My town is NO different today

[Glaceon]

So nothing except the gym and maybe the weatherspoons has closed.

Heaving full market, shops busy.

Police say they wont be checking or enforcing anything at all.

So what was the point?

@Glaceon I’m not sure yet, we have horse, hens and cats to cater for. I usually buy 1 months supply at a time on payday but if stocks are good will get a little more just so we can avoid traveling. If there is any supply issue will obviously get less. Not going to stockpile but would prefer to avoid town as much as we can.

I think he hoped forcing the big social places to shut would trigger the rest into taking time off work and claiming on the financial part they unveiled.

a lot of small businesses are worried about having to build up their customer/client base from scratch again if they close, especially if people become accustomed to a different way of life

The ones that closed early may be the ones to benefit. I won’t be using businesses that hung on until the last possible moment once this is over.

@Megan2018 oh gosh I am glad I've not got horses yo think about now.

My ex has our two Huskies (I moved to a flat leaving him in a 3 bed semi so obvious choice) so I've been trying to keep track of butchers meat as it's one of the few safe tinned meats for them. Particularly the male. He has their dry food ordered in but I'm not sure which brand. He knows a couple of good safe ones. I'm going to send him a couple of raw menus incase he needs to move to a raw diet (Huskies are notorious for not being able to cope with our dog food cuz its shite). I've had them on raw before. Hoping that with all the food producers going into overdrive that will keep a lot of raw suppliers in bone and feet and organs at least.

This shows what those stupid idiots who are out and about as if everything is fine are going to contribute to:
news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-everyone-dies-alone-heartbreak-at-the-italian-hospital-on-the-brink-of-collapse-11961130

I will also be seeking out businesses that closed early on. I am not giving my money to any business in this town that has prioritised itself over our actual lives.

I am suprissed that elderly are still going about their business as normal, but we cant stop them surely?
My dad is still going in to town shopping and going visiting relatives, including ones who have young children.
I did not know what to say to him, I guess its his choice.
I was supprised though.

@Glaceon the only positive is we are going out of winter so worst case scenario she won’t starve. She’s old and on specialist veteran feed. Have got her supplements online so we’d be ok with forage I guess. Needs must. But I will sleep better if we have the animals catered for.

I have to admit that I've just been for a walk to get milk and bumped into some old friends on the way. We did stand and chat for 10 mins but far away from each other and other than that it was very quiet althiugh I didn't go into the small shopping centre.

One of the local bars was open but selling milk, loo roll and some fruit and veg instead of alcohol. The products were outside and there was someone taking money in the doorway so you could stay in the open air and keep your distance from other people.

Not ventured out to see what’s going on. So I’m non the wiser. My exh has taken kids for walk (remote) and says people are practising social distancing, and not going near other families.

The kids school sent a letter recommending that they continue to get out and go for a walk and exercise/ get fresh air. But avoiding crowds/ and practising safe distances. Which is easy to do where I live.

But people blithely going about their everyday business that isn’t essential? Nuts

I think my hens can probably survive quite well without feed in that they wont die (they free range so eat all sorts in garden) but they probably wouldn’t lay either and rather banking on eggs! But I’m sure we can find them some. I have half a sack so they aren’t desperate. Cats have a few days of pouches and lots of dried so don’t need loads more yet. But it’s easier to just cover everyone in one hit then lockdown out here in the fresh, rarely populated air!

Barely a soul around, here (tourist city). It's very depressing. All the more so as the few people who are out are giving one another evil looks, as if they might both be harbouring the Black Death.

I am not giving my money to any business in this town that has prioritised itself over our actual lives

This is bringing out the very worst in people, in all kinds of ways. What a horrible thing to say. Talk about kicking small business owners when they are down.

Amazingly, its a ghost town in my part of North London. Much fewer buses (and they look empty), no traffic etc. I counted roughly 6 people walking past as I had a cigarette. On their own, no groups. People are listening finally.

Which part of Derbyshire are you @Glaceon?

Not Ilkeston is it by any chance? I live in a village nearby and seen loads of people walking up and down the street??

No ghost town here. Went in to collect milk and other perishables as I have none, small market town but heaving with people. Not only food outlets (totally bare shelves by 12 noon) but DIY stores, lighting shops, furniture, garden centre.... Even market stalls out in the square although there were fewer than a usual Saturday. Everyone keeping their distance though...

@Totopoly no, I'm a qualified nail tech. I have zero in the bank. I'm also an escort. Guess what I'm not doing? I'm NOT seeing ANYONE. I'm not meeting, doing nails, make up. I have $50 left in my onlyfans account.

The businesses remaining open are encouraging people to flood the town metres from my doorstep. This means I cannot go out in accordance with government guidelines. I cannot shop for basic necessities. Thankfully my partners ex brought me sanitary products on thursday after a full 24 hour washing down below every 20 minutes.

People who are literally laughing at those of us following government guidelines. Why should I support them?

My local Sainsburys has been wiped out of cat litter. Good to know people are adapting to the lack of toilet roll so well!

Hahahaha puppy SPOT ON. Inbreeding central of england. Wish I'd stayed up north.

I won’t be using businesses that hung on until the last possible moment once this is over.

I think it's incredibly unfair to penalise small business owners for the awful predicament they're in at the moment.

The only ones I'll be boycotting afterwards are the ones hiking up their prices deliberately to profit from this crisis.

Everyone else is just trying to do the right thing and survive (financially as well as medically) through all of this. I know money isn't everything but if you can't afford food and medicine, it's going to impact your ability to fight the virus too.

I also don't think that small businesses should be held accountable for the behaviour of their customers in visiting the shops, nor should they be held responsible for policing others' self-isolation.

Yes, everyone has their part to play, but some people seem to be getting a bit 'Lord of the Flies' about all this and it's quite scary seeing people leaning toward those first little steps of vigilantism as we all know how it ends up.

One of our local big garden centre's is offering all plants half price over this weekend. People are flocking there in case of a lockdown.
At least their gardens will look nice whilst they are fucking I'll.

Well dh is one of the idiots now, have discovered he went off to town to buy diy stuff. Have rung him and told him to wash hands and face before he comes in.

Oh Lordy I knew it.

ill

I think the vast majority of people out and about will be going to get food, not just out for a jolly. I went to the shops this morning and now I have food for the next three days, but if you'd seen me you'd probably have lumped me in with "all the selfish idiots having a wander".

FWIW on my high street the cafes were closed, as were the charity shops I passed, and I only saw one barbers open. The wine shop over the road is doing delivery only. The independent book shop is doing a concierge service for 2 hours today only, after that they're delivery only.

The shops which were open were the butchers, a couple of greengrocers, pharmacies, and the Tescos / Sainsburys / Waitrose.