AD's! Rishi needs you to Go Down For Your Town

[Ibake]

New thread. Do your civic duty.

Oh and I agree with post above that the NT booking system doesn't float my boat. It is literally a walk in a nice garden, which isn't something I want to plan ahead for.
I will keep my membership going as they do very important work maintaining public routes in the mountains and coast, and I can always climb Pen Y Fan or Skirrid without booking.

I will admit to eyeing up Bristol attractions, especially the zoo. Spending my Welsh money in England, the traitor that I am.

Hair cut tomorrow! I'm so excited!

I too hate face masks - also a visceral hatred. Like being muzzled.

I absolutely hate the impartial way news is reported. The bbc reports 60 countries which we can now fly to now without having to quarantine when we come back. It makes it sound like the second apocalypse but when you look at the list it's mostly Europe and a bunch of Caribbean islands. But you'd think the uk had flung open its borders the way the headline reads....

DH is a full blown dementor too. He wants me to buy him a mask and he hasn't left the house for months except for the walk. It's depressing.

@LethargicLumpOfLockdownLard glad you “enjoyed” the Butlins video. The past really is a foreign country.

DH is a stupidly early riser so he books NT tickets first thing when they’re released. I don’t mind booking for a walk because I need to walk the dog anyway and it’s a change from the local routes. Also now they’ve got the cafes kind of open again I feel I’m contributing to their coffers by buying tea and cake (that’s my excuse for scoffing cake anyway). I’ve booked a day at a zoo for DD and me when we’re on holiday in a couple of weeks. It’s probably not something I’d normally do because zoos have never been DDs favourite thing, she’d much prefer a museum given the choice, but as there’s not a lot of choice and I want to help support businesses like that I went for it.

BTW, London ADs, I’m thinking of having a day out with DD in London in a couple of weeks, can anyone suggest something that’s open I can book? I wanted to go to the V and A but it’s not open atm, all suggestions gratefully received. I considered asking this on the main boards but I can’t face potentially getting abuse for not staying at home.

I'm genuinely wondering about going over the border for a gym session. (I am a very long way from the border - but I have a back problem that means I really need gym equipment to do a good exercise session. At least I've had the sea to swim in or I'd be in a very poor state by now.)

Your title has a totally different meaning to me

@littlbrowndog Giant Doctor is judging you. 😔 and SNP snitch parties are hunting down your family as I type.

I forgot it was the fucking bastard government muzzles from today and meant to go out at dawn but was far too lazy. I have a biker’s skull & crossbones neckerchief - failing that, I might tie the shittiest thinnest chiffon scarf I have vaguely around my lower face.

I’m also more than a little 🙄 about our friend Zoe who says there are 528 active cases per million in my community given we’ve only had counts on fingers - yes, 3 diagnosed cases in the last 10 days or so.

Ok Zoe you fucking dementor.

Fellow Scottish buffoons - does anyone know what the toilet situation is regarding beer gardens? Fancy popping out for a drink tomorrow but if there’s no toilets I’ll give it a miss.

Robinhood we can't even enter some of the countries we can come back from without quarantine.

Good morning all.

Today I'm getting my haircut, on Wednesday I'm getting a facial and a massage but next Friday is going to be the best. Not because I'm going anywhere but I have visitors coming, my DD and her DP. For the 1st time since January I am going to hug my daughter...I may even give him a hug as well. It's going to be the longest week out of all the weeks until then (27 and counting).

Fucking hell I can't keep up with you lot.

Getting a plasterer round to quote for re-skimming our hallway. Then there will be paint and stuff to buy. So that's some good spends.

Been to our local stately home & grounds three times this week, and going to go again today while DH bashes the hallway about to fit new lights and stuff. Been pretty enthusiastically supporting the cafe on every trip too.

In need of a haircut but holding off while it's mental busy, will maybe call next week.

I like the way that Zoe has changed to scary shades of red. Alarm! Alarm! Covid lurks around every corner. Numbers are too low - change the colour scheme!

Its the bug that launched a 1000 academic careers & they’ll feed the beast as long as there’s money & publicity.

Nothing to really upset the Giant Doctor ... have had a mega busy week. Will endeavour to do better next week.

I don't think we'll be heading to the shops - last weeks trip wasn't a great experience but we are and have been on-line shopping a lot -so we are doing our bit.

So not sure how Giant Doctor would view us.

Morning!

I get my hair done next week and I have also BOOKED A HOLIDAY! Just in the UK for now but I am going to keep an eye out for cheap flights to somewhere in Europe soon, fingers crossed. I am going to have some fun and the more dementor like posts I see on here between now and then, the more fun I plan on having.

I also don't like the idea of booking to do things like museums. I want to be spontaneous.

If anyone here doesn't get the daily Spectator email, yesterday they were saying that Britain is now doing more virus testing than anywhere in Europe. 73% of local authorities now have a weekly score of 5 weekly infections per 100,000 people. That is a bloody scandal in terms of things not opening up more. In London there are around 35 infections being diagnosed a day. In Bournemouth where the beaches went nuts, there were 4 positive cases found last week. In Devon, there were 4. There were no positive cases found in Bath or Cornwall.

I'm hoping that the relaxation on beauty therapies will also extend to my osteopath. I really need my muscles ironing out and joints manipulated back into alignment.
I'm trying to keep up with running, but I haven't had a niggle free, comfortable run since late May. I don't want to be a complete sloth like I was in June, but I don't want to ignore and build up a bigger injury either.

Hi all

Off camping this weekend and we have tickets for a National Trust property so I am very excited.

Morning all,
Out for lunch tomorrow for my first restaurant experience since the cessation of common sense.
Can't wait

Can’t wait for the restaurants in Scotland to open. Really missed eating out (and socialising in general)

@TheAdventuresoftheWishingChair yes! We are testing far far more than anywhere else in Europe - it’s incredible really quite how enormous our testing capacity is now - it’s worth bearing in mind when comparing the numbers of new cases in various countries.

(& yet you still get people martyring themselves & wittering on about depriving someone ‘who really needs a test’ ... I suspect it’s a case of enjoying the drama of ‘might’ve had covid’ because a test would almost certainly show they don’t have it!)

We're staying in a hotel tomorrow night, near my DM - how exciting! She wants to join us for dinner there - outside - but is determined to stay 2m away from us, so I'm not sure how that's going to work. Am trying to be patient with her as I guess it must feel different when you're in your 70s (although my in-laws are being refreshingly gung-ho). Still, she has agreed not to doom and gloom (from yesterday's phonecall: "this will go on for a very, very long time") in front of DS.

Thanks for the welcomes

Ooh @MrsSpenserGregson was that the Russell Cotes? I had high hopes of having my wedding there until I saw the costs such a gorgeous place.

I have a haircut booked for the 22nd. Usually hate going into a salon but since DD half an hour uninterrupted on my own suddenly made it quite tempting

How long has it been since the BLM marches and the Bournemouth Beach day? Should we be seeing a surge yet?

New scientist has an article about how horror movie fans and people who are curious about unpleasant things, preppers are coping better with the Covid-19 pandemic though in different ways.

Can't see whole article - as need subscription:
www.newscientist.com/article/2247744-horror-movie-fans-are-better-at-coping-with-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Horror fans less prone to negative mental state

Preppers - decreaes in psychological distress and better preparedness.

People who had high levels morbid curosity - enjoy things despite the pandemic and had more postive resilience though no lowering in distress levels

I like the occaional horror movie - but that's about it and we did some mild prepping for Brexit and just before lockdown mainly as we had bad experiences with beast from the east few years ago.

Morning all - I braved Tesco today - no one way systems and a lot of pissed off elderly people in mask muttering at young people not wearing them and not knowing which way to go down the aisles (and very bemused staff members telling them they could go which way they want).

I've got a couple of the kids' friends over for a playdate tonight - then the kids are on a sleepover tomorrow. Really want it to work out as their parents are good friends of mine who are still bloody terrified and reluctant to send the kids back into school - not in a dementory way but in a "not for us right now but good on you for getting yours back" peaceful co-existence way. They're terrified of the idea of school in September (to be fair they did lose a friend to Covid complications) but are happy for our kids to mix despite mine having been in school - so it's baby steps I guess. I'll need vallium after having all of them running around the house for a couple of hours but it'll be amazing to have them all together again.

DD1's had a crap time at school though - they're in a bubble of 7 because that's all they can fit in the room with 2m distancing (the parents insisted on it regardless...fuckwits) and now they're all just sick of the sight of each other and apparently they're starting to clash and annoy each other now from chatting to the class teacher this morning. One kid's been niggling DD1 over her being a slow runner and we had floods of tears and angst last night over it. I think they should combine the bubbles to 15 now and if they're operating distancing drop it to 1m - but I don't think they will - think they need some new personalities adding into the mix.

In reality it's worked out well for DD1 - she struggles with transitions (again we're back to that suspected ASD again and again) and gets very very attached to her teachers - and as luck would have it, she's ended up in a bubble led by her new teacher, so has really had quite an extended soft transition period. Likewise DD2's got lucky and had her current teacher running her bubble - so there's been the chance to work on some aspects of her SN difficulties and her handwriting in particular has improved no end as she tends to be a well behaved kid who just floats along under the radar in among 30 kids... still wouldn't want it to be like this for 'em though.

I joke about it with them that they're living through something that is unknown really in history and that there'll be a Horrible Histories programme one day with a song about everyone buying all the toilet roll - which they think is utterly hilarious. It's the only way I've found to keep it in perspective for them (and we've got various suggested lyrics written).

I don't think mine have been as keen on school as I expected - older two are in random groups and teachers but youngest is with friends and her teacher but she came out last week bit down.

I suppsoe it could be all the Y6 things that aren't happening.

They are managing an event next week for all the Y6 and it will be last time she sees some of her friends as they've moved from immediate area and will go to different secondaries.

Have to see how she is today when I pick her up.

Had an annoying argument with DH this morning. Going on about how I can't keep on mooching about at home and going on the computer like being retired and the DC too (even though their school work is on screens

So that was annoying. He doesn't really watch the news and gets cross about the whole thing...but then seems to think it is my choice to be doing this! Argh!

So that was very annoying and had a few years as feeling very emotional today.

And then my friend said 'what does he expect when we are only allowed essential journeys' which made me feel worse! (that is not true is it anyway)

I am annoying with most people. Apart from you lot. Emotional MIL being dramatic and telling me not to send flowers from one of their birthdays. Fine. I will just send a card then.

Going to take the boys for pizza in town for lunch I think to get out of the house. Next week a new yoga in the park class to try, also have the end of primary church service in the church and final two days of school. I think when the pool opens that might help as it is such a stress reliever.

@PickAChew
Aww lovely, have a hug. You get yourself off to see you parents.
Life is too short to not do what we really want to do.
I work on the scenario ..if anything happened to a loved one and I didn’t see them when I could’ve done I’d have to live with myself
Another good question to ask is..what’s the worst thing that can happen?
I’d be inclined to announce, right I’m off to see grandparents tomorrow, who is coming?
When the marriage from hell was being played out and I no longer gave a toss about where he stuck his knob ..I booked a holiday to Spain on my own.
He said , oh I won’t be around at the weekend.
I said neither will I, I’m going to Spain
Him..when we’re you going to tell me.
Me..I’m telling you now.

His face was a picture but that was nothing to what he was like when I told him I was going to Cuba..he practically ricocheted off the walls..going Cuba! Cuba! Cuba!
Was hilarious. Wish I’d been able to film it.
( I wish I’d also been saying inside, yes Cuba you knobber, get over it..but I was a lot younger then and a lot less militant 😂)