ADs seek spontaneous cake in 1984

[Mascotte]

New thread mash up title hope ok

Our local pool is offering parent and child swimming from this weekend.
just mentioning in case anyone wanted to take their small child swimming.

Masks are expensive. The fabric ones I bought are hard to breathe in so bought a box of disposable ones from Boots. At 70p a pop they'll be getting worn until they smell or are dirty - this rendering them not that useful.

@Orangeblossom78 I'm so jealous! Our local pool can't reopen, they just can't make the premises "Covid secure" and get enough people in the place (old converted barn, narrow bits). They are an independent charity so don't get any gov funding. They crunched the numbers - staying closed means they are losing £5k a month. Opening with such a massively reduced capacity would see them losing £25k a month. Plus their three major fundraisers (triathlon, duck race, dragon boat race) have all been cancelled this year. They are having to crowd fund just to keep them afloat. No pun intended!

DominaShantotto I agree setting work for home wasn't an easy ask for teachers but at the secondary some teachers and departments made a much better job that others.

I'd would have been more relaxed if DD1 wasn't mid GCSEs.

I don't think pools have opened up here yet in Wales - DSis and DN in England are starting baby swim lessons again soon.

They've canceled caerphilly castle firework display - we've been some years it's spectaulary though waiting for coaches to get back makes it a really long night - we found a more lcoal display last year which wasn't as good. I think this year I'll be looking for quite small quiet fireworks and sparklers we can do in the garden not to spook our pets or next doors.

I keep making the mistake of assuming other places are the same! It's odd how different places are at the moment. It seems to vary so much. Yes I just noticed on booking it is either adult swim or parent and child sessions just now. So the leisure pool for the latter and main pool for adults lane swimming. No random children and teens though!

Afternoon.
Got up late & made myself do at least half the housework before coming on here.

I dunno, I sacrifice my time to keep the house reasonably clean & then some people go & mess it up again, leaving crumbs & stuff all over the place.
WHY DO I BOTHER? I DESPAIR!

That "mask tree" = not a tree.

@LittleSwede

Greetings fellow ADs from Sweden!

Pickachew, I just asked my mum about extras for key workers here. She said they get free lunches and dinners delivered to the hospitals. Some hospital trusts are offering nurses 20000 Swedish krona, roughly 1800 pounds if they postpone their summer holidays to September.

Infection levels currently very low but are expected to rise in clusters in autumn. Stockholm almost at herd immunity level.

Things just feel do much more relaxed over here, play parks without lenghtly lists of rules, a few polite notices to remind people of social distancing in shops etc. No yellow and black tape to be seen. Yes, people are definitely aware there us a pandemic going on but seem more measured in their response.

Of course, if you believe our media, you're a virus infested cesspit. Annoying because it makes meeting the clients face to face nigh on impossible.

Argh, I just went to drop some of DDs outgrown clothes at a local charity shop. It's quite a large shop as charity shops go, but had a sign up saying "only three people on the shop floor". Two people waiting ahead of me to go in have up after five minutes waiting. When I got to the front I could only see two customers so went to go in but was stopped, because a rather wobbly older lady volunteer was standing on a step stool laboriously dusting the nik nacks, and she was pointed out to me by the person behind the till to be the third person. I gestured to my bag and explained I had a donation, then suggested that it was probably more sensible to have the lady dusting do something else as two potential paying customers had walked off, three if you included me as I was planning a browse. The till lady looked like she was going to cry and said she'd get the manager. I suddenly felt really guilty as she'd probably already had her fill of abuse, I tried to explain I wasn't angry, just pointing out they'd make more money by actually letting customers in. I then made my excuses and awkwardly left.

I went to the garden centre today, as a symbolic final recreational shopping trip before the shops are hidden behind the muzzle of oppression. I was slightly reassured to see most of the staff in visors, rather than the horrible smile obscurers, which to me is one of the more offensive things about the muzzles. There were many signs on the door, but nothing about muzzles.

And I don't like that mask tree. It's well-intentioned, but I wish people would just stop NORMALISING them!! I'm also sending an email to the British Retail Consortium, emphasising that I will be one of the shoppers who will me making as few visits to shops as possible while this muzzle madness happens.

BarkandCheese
The till lady looked like she was going to cry

DD went into charity shops yesterday - the rules seemed to vary, & there was no enforcement at all in one, they seemed overwhelmed by it all.

I feel sorry for the volunteers. DF is a volunteer somewhere (or was until he was grounded by shielding). He's always said that for many volunteers their volunteering role is a lifeline, & that's been taken away due to lockdown. He's also said that pre-lockdown, if there were changes to the usual routines some of the volunteers found it very hard to cope with. I can imagine that new rules are a nightmare for them.

I feel sorry for older volunteers too. Our library is pretty much fully staffed by them (my mum included) and it's a big part of their lives for many of them. The new rules are so restrictive and take out almost all of the positive social interaction that a lot of the volunteers really value.

Probably a good thing if she did speak to the manager about it though, bark, as at least there's a chance they might have a rethink.

Have grandchildren today, god the three year old is feral, had to put the dog away because he was kicking him. Five year old seems ok. Just checked parks online the council said only one adult per family wtf. It takes two of us to watch one three year old. I despair.

As for blow up dolls the canadians want folk to use the glory hole method, when I was a child that was where all the shoes and other crap went under the stairs, so I thought that is a weird place to have sex. Today, well it is a hole in a thin wall, yep I had to google it.

I have survived town. Incident free. DCs have new school shoes and some impulse buys.
Some shops haven't survived including Hotter which my feet will lament. Had a lovely eat-in McMurder.

Yes about older volunteers, I've noticed a few charity shops are still closed. I suspect the volunteers might just not want the hassle, or might be too scared to come back, particularly as there is a greater risk if they catch it.

I really hope DF can get back soon. He does a lot of outdoors work & could social distance. I can imagine the risk assessment paperwork involved though, & then there's DM's anxiety about him bringing the virus home. Though perhaps that's what she needs- a bit of normality again, with him going off every week.

I've just given Specsavers a very high score on customer service following my recent visits there. They scored highly for being calm & friendly & non-dementory. I did mark them down slightly for having to have my new glasses checked /tried on outside the store, in the street, in full view of the queues. It wasn't that bad, just odd though.

Hope Domina's DD got on ok at her eye test. Hopefully she has made a better choice than me. I don't like my new specs that much. Get it wrong every time.

The parent and child swimming is totally booked up already for Saturday so obviously people are keen to return! I'm going in the morning that day too so will see what it is like (lane swimming) Glad to hear Bogroll. Might go into town as well last time before the masks.

@justasking111 one adult per family at the park! That's just silly. The rule-maker there should be made to take a couple of small children to a park & try it!

Oh God, we used to call the cupboard under the stairs a "glory hole," too! "Every house has a glory hole," my mother used to say, when shoving something in there out of the way. I still don't know if she knows there's two meanings.

She also uses the phrase, "jizz it up." As in, "I bought this plain black top but I thought I'd jizz it up with a nice bright scarf." I think it's her teenaged grandchildren's duty to gently let her know the truth

Thats crazy Bark. Hope the manager takes note.

My son and his friend were out last evening and went to McDs to eat. There were people sitting in (2 of them in a big sitting area) and they asked if they could too. Person serving them said they would rather they didn't! Why? What justification do they have for making one rule for some and not for others? Might go on thier FB page and see if they are advertising sit in meals..

Debating having to go shopping agsin as found out I have run out of stuff I missed. Arghh can't be arsed with the whole palavar. Raining today again just don't want to leave the house!

@BamboozledandBefuddled. Have you seen any legislation yet? I’m not sure where it would be published.

Everyday I'm like is this still going on?

[quote Worldgonecrazy]@BamboozledandBefuddled. Have you seen any legislation yet? I’m not sure where it would be published.[/quote]
Going to look properly in a few minutes but I don't think it's law. Look at how the BBC have worded it:

'Full guidance on wearing face coverings in shops in England has been released, less than 12 hours before the new rules come into force.

Coverings will be mandatory in enclosed public spaces including supermarkets, indoor shopping centres, transport hubs, banks and post offices.

They must also be worn when buying takeaway food and drink, although they can be removed in a seating area.

Face coverings will not be mandatory for anyone under the age of 11, or those with disabilities or certain health conditions.'

and

'Downing Street has said it does not expect members of the public to report people not wearing masks in shops from Friday due to voluntary take-up of the policy.

Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said: "You've seen over the course of recent months the British public have voluntarily chosen to follow the guidance because they want to help slow the spread of the virus and I'm sure that will be the case with face coverings as well.

"With shops, we would expect them to give advice to customers and remind them that they should be wearing a face covering and I'm sure the overwhelming majority of the public will do so."

Those not wearing their masks properly over both mouth and nose will be "advised as to the right and safest way to wear a face mask" rather than be immediately fined up to £100 for non-compliance, he said, adding: "That would be the sensible approach.”'

I think they've bottled it!

@BogRollBOGOF

I have survived town. Incident free. DCs have new school shoes and some impulse buys. Some shops haven't survived including Hotter which my feet will lament. Had a lovely eat-in McMurder.

Our hotter hasn't reopened, either and I noticed that the Newcastle one had been stripped out, this morning. It's a shame because their shoes might not be high fashion but the quality is lovely.

@Worldgonecrazy It is law Here's the link www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/791/contents/made Full Parliamentary procedure has been bypassed as it's been deemed to be an urgent matter of Public Health. Signed off by a minister, no debate, no involvement from the Lords and no Royal Assent. That doesn't strike me as a good use of Public Health piwers.

Confusing and contradictory wording again. In the same statement mask wearing is both mandatory and voluntary.

The only way this will change if the shops see and collectively complain about a lack of customers.