water, took quite a lot about a pint. Laughed out loud at the instructions which suggested placing on a sunny windowsill 20-25c 🤣🤣🤣 it's an M&S one so aimed at the British market. Gave an identical one all wrapped in Christmas trimmings as it seemed such a shame no one else appreciated the effort! to friend, explaining why she's delighted. But I have kept the red one for myself and will start it in a few weeks. Planted one is pink and white double petal Aphrodite. It's got a conservatory windowsill, which is currently sunny for at least an hour, but only about 14c.
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It’s it’s only a snapshot of data I agree, we don’t have the back up information to drill down to be able to fully compare like with like.
But I don’t think our statistics in any way shape or form cover the nation in glory. Either it’s Government or it’s people. A very high %will be doing all they can to keep safe. But it’s the minority that are wreaking the havoc, combined with some woefully bad decision making.
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Listened to the Welsh Health Minister on their lunchtime broadcast today. The infection figures are atrocious but the interesting point was that they are now seeing the largest increase in the Over 60s age group.
Surprise, Surprise!! "Let's all get together for Christmas and New Year" obviously won out to the "Let's isolate away from our families this year".
Who'd have thunk it?🤔
Had a stranger in the house. Most disconcerting but he was British Gas man finding and fixing a leak. Windows wide open, masks and detergents to the fore.
You could do with some respite Robsail. Hope you get some soon.
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We went out and did our food shopping this morning, back to just once a week again.
It was a horrible morning with thick freezing fog so thought it would be quiet in the shops. Wrong, seems just the same as before lockdown, even saw some children out shopping with both parents.
In the first lockdown we were encouraged to shop alone, in fact the shops were only allowing one person to a trolley. We do both go in but only if getting shopping for elderly neighbours.
Roads were as normal to, again in the first lockdown hardly any cars on the roads.
Bedroom now had its ceiling painted, not sure until its dry if its going to be ok or not.
Sun did come out late morning and burnt the fog off, we are still below freezing. Window washers didn't work they were still blocked when we got home. OH now cleared them and added more concentrate to the screen wash.
Work finished for the day OH sat on couch eyes closed catching flies
sun about to set time to put the lights on.1 -
I was sorry to hear about the loss of respite for Robsail too, good news about the other results but it seems a gain and a loss is hard going just now.
Just heard about the "clap for heroes " at 8pm tomorrow, is this something that will be supported outside in the depths of January?
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Freezing here, but sunny, so, as we face south, it was warm in the house all day. When the sun is shining, the sun room at the front gets very warm, so we use a fan to move the heat through the house. When OH opened the sliding door between it and the lounge, it was a tropical 30+ degrees out there.
Our 23 sq m of tiles arrived at DD's, without the promised 1 hour warning, at 13.30, so we headed down there to check them. Certainly not quiet on the roads here either.
We had thought the tiles would be packed 10 to a box, making a sq m per box, but instead there are 17 per box, each box weighing 23.5kg, which is just about the limit of what I can lift and carry these days.
The delivery man could not get them into the garage, so they were outside and we had to stand in the cold to check for breakages before loading the car. Managed to check 9 boxes before the fingers got too cold to work, one box had several broken ones, so lifted the other 5 boxes into the garage and will return for them tomorrow morning.
At that point DD came rushing out to request help.......a toilet cistern was overflowing onto the bathroom floor while SIL just stood there and watched! Turned out to be a sticking shut off valve as a bent pipe was causing it to rub on the side of the cistern and stick rather than shutting off correctly. Note to self.......do not buy this cheap cistern for our bathroom project!
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Bakers2 dont you realise that joggers and cyclists (especially those without a bell
) have priority. They certainly do in this area 
.We went to collect our Aldi click and collect order this afternoon and I agree with TG, the roads and traffic are as busy as ever. Vastly different to the lockdown in the spring. I realised that I had forgotten to order a couple of things but we will just have to do without them as I am certainly not going into a supermarket at the moment! It is great grandon's 1st birthday today. We had to leave his presents on the doorstep and wave to him through the window 😪. Grand-daughter chatted to us through the window. She is a primary school teacher and explained her new working regime. Some days she is teaching face to face the children of critical workers - about 15 out of a year group of 60 and some days she is teaching those pupils at home remotely from an empty class room. She and the other year 4 teacher are doing it on a rota Strange times.
Robsail I am so sorry to hear that you have lost your respite care.
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Couldn't find anything on our Government website about Garden Centres but did find plenty of complaints from said G.C.s as English ones can remain open. So local ones have to remain closed.
Have to say these death figures are not surprising. Those of us with a bit of common sense saw it coming and several CT members commented on it at the time. Unfortunately prevarication at the highest level will have cost lives. It's bad enough in Wales and we had an early lockdown. I hate to imagine what the figures would have been if they hadn't done it on the 20th. December.
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WN and there are still those who say that the government are taking away their civil liberties. A friend was telling me on the phone the other day that a member of her family drove from Kent to Shropshire to stay with her son over Christmas saying that no-one was going to stop her seeing her son for Christmas. I despair.
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Millie. we've just been on a whatsapp video chat with our teacher daughter, her first all day session doing video lessons. She said year 11 were great, listened and watched but when she got to year 7, the youngest, they just wanted to talk and show her everything they were doing...exhausting!
Message on local TV from a medic, wear a mask outside if you're near others (including runners gasping for air I think?!)
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I always thought Millie that "liberties" came with a responsibility, this being to the country that allows those liberties, if said country is a free and democratic one. This responsibility being to the well being of your fellow compatriots. Liberties are not free and shouldn't be taken for granted. It certainly doesn't allow one to be a potential killing machine. Wouldn't that infringe the liberty of the victim to live?
It does make one very angry when seeing rules that are put in place to safeguard the majority and vulnerable being ignored for usually purely selfish reasons.
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Figures are dire, but entirely predictable. Incubation period for Xmas holidays, all those get togethers☹️ We are back to “doing our own risk assessments daily”. No faith in authorities to get it right and protect us. So a one hour stroll for pooch together this morning, we met no one in our local woods. He will stroll up lane tonight for his last constitutional.
We have had a very nice afternoon though. Got stuck into another load of old stuff in attic, hundreds of books, some very old, possibly worth a bit of something, but have now bagged up hundreds more ready for charity shops. But the most fun was coming across lots of old Uni and college stuff, school reports, all sorts of bits and bobs from our Wedding planning and paying for Wedding and house. Letters we wrote to each other before we were married as well, very funny. We wrote every day for around six months as my OH finished his degree. The outsides of the envelopes were as interesting as the inners, goodness knows what the posties made of us🤣
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Early start today, as Aldi shopping trip. Like to get there just as they open. Almost had the shop to ourselves, only a handful of shoppers.
Roads were busy here too, everyone seems to be speeding too, we've had 2 accidents in a week on the road at the bottom of our street. Both cars going to fast through the traffic calmers, one took out the bus stop and narrowly missed the bus shelter, second car mounted kerb, took out a fence and ended up in the park!
Spent an hour at work with sticky labels and a wall planner, all vehicle, trailer inspections and Mot's are now on the planner in a variety of lovely colours. Felt like a big kid!
Heard from eldest son, he has recovered, but his girlfriend still gets tired after having Covid.
Re garden centres, our next door neighbour works in a local centre and said that although they could open, the owner had decided to stay closed for the time being.
Chap coming to service our boiler tomorrow, and then I have my flu jab at the doctors, wonder if I could persuade them to give me a covid vaccine at the same time.
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I think the bad driving is happening everywhere H&T. Empty roads are like a sugar trail for those who like to race around. Your flu jab is late, although better late than never!
Just looking at USA news, Trump supporters have stormed steps of Capitol, it’s all kicking off over there at the moment. Nothing on BBC, news is elsewhere.
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Entirely agree with you WN.
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Yes Brue I really feel for all teachers. Grand-daughter said that she had spent last term building up a really good rapport with her class (and has told us some lovely stories about them - no names mentioned of course) and now all of that is out of the window as the class groups are all mixed up. Difficult to build up a rapport and maintain discipline on a screen.
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We've lost one of our lovely local dog foxes on the road today, someone speeding out of the village.
Helen, your planner sounds perfect!
Covid is rife round here due to people getting together over Christmas and the New Year, the rest of us are really disheartened about it, especially in a small community.
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Helen I remember doing that with the staff holiday planner at work. I loved it. Like you I felt like a big kid! It worked well though. 🙂
brue so sorry about both your dog fox and also the covid rates in your village. People are so selfish and thoughtless. Reference WN's post.
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Poor fox. You do see a lot killed. I find hedgehogs particularly awful, as they are getting rarer.
I used to like sorting out the big planner as well at work. Huge wall chart, lots of colour coded stickers. Mainly my planned holidays.....🤣
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The news from the US is truly horrible. Thank God that, whatever our differences of opinion, we do not see scenes like that over here. And all too obvious who is to blame - even members of his own party are turning on him now!
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I too am astounded. As one reporter said the eyes of their allies and enemies are watching.
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It’s been a long time actually happening, but DT is so dangerous. To me he seems like the biggest bully in the playground, safe while ever his acolytes are around and supporting him, but getting more and more dangerous as they jump ship and expose him, until finally something really bad happens. His perception of right and wrong isn’t on a recognisable scale, he’s got away with so much for so long. I just hope someone has taken the big red button off him☹️
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Goodness how frightening if they havent. It doesnt bear thinking about. OH says he should be certified as insane.
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