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Original poster

Anyone else a bit relieved but not otherwise bothered by de Pfeffel of Nottingham's newest wheeze?

32 replies

BeanToCup · 20/12/2020 23:08

Seems to be similar across my rl friends but everyone on social media including Mumsnet is losing their shit about it.

I wasn't going to meet up with family anyway. Most of my friends weren't either. Because the virus doesn't take a day off. I will confess to being worried about everyone hurtling across the country to do so and the obvious rise in infections that would have occurred, but not it's not going to happen so that's better.

Obviously the entire thing has been a fuckup and should never have been mooted in the first place so I kind of feel for people who went for it. But not too much, because it was always stupid anyway.

Most people I know seem to agree.

OP posts:
Original poster
BeanToCup · 20/12/2020 23:10

... but now it's not going to happen ...

OP posts:
LooseMooseHoose · 20/12/2020 23:12

I feel sorry for those people who have been taking precautions, such as self-isolating for the last fortnight so that they can feel safe seeing family this Christmas.

Quite a few of my social circle, including us, have been doing this. We made arrangements to WFH and been self-isolating for the past fortnight so we can drive to see my parents three hours away for Christmas. They aren't particularly vulnerable, but it seemed like the best way to minimise the risk. It wasn't necessarily reckless to visit others.

Original poster
BeanToCup · 20/12/2020 23:16

Yeah I feel a bit sad for those people too but tbf they haven't lost any more than those of us who decided long ago not to participate in the madness, other than a bit of time to make their peace with it. And most people were never going to do that so it was never going to be safe. The entire thing was stupid.

OP posts:
nosswith · 21/12/2020 08:53

What is the connection between the worst Prime Minister in history who was born in the USA and Nottingham?

Please do not insult Robin Hood if that was the comparison intended.

Original poster
BeanToCup · 21/12/2020 09:00

I was thinking about the sheriff cancelling Xmas.

OP posts:
Spudlet · 21/12/2020 09:01

It’s the hope that gets you though. We can all adjust to not seeing people, but if you had the hope that you might be able to, it’s hard to have that taken away. My grandma is absolutely gutted, and we weren’t doing a big one, but my aunt and uncle were going to stay with her for a couple of nights. But now she’ll be waking up alone on Christmas morning.

Our plans had already been buggered as DH is currently self-isolating as a contact but knowing everyone else’s are now scuppered too is hard.

Tenementfunster · 21/12/2020 09:08

I think OP meant it as a comparison to the sheriff of Nottingham

Jellycatspyjamas · 21/12/2020 09:24

It’s not having too much of an impact on me, though I’m disappointed my plans to see a family member will need to change. I do however have a lot of empathy for folk who were seeing loved ones for the first time in a long time and who now won’t be.

GreenWheat · 21/12/2020 09:27

I think it is the right thing to do, but it should have been announced from the start. Most people could see that the initial rules were never going to work. If people had known from the start they could have planned accordingly then.

ThePlantsitter · 21/12/2020 09:28

People who are relieved/not bothered by the change obviously don't have kids who were looking forward to seeing grandparents, cousins, or beloved aunts and uncles.

One Xmas out of 44 is nothing to me but to my ten year old, even the end of our modest going down the road to my sister's for the day plan feels like the end of the world.

Seeline · 21/12/2020 09:32

We are in Tier 4 and had already decided to cancel before the announcement. I'm sad because it means both my Mum and MIL, both in their 80s, will be entirely alone for the day. We haven't been able to bubble with either of them since bubbles were introduced because we could only bubble with one of them. Both are local to us. DH is an only child so MIL has no-one else. My sister lives a couple of hours drive away, so no real point with my mum bubbling with her. We have been doing all their shopping etc.

I am just so cross with all those who have refused to follow the rules, and are still refusing to follow them. I cannot understand how people can be so selfish. What about doing things for the good of society?

everybodysang · 21/12/2020 09:34

It's having almost no effect on us for which I am very grateful. But I feel so so sorry for you g colleagues of mine, who have been crammed into London flatshares for months and were looking forward to seeing their mums. They're so sad and I am crushed for them. They've had a shit time.

thevassal · 21/12/2020 10:57

@everybodysang

It's having almost no effect on us for which I am very grateful. But I feel so so sorry for you g colleagues of mine, who have been crammed into London flatshares for months and were looking forward to seeing their mums. They're so sad and I am crushed for them. They've had a shit time.
but if they are single adults, doesn't matter if they have a flat to themselves or a room in a houseshare, they are entitled to have one other family as their support bubble, and can travel to them (or vice versa), stay in their home overnight, and basically be considered part of their household, no matter what tier either party is in. This has always been allowed since the second lockdown, there's a thread ongoing that links to govt advice saying it's still in place.

Whether it's the wisest thing to do is debatable (but the risks would have been the same before the formal announcement) but it's perfectly legal.

nosswith · 21/12/2020 11:02

@BeanToCup I understand the reference now.

I am bothered by the lack of any timely response by Mr Johnson. This change to 'Christmas bubbles' at the latest should have happened last Wednesday.

Heatherjayne1972 · 21/12/2020 11:13

In our house he’s now Boris Cromwell

BlairCorneliaWaldorf · 21/12/2020 11:16

People who are relieved/not bothered by the change obviously don't have kids who were looking forward to seeing grandparents, cousins, or beloved aunts and uncles.

You are right. Instead we have kids who’s expectations were managed as to why they wouldn’t be seeing their extended families.

BlairCorneliaWaldorf · 21/12/2020 11:19

@thevassal is that right? So youngsters who house share or live alone in London can each travel out of Tier 4 to form a support bubble with family elsewhere in the country?

That seems a bit bonkers to me at the moment. And in which case why all the backlash against people travelling by train over the weekend? They were most likely people on their own returning to see family.

PuppyMonkey · 21/12/2020 11:24

I only clicked on this thread as I live near Nottingham. Is the Pffefel thing in the title a typo or a joke? Confused

nosswith · 21/12/2020 11:25

@PuppyMonkey de pffefel is one of Mr Johnson's middle names.

PuppyMonkey · 21/12/2020 11:27

Thanks @nosswith Blush

HmmSureJan · 21/12/2020 11:38

Im not relieved but I am not bothered really. I anticipated a massive shit show though imagined it to be more along the lines cutting the time allowed and/or a total overload of public transport and infrastructure, and wanted no part of it. I'm a single parent of disabled children so I bubbled with my parents and went to see them and "do Christmas" the moment the last lockdown finished at the beginning of December. I'm very glad we did it tbh though I wondered if I was being a bit silly and over dramatic at the time.

ThePlantsitter · 21/12/2020 15:03

You are right. Instead we have kids who’s expectations were managed as to why they wouldn’t be seeing their extended families. Gosh what a horribly snidey post BlairCorneliaWaldorf As it happens we cancelled our usual extended family Christmas and I was planning to go to my sister's who lives 10 minutes away in the then tier 3. Because the government had told me that would be legal and gave no indication that it would change. So fuck off with your superior air and wonderfully non-upset children.

BridgetDrones · 21/12/2020 15:46

I'm not bothered. Think it was probably the right decision. Dont particularly remember people fussing this much over other religious holidays. Plus lots of people basically moan about and hate enforced relative visiting anyway?! But suddenly because they're told to avoid it they want to travel hundreds of miles to argue.
I'm imagining what it'll be like living in a tent in a camp for refugees or on a ventilator and counting my blessings.

MrsRogerLima · 21/12/2020 22:46

[quote nosswith]@PuppyMonkey de pffefel is one of Mr Johnson's middle names.[/quote]
I didn't know that. Why on earth doesn't he go by Alexander? Its so much nicer.

BlairCorneliaWaldorf · 22/12/2020 18:10

@ThePlantsitter

You are right. Instead we have kids who’s expectations were managed as to why they wouldn’t be seeing their extended families. Gosh what a horribly snidey post BlairCorneliaWaldorf As it happens we cancelled our usual extended family Christmas and I was planning to go to my sister's who lives 10 minutes away in the then tier 3. Because the government had told me that would be legal and gave no indication that it would change. So fuck off with your superior air and wonderfully non-upset children.
You implied the only people who weren’t bothered about the change in the rules were those who didn’t have kids who wanted to see family. I was pointing out that is not true. Many of us have kids who would love to see family but we managed the expectations. So fuck off yourself with your sob stories. If Johnson sad it was safe to play on a motorway would you do that?