ADs teach twisted lyrics to their pet tortoise

[BogRollBOGOF]

Crawling back to normality slightly slower than a tortoise taking the scenic route...

Previous thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/4173705-ADs-picnic-in-the-park-with-Twinkle-the-Tortoise

@Stratfordplace I wouldnt be too sure about his haircut.

twitter.com/nazirafzal/status/1375476675014758407?s=20

0.06% of the population in my district have covid.

In other news I'm going swimming! So excited!

Yes all of them have had haircuts, especially Hancock, otherwise it would be down their backs by now.

Maybe if they'd been the type to have long hair in the first place they'd not be so 'Enjoying yourself is SINFUL!'

Enjoy your outdoor freedom from today uk ADs I hope it gives all of those who need it a much needed morale boost.

Meanwhile, here in France it’s all going to shit!

No freedom in Scotland @Lostinacloud

What’s happening in France? Is it as bad as the headlines here make out?

Apologies @WouldBeGood, I momentarily forgot the different rules for different parts of the U.K. setup, I hope Nicola lets you out soon too!

Day to day on the street it doesn’t feel much different to a point. Obviously masks are bloody everywhere inside and out in affected regions so outdoor enjoyment is not that enjoyable to me. But people seem to be carrying on mostly as usual. According to the press, hospitals are at overload levels but interestingly still just about lower than our November peak when there didn’t seem to be as much pressure to close schools and have a harsh lockdown and hospitals seemed to survive then. Macron is expected to speak on Wednesday and historically that means something big is coming. I suspect they will close schools 2 weeks early for Easter this Friday and that will give a natural month long break. Apart from that, most of everything else is already shut, much like the uk. It’s very tough mentally as always as there is no end in sight and they just keep making even more ridiculous rules to avoid lockdown which make life just that extra bit shit. For example, my DC now can’t talk through their lunch at school because it’s the only time they haven’t got a “magic” mask on. Personally, since I am lucky enough to be at home most of the week, I hope they do close the schools so my poor DC can live a semi normal life at home with chats at the lunch table and no masks all day!

Also, I’m no epidemiologist but I think it’s worth noting that the uk variant is very much dominant and driving the third wave here and 2 days ago it counted for 76% of all recorded cases in France. I have noted talk of this wave heading to the uk in the British press and can’t see why it would when this variant has already swept through over there and also seems to be no problem for the vaccine anyway just in case.

Gosh @Lostinacloud that all sounds pretty rubbish.

I don’t get either why we’re not free here with the vulnerable vaccinated and hospitals fine.

Did anyone see the photo of the crowd at the Spanish concert? Can you imagine going to see your favourite band and having to wear a mask? I would really rather not bother going.

@Lostinacloud. France sounds horrendous. I always regarded the French as slightly radical thinkers. I cannot believe they are tolerating this.

@Worldgonecrazy

Did anyone see the photo of the crowd at the Spanish concert? Can you imagine going to see your favourite band and having to wear a mask? I would really rather not bother going.

@Lostinacloud. France sounds horrendous. I always regarded the French as slightly radical thinkers. I cannot believe they are tolerating this.

I didn't know about France till I read this. 🤷🏻‍♀️

They have been quite good at protests but generally I'm stunned at how the world has taken it.

@AcornAutumn. I also struggle with that, especially the younger people. Then I remember we have an education system that discourages free and critical thinking, and we have a world where young people are under enormous social conformity pressures via social media and the internet.

In this brave new world, being a non conformist must be incredibly difficult.

Add to that the fashion for virtue signalling and it all sadly makes sense.

world I was never anti social media but I am now.

The reason I'm still on MN is the loneliness.

I was just trying to think how to plan for this going forward as I suspect future lockdowns will be worse e.g. local travel restrictions, papers.

The shock reverberates every day.

Interesting that last week, someone who I follow on Twitter asked his thousands of followers for any scientific papers showing masks, as worn by the public, were effective at stopping transmission of Covid 19. Not a single person was able to provide such a link.

I want to say to the idiots,

‘I don’t not wear a mask because I’m selfish. I don’t wear a mask because I truly believe they don’t work, actually increase the risk of picking up bugs and viruses through encouraging behavioural changes and by providing a perfect environment for pathogens to increase, and because they were implemented to make you feel safe without actually making you safer, and to remind you to be scared. I don’t wear a mask because I am altruistic’

But I couldn’t fit it on a badge and I’m not sure those stupid enough to believe the government care about people would know the meaning of altruistic

@TabbyStar

0.06% of the population in my district have covid.

In other news I'm going swimming! So excited!

So jealous! Have a lovely swim.

@AcornAutumn social media has its benefits.

But I really am uncomfortable with the constant selfies (all filtered of course to remove even the tiniest of blemishes) and the constant need to put EVERYTHING on ‘the gram’ or TikTok.

I remember reading something about there being a definite divide between those brought up with this constant barrage relying on external validation and older people who were much better able to provide self validation.

Who knows where this will take us if the human race manages to survive the next couple of decades !

@Worldgonecrazy

Interesting that last week, someone who I follow on Twitter asked his thousands of followers for any scientific papers showing masks, as worn by the public, were effective at stopping transmission of Covid 19. Not a single person was able to provide such a link.

I want to say to the idiots,

‘I don’t not wear a mask because I’m selfish. I don’t wear a mask because I truly believe they don’t work, actually increase the risk of picking up bugs and viruses through encouraging behavioural changes and by providing a perfect environment for pathogens to increase, and because they were implemented to make you feel safe without actually making you safer, and to remind you to be scared. I don’t wear a mask because I am altruistic’

But I couldn’t fit it on a badge and I’m not sure those stupid enough to believe the government care about people would know the meaning of altruistic

Well said! 👏

There are protests from time to time and actually there have recently been some weekend festivals going on where crowds of mostly young people have blatantly ignored the bans in place. But ultimately there has never been the ban on seeing family or friends and I don’t know any local person who hasn’t see their own parents or children or grandchildren as and when they have wanted since last May when their very hard first lockdown ended. That makes a large difference I think as apart from the lack of shops and leisure, people’s private lives remain largely unchanged.

Are we the only country in Europe where family life is banned?

I think the government are trying to us make us into this

I've booked my dead arm. I'm quite impressed as DH and I straddle the opposite ends of the 40s and it's only 6 days since he got called up. Mine will actually only be 5 days behind his!

Around the time that the vaccines were approved, we weren't sure if he'd tip into 50+ by the time it worked it's way down. I'll be less than a month behind MiL in Europe.

I do wonder if the wave in Europe is naturally approaching its peak given that it was approaching that by the time we locked down this time last year... I'm curious about lockdown timings. Locally we peaked in early November before restrictions could show their effects, and there was a natural dip/ saturation before rising in December to the January peak. There is a limit to how much spread there can be. If numbers go high, people change their behaviour and levels of immunity rise.

Really, the November lockdown spliced wave 2 into 2a and 2b.

Oh well. Booked in for jab 2 shortly before Freedom Day in June

My swim was lovely thanks 110APiccadilly though my crawl was definitely much harder work. It was pretty bizarre getting dressed by the side of the pool though. One woman left in her dressing gown and others said they'd do that next time!

[quote AcornAutumn]Are we the only country in Europe where family life is banned?

I think the government are trying to us make us into this

[/quote] The UK/ Ireland have had the longest running constraints affecting family life.

There have not been legal and practical ways to see mine/ DH's family since the original rule of six/ localised restrictions in September. We couldn't meet family with children (IL's very rule abiding. I wouldn't say dementors as they don't hector others). Meeting elderly mum outside not practical and I'm too far for a 15 minute check-in.

The problem that drove me mad last summer was people hunkering down and being reluctant to meet while the going was good. By the time they stuck their heads out again, we were on the cusp of the fresher's "flu" phase.

@LivinLaVidaLoki and my fellow ADs.

I am hopefully getting married in October in GREECE if we are ever allowed out of this godforsaken country.

Just wanted to share some good news .

Wooohooo @Worldgonecrazy what a lovely and glorious thing to look forward to. I really hope you can have the whole shebang and with whoever you want to be there with you. Sod the kid’s births, my wedding day was by far my most favourite day ever

I’ve just walked the dog around the nearby park and had a little protest of my own by following 90% of the other people in the park and choosing to ignore the massive great signs at all entrances announcing that masks are obligatory outside in the whole region.

@Lostinacloud. Thank you. It will just be the two of us, a quiet romantic and intimate affair.

I’m sure masks when outdoors definitely do more harm than good. Glad you enjoyed your walk.