Lockdown is ending and we are off to the shops!!!!!! :)))))))))

[pigeon999]

Yes we can book hair appointments, nail appointments and banish the roots in a matter of weeks. We can shop today!! We are counting down the days to hotels, restaurants and bars opening. We are breaking out.

We have turned a corner in England people!!

The lockdown is ending at long last - so what are you doing today?

Went to buy DS’s new uniform for high school then home to work and homeschooling. But then got the news that our county are letting year 6 back to school from Monday so it all feels like it’s getting a bit more normal.

I'm writing, so at home.
I don't want to have the virus during the huge peak said to be here in a few weeks.
i prefer to be alive than dead, even with a new pair of trainers.

I had to cut through town this morning after dropping DC1 at nursery. Utter chaos. The one way markers on pavements and in the shopping centre were being ignored and the queues were insane. Noone was even attempting to social distance.

It made me so anxious, there is no way I'm doing that again and I wasn't even shopping! I had DC2 with me and wanted to poke people to keep them away.

On a more serious note, whilst I am happy that some things are returning to ‘normal’, I do doubt many people will adhere to the distancing rules, and can’t even see how they can in some places, like touristy villages (I live in one) with pavements so small you have to walk in single file at the best of times.

So I’m slightly uncomfortable, although less so outdoors.
Sadly I do believe that if lockdown doesn’t end soon the fall out will be catastrophic.
I can see both sides of the argument, we have been afraid for many months.
I do wish we could accept our differing beliefs though and be more tolerant as a country.

Little chance of that with our appalling gutter press.

I wouldn't go to Primark, as I understand that the changing rooms mostly aren't open, and I wouldn't risk it if they were. I don't see the advantage of going clothes shopping if it's not possible to try them on, I may as well shop online.

Besides which, I'm still unwell and wouldn't have the strength to stand in a queue for that long.

I do look forward to being able to go clothes shopping, though.

Also, that ‘huge peak’ has been threatening to come for 2 months or so now.
God knows what lies ahead. Perhaps that’s why we are all so discombobulated.

I hope everyone has a lovely day. We're not quite there yet up here in Scotland but I can't blame anyone for wanting to get out and about. Sadly we won't reach this stage until about the 15th of July at the earliest. My mat leave finishes on the 6th. We quite fancied a trip through to the zoo before I went back but it's not to be.

I missed the second wave/rise in deaths we had after VE day and the feckless beach goers, so I'll be sure to keep an eye out for this one.

I feel people that find it necessary to queue today need to find something better to do with their time

So what would you suggest they do?

I sincerely hope that given your judgemental and 'superior' attitude you've spent the WHOLE of lockdown in a worthwhile and productive manner.

Personally, all I've managed to achieve during lockdown is just getting through each day in a reasonable way, doing the things I need to do to keep life ticking over, and trying not to get too down.

I imagine that's been the case for a great many people.

If queuing to get into some shops gives them something to look forward to and a bit joy bloody good luck to them.

Which, y'know, not everyone has the luxury of paying an absolute fortune for locally made

That's why I don't own that many and don't give a flying fuck about fashion. Even before lockdown.

@mrsjg

Going to work and then observing lockdown when I'm home.

Uso, you might pop to the shops, go and see another single adult household you've formed a bubble with, go for a nice bike ride in a group, have a picnic with some friends, go to the supermarket, maybe pop into Costa for a takeaway coffee....

All that is observing lockdown and following the rules....

staying and working from home, will not be going out shopping until this virus is well and truly gone.

Staying home. I'm living like a hermit until I am sure the danger is over and even then I have resolved to find more meaningful ways of finding meaning (as it were!) than mindless consumerism. I'm going to find ways to privilege locally made and grown and to avoid 'made in China' as much as possible.

Was "privilege" an autocorrect for something? If so it was a brilliant one. Well done your phone.

If the whole post was a joke, I apologise. I find my brain is slowly rotting due to the pervading bullshit we're surrounded by.

Staying home. I'm living like a hermit until I am sure the danger is over and even then I have resolved to find more meaningful ways of finding meaning (as it were!) than mindless consumerism. I'm going to find ways to privilege locally made and grown and to avoid 'made in China' as much as possible.

I thought this was an extract from a daily mash article about the middle classes.

I missed the second wave/rise in deaths we had after VE day and the feckless beach goers, so I'll be sure to keep an eye out for this one.

Me too @NowImLivinInExeter can I sit with you to await this one? You've also forgot to add the wave caused by the demonstrations!

All the VE day and beach doomsayers that predicted a second wave seem to have disappeared? None have come back to say they were glad it didn't happen!

staying and working from home, will not be going out shopping until this virus is well and truly gone.

And if it doesn't go?

There are places.......out there ......out thur in them wild wild ex industrial towns where so many of us are lucky not to have to live.

And in them there towns, people can still read (I shit u not), they also have hopes and dreams and even like to walk their dogs (albeit they do tend to clean up their dog’s shit more than us civilised folks who aren’t so embarrassingly poor).

Mind-bogglingy, these people sometimes need to purchase clothes, household items and food. And in May of these towns, there are no artisanal log burning olde-worlds hardware stores (I know!!111), so they often have to frequent establishments like ‘subway’, ‘Iceland’ and primark.

It’s awful, It’s dirty, it needs to be stopped, but when will the gov do something about it? If they take away some of the working-poor benefits that these ruffians spend on fags and booze they will likely riot and cause Great unpleasantness, even though we won’t have to see it from our lovely sash windows.

Country has gone to ruin.

The death rate was super low yesterday

Give it a few days for everyone to go to Maccy Ds and Nike and it'll go back up again. Do people not understand the nature of a virus?

I'm staying home, thanks!

I don't see the point of shopping unless it is essential i.e. children shoes as you aren't able to touch anything and have to wear a face covering. Neither of which make it an enjoyable experience

OP, I'm glad the shops reopening has put you in a good mood, and I hope you enjoy your outing, but I'm going to be a party pooper I'm afraid. I wish lockdown was ending, but it's not. For me, lockdown won't be over until all children are back at school. And the councils officially open play areas again. Until that point, it just makes me bitterly angry that the education and well being of children are being thrown under the bus. Sure, it's good that we'll be able to take them to a farm park or a zoo (if those places haven't gone bankrupt yet) but that's no substitution for a daily routine.

Also I'm looking forward to getting my hair cut but I still can't book an appointment for DS, who desperately needs a proper cut (and no I can't do it!) but the rules say he has to be old enough to go in unaccompanied (not going to happen, he's 3) and has to wear a face mask

I thought this was an extract from a daily mash article about the middle classes

Nah. It's my life. In other news, I'm also a socialist, vegetarian and a feminist. I don't do Twitter or Facebook either.

Sorry if my reality offends you. If it gives you cause to laugh then all the better.

It was utter chaos when McDonalds reopened, when the tips reopened... fair enough, but after less than a week, queues had disappeared and you could buy the same thing or run the same errands in 10 minutes instead of 3 hours.

if people desperately rush today, it means I can start shopping again next week, instead of fighting crowds for months if people had decided to wait too. It's great!

In the meantime, I work so my days off are precious.

I hope the infection rate will keep falling and we can finally hope to see the end of the restrictions and be back to normal. It's a good test without being thrown into it myself.

Give it a few days for everyone to go to Maccy Ds and Nike and it'll go back up again. Do people not understand the nature of a virus?

@GreenFingersWouldBeHandy we heard the same about VE Day and packed beaches.... didn't happen!

Also are McDs open for anything other than drive through? If not, I don't see how drive through is going to increase the spread and also McDs opened for two weeks around here and guess what no significant death increase.

Just back from a quick whiz round the shops. Happy to report that everyone was being sensible. There was a rather disappointed photographer outside Primark trying to get a social media shot, but despite being at a weird angle the queue was too spaced out for him to make the shoppers look like they were breaking the rules. There were queues for a few shops but not all and about 20% of people in masks. Marks and Spencer’s putting a lot of effort into ensuring customers feel both welcome and safe.

Of course we are going to be hit by that second wave in 2 weeks just like we were hit by the post Mothers Day / post VE Day/ post first sunny day on the beach/park [insert whatever event you feel like dementoring about here ]

Staying at home and working! But I only shop on line anyway so not much change as I've not stopped shopping.