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?

Fed up of people treating it like a free holiday

Well in the interests of a balanced debate...I'm fed up with the "woe is me I'm still working" . Don't worry though, if things carry on as they are they are you may be having a "free holiday" of your own.

@pigeon999

Well we are back!!

It was a very positive experience! Young families everywhere, I would say a Saturday afternoon atmosphere rather than a Monday. Definitely lots of people out and about, but we parked easily.

Observations:

Everyone was respectful
Shops were ready very well organised for social distancing
The summer sale has started early - so we bought more than intended least of all because I can't find girls shorts anywhere this year
Not every shop is open, some are opening later
Bunting on lots of shops etc and a feeling they are really trying to welcome their customers back
Lots to eat thanks to new food vans
A real coffee was amazing after all of this time
Market was up and running which was unexpected
Lots of parents with prams and buggies and children, I didn't expect to see so many

We now have shoes!!!!!!!! At last so my children do not have to wear flipflops in the rain anymore.

We had a great time :)

Yay for you, pigeon. You clearly have an indomitable spirit.

Aye, reminds me a bit of attitudes to the disabled and unemployed over past 10 yrs..
Because who wouldn’t want to exist on an unsustainable low income in a flat you’ll never own just to be able to chain smoke whilst watching Jerry springer every day? No wonder some of them are in wheelchairs!

I know I would, even though I have no idea how I’d pay my bills on that money.

Furloughed, take a bow, it’s your turn now, you fickle, idle brutes. (Sarcasm, for those who can’t tell)
Although I dare say you’ll still rank higher then dole scum, especially if you keep running a vehicle and starting bbq fires in Cumbria 😁

I highly doubt many people choose to be out of work, whether furloughed, disabled or unemployable. Even the ‘idle’ rich get bored and need a project.

You have to be susceptible (not already had it or probably above 65) and then - even if you get it - you are likely to have a mild to moderate case.

Really? Are there figures on infection by age group? Where did you see that?

Lots of things have changed for us over the lockdown as they have for many people I think, I have to admit that I have always ordered too many things online, and although I have always supported our lovely local shops I am as guilty as anyone for being desperate for things and simply clicking onto Amazon.

Over the lockdown when I saw our empty forlorn town it was the most depressing sight ever, and I realised that I could not carry on shopping even when I am in a rush on the internet, because this amazing network of shops could and possibly will be lost forever. They are a lifeline for many, but more than that they offer connection and a chance to socialise and be a part of a society. They sell local crafts, or specialist things as well as everyday stuff we all need.

Over the lockdown I did vow to enjoy shopping in person again, and to never take it for granted. I loved today, being out in the sunshine with lots of others, the different atmosphere of every shop I took time to appreciate this time, the dusty old book shop, the smiley shop workers welcoming us all back with hand gel and a look of relief that so many turned out, the smell of coffee and the feeling just for a few hours of total and utter normality.

Never again will I trade in my local town for the click of a button, because we can not assume, especially now, that they will survive this pandemic.

What I don’t like is how they keep saying the under 45’s don’t get it bad, or are less likely to,die than those over 45.

Talk about an existential crisis - I am fucking 46 for gods sake. Where does this leave me in the covid scheme of things?

Did my February birthday plunge me into a statistic most likely to be the most confused 🤪

The UK is currently seeing about 17,000 new infections a day. The virus would be having to circulate at much lower levels for me to feel comfortable browsing around and spending my money on non-essential goods. And I’m guessing I’m not alone in that. So I’m staying put where I am for now.

The best way to guarantee a strong economic recovery is to suppress the virus as much as possible. Sales will plummet even if that’s because of simple things like no more parties to go to, hence no need for occasion wear. UK should be thinking about an elimination strategy before the weather changes and the flu season descends.

Enjoy OP sadly I'm in Wales and not a great deal has changed here can't even see my own family because of stupid 5 mile rule

Op, where do you live? That sounds bloody lovely!

Seething with jealousy in Scotland 😃

Camnot wait for a browse round a beauty counter! Or any shop, really!

Enjoy your shopping,@pigeon999

The UK is currently seeing about 17,000 new infections a day

Where is that figure from? The Zoe app is estimating around 4900. The ONS even lower.

Life isn't fair.

BINGO

“social distancing”
"flouting the rules"
"death rate will be rising in 2 weeks"
"flocking”
“staying at home”
“this virus is still out there”
“you may think it’s all over but….”
“cases are low due to lockdown”
“numbers are back up”
“literally sacrificing life”
“it’s just a question of time”
“coming waves”

This thread has surpassed itself with complete melodrama. Well done indeed.

@pigeon999 - so glad your children are now shod. Good effort!

@pigeon999 I see what you mean, and agree with you.
Still, our culture has been changing for some time now, since tech and web shopping became standard, many high street and local shops have suffered a shortage of footfall for many years.

I remember the selfridges story, the way women were liberated socially by being able to shop with friends when high street and department stores first evolved . And this makes me wonder how not just the businesses are in danger, but about the huge social impact also.

It’s sad, and I can fully support getting behind local businesses, especially with regards to locally grown food, meat, etc, but I do think society is changing so rapidly that many would still be failing even if covid had never come about.

It’s interesting in one sense, yet sad to observe such traditions dying out.
I see many local councils in industrial towns trying to encourage artisanal businesses, leisure facilities & restaurants rather then ‘shops’ now. Maybe this is the future?

Flippetydip

If it's all so safe now can you explain why the shielded still need to shield? Why are the government still telling us that we have to stay at home if there's no threat and it's all safe now?

Sounds good Pigeon, nice to support local shops, the economy needs them far more than Amazon who pay barely any taxes. Who wants to spend their life in their house receiving parcels and going on nice walks?! How boring.

There are not 17,000 new infections every day!

Just returned from a trip to the shoe shop with my daughter, she now has 2 pairs of lovely shoes that fit her perfectly and is smiling from ear to ear. It wasn’t busy, no queues and very well organized

There's no such thing as 'safe' in the world. There may never be a vaccine for this virus. There are many viruses in the world for which there is no vaccine or even treatment. People still have to make a living and take what enjoyment they can out of life. The world can't stop because viruses are dangerous. That's reality.

If my industry fails me I think I’m going to get into the shoe business 😁

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

Flippetydip

If it's all so safe now can you explain why the shielded still need to shield? Why are the government still telling us that we have to stay at home if there's no threat and it's all safe now?

Has anyone said it’s 100% safe? Of course it’s not. It’s never ‘safe’ to leave your house (or indeed, stay at home). There are risks to everything. Being safe, or being unsafe, aren’t absolutes. Everything has degrees of safety. It is less safe for you to go out than it is for those not shielding. That’s why it has been recommended that you don’t go out other than for walks. It is safer for everyone to drive at 20 miles an hour than at 70 miles an hour. We still drive at 70mph, despite the risks that involves, because the benefits (of getting somewhere fast) outweigh the risks (injury or death). The virus is still there, we know that. But the point has arrived where for a lot of people, the benefits of going out to work, or shopping, outweigh the risks. And the government have ‘permitted’ it. So what really do you want people to do?

The government is also telling us that no-deal Brexit is a great idea. You don't have to buy that line, either (even though that will actually be foisted on us and we'll all have a lot more to complain about than 'shielding').

@DisobedientHamster

There's no such thing as 'safe' in the world. There may never be a vaccine for this virus. There are many viruses in the world for which there is no vaccine or even treatment. People still have to make a living and take what enjoyment they can out of life. The world can't stop because viruses are dangerous. That's reality.

So all this pandemic talk is nonsense then?

DisobedientHamster if that was aimed at me, I don’t actually care whether the government say shopping is safe or unsafe. That’s a risk assessment I can make based on my circumstances. I said they’d ‘permitted’ it. So last week I could have decided that for me, the benefits outweighed the risks, but it wouldn’t have made a difference because I wasn’t permitted to do so anyway. Now I am, so my personal risk assessment becomes a more useful tool.

@Hearhoovesthinkzebras

Flippetydip

If it's all so safe now can you explain why the shielded still need to shield? Why are the government still telling us that we have to stay at home if there's no threat and it's all safe now?

Where did I say the shielded don't need to shield? I'm sure they do. What I am also 100% sure about is that everyone else needs to get on with life. The economy is failing, our children are being thrown under a bus and people are dying from way more than COVID.

The costs of lockdown massively outweigh what has been achieved. We are in the midst of a mental health crisis amongst children. The gap between rich and poor is expanding. Women are being set back decades due to the fact that they are going to have to give up work to provide childcare and education because schools are not allowed to open. People are dying of preventable diseases as they have been too scared to call ambulances or to approach their GPs. Non-covid related treatment has been put back at another cost to life.

So yes, get back out there and shop. You cannot hide under the bed forever from this monster. If you need to shield, shield, if you don't, stop being so bloody dramatic about it and revelling in the misery.

What I'm doing today is just getting up from a nap, as I've had another relapse. I've been ill (because of the virus) since late March, had a couple of good weeks just now (except for an emergency trip to hospital), but it's been a rough weekend.

I'm feeling better today and more able to draw a deep breath, and I was going to go to buy some groceries later (I'm no longer infectious, just still ill) but I don't think I have the energy.