Anti-dementors riding the roller coasters

[Waleshasgonecompletelycrazy]

And going to pubs, restaurants and zoos!

Is anyone else finding the media ignoring the schools thing and focusing on single issues in isolation quite irritating?

I've read about feminist theory in university. I've studied post colonialist literature in university (nb, I had a hitherto useless undergrad). I also learned about colonialism from museums, as well as family discussions and experiences like travelling, socialising and having a job where I spoke face to face with many people.

The tools I have to be able to learn and interpret these things, albeit as imperfectly as I can, and also break them down and try to communicate them to my children, I learned in school.

I'm all for Black Lives Matter. But I dont understand how we're possibly going to learn anything about anyone else's cultural heritage if we're not allowed socialising with people outside a bubble, schools, universities, museums, restaurants or travel.

Spain fudging figures then. Not good if they want the holiday makers back is it

@willitneverend to use a very 2012 term, I do feel we're all being fed a very heavily curated version of the outside world, at the moment. It's not conducive to critical thinking.

@justasking111

Spain fudging figures then. Not good if they want the holiday makers back is it

Maybe that's why they're doing it. Make the figures look good so people will come and just hope no one looks at them that closely.

Re: critical thinking a friend emigrated to USA her daughter was shocked at the history taught in the USA said it bore no relation to the history she had been taught in the UK. They really do live in their own slanted bubble. They are reaping what they sow now.

@Robin and @cattermole this makes me so angry! Utter travesty!

@Licky what a fecking arse. He can stick that where the sun don't shine!

@Livin great news!!!

Lots of love to everyone on here - you're all doing brilliantly, just by carrying on

@pikachew yep. I'm doing my best and trying to cope with work picking up and agitating about our school situation. Increasingly my very bright, interested 8 year old just wants to slump on the sofa and watch geography videos on youtube - he says he has no energy. He needs his friends, sports clubs and he needs school.

My 14 year old has been watching twirly woos!

@pickachew its awful. I know my teenage nieces and nephews are really struggling and its shit to be locked down with your parents at that age - I could barely countenance being in the same house.

someone in our v respectable middle class area keeps smoking dope. I need to sniff them down and ask for some

No need to buy the stuff if you watch twirlywoos!

@PickAChew very true! And he's in good company, I used to watch the Hoobs before leaving for school at 16.. Oh and Bear in the Big Blue House. Excellent viewing haha

I like the twirlywoos they came out just before DS2 grew out of them.

I used to like getting home from school on a Friday evening and having a nap to In The Night Garden before I woke up enough to deal with dinner

I'm happily pissed.
Ended up randomly sobbing to my friend on a post youth group chat and ended up walking half a mile to theirs and having a good catch up over some very dodgey measures of G&T. I don't often get drunk, but sometimes it's needed.

We're having hard times for different reasons, but their DCs are now in school/ nursery which helps them. Their oldest now has DS2's teacher who is utterly lovely.

Never underestimate the power of friends xxx

[quote AquarianSquirrel]@PickAChew very true! And he's in good company, I used to watch the Hoobs before leaving for school at 16.. Oh and Bear in the Big Blue House. Excellent viewing haha[/quote]
Teletubbies came out when I was in 6th form and we used to sneak into a library study room to watch it

Argh, awake too early.
Trying for another sleep.
Speak to you all, when I’m more alert.
Sleep tight ladies

@justasking111

Wow 17 days with no deaths in Spain that is good news for them.

There is a lot of disbelief around the Spanish figures... my in laws in Spain have said they are total bollocks. Officially they only had 28 cases and 2 deaths in there town, except that early in the pandemic there entire hospital was closed due to so many of the staff testing positive. Their counting methods have been dubious from the start.

Re: history being taught with a slant, I think all countries do this. We're taught all of England's best bits (good ol' Blighty, had a cuppa during WW2 and won the thing hurrah!) without focusing on the less than savoury bits, or passing them off as "oh well, different time's then eh?". A colleague of my husband grew up in Italy and said that Hitler was barely mentioned in their education about WW2. And it surely contributes to why people underestimate England's role in creating tensions in NI in the first place.

someone in our v respectable middle class area keeps smoking dope. I need to sniff them down and ask for some

We also live in a very respectable middle class area. The people who live in the house that backs on to us have a young adult son who came to live with them in lockdown. He spends every evening smoking weed in the summer house at the bottom of their garden. My DC keep saying ‘what’s that nice smell?’

Just been re reading Matt Haig's Notes on a nervous planet. About the news and control using fear keeping the masses compliant. Would recommend.

Big fan of Matt Haig but his Instagram posts have recently been pro indefinite continuation of lockdown so I unfollowed him!

I’m pretty sure he shared the ‘space for you in ICU’ meme too!

Morning all. Had a bit of a weep all over DH last night. I’m just so fed up and there seems to be no end in sight. He was great, to be fair - bless him, sometimes he starts chucking out suggestions for solutions on rapid fire, but last night he just listened and gave me a hug. Which is just what I needed.

Anyway, Friday. Got to take DS to the opticians again so they can fit the new lens to his glasses (wonder if they’ll allow us into the building this time?), and keep him happy for an hour with no library, playground or coffee shop. Thinking we’ll head out to the local nature reserve, where they have boardwalks, and hope that keeps him occupied.

DH also agreed that he’d rearrange one of his WFH days so that I could try the local running club, when such extravagant behaviour is allowed again, so there’s that. I feel like I need to make some more connections around here once it’s possible.

Keep keeping on, everyone.

I still cant believe how many people are still banging on about how kids shouldn't be allowed in shops...
"Shopping is not a family activity!" Well it is when there is fuck all else.
"One trolley one person!" Is that still the case? I'm sure I've seen families in a few shops now....
We went to matalan last weekend....all 3 of us went in. Ds needed new clothes but he is very tall and it's all in his limbs so have to at least hold stuff next to him to see if it will fit (I made this point on a thread previously and was told I should just buy it alone and return it if it doesnt. Like me going to the same shops multiple times is less "murdery" than just me and DS going once).

Morning all, another day. @spudlet - our running club is starting back, slowly but surely and I'm delighted to hear it. I will be going next week.

And yes, to whoever mentioned the lack of media attention on schools, it's outrageous. It's a travesty that in this day and age we are fighting for the basic human right of education for our children.

I had a pathetic response from my (Labour - not that it makes much difference) MP saying that he supports schools going back when it is safe to do so. FFS. We've had 300-odd cases in our city since this whole thing started.

I had a friend on the phone yesterday saying that she was worried about my anger levels and that why couldn't I accept that top scientists were advising the government and that nothing else could be done?

Morning from the wet and windy West Country, the cat is on my knee scrounging for toast crumbs (he's an odd boy) so the typing is a bit to cock.
Thanks for all the support last night. The plan "moving forward" - I sound like Matt Handjob - is that we're going to take mum to Heligan as soon as we can get a spot booked. Eden Project opens on July 1st so that's another thing.

Have as good a day as possible, chumrades.