Anyone in the North East?

[PennyDreadfuI]

Gateshead has just been added to the govt watchlist and Newcastle is on amber alert. Sunderland have had over 200 cases in the past seven days.

Are we next for a local lockdown? What do you think it will entail? Given Newcastle's reputation as a party city I'm guessing restricted hours for bars maybe - they were packed to the rafters over the August bank holiday weekend, which may account for lots of the new cases.

@Shitfuckoh

Well my fb over the weekend was jam packed with people in pubs & bars with friends (who they don't live with) taking selfies, so no distance etc. They said they'd just gone out earlier so they didn't lose any time out. If that's repeated throughout, then it won't make any difference at all!

There were people on one of the news channels this morning saying it'll just encourage an increase in pre-drinking and house parties which defeats the object

@Someaddedsugar

Sounds about right. I don't know what the answer to it all is though.

My 8 year old is sick to death of the 'worry lessons' at his school

He wasn't worried until they started! Luckily he's virtually horizontal and is more worried that he can't think of much to write on his worry chart so we've made a list (x box stopping working and dad eating his favourite crisps apparently)

Worry lessons?
I understand they're trying to help with some of the DCs mental health after the last few months but goodness me! What's happening in my DCs school isn't good for his mental health either!
What are they thinking?

@BessieSurtees

Morning everyone, I was in a Sainsbury’s first thing yesterday morning, everyone wearing masks and social distancing, but many ignoring the hand sanitizer. I do sometimes think when masks were brought in the washing hands was forgotten. There is someone to count you in to Sainsbury’s but they don’t direct you to the hand station.

Anyway on a brighter note if anyone is interested the thank you NHS spitfire plane will be flying over our hospitals today. I need something to look forward to, however small. This is the timetable.

Regarding hand sanitiser. I carry my own as do my DH and DCs so no need to touch the shops. Maybe this is why people are bypassing them. I did get sanitiser shamed In Lidl for this reason and waggled my bottle in the ladies face.

Hello all!

Bloody hell, seeing what the DC are being taught in school about All This makes for very depressing reading. I was saying to DH the other day that there is going to be a whole generation of kids who are fearful, stressed and worried about all the 'normal' things kids do (or used to) - social contact, getting mucky, kisses and cuddles even. It's a horrible thought. for all with young/teen DC. It's an added layer of worry on top of everything else.

I see we were forerunners here in the NE and all bars in England will be following our trendsetting ways from Thursday! I can't see what difference it'll make, either. All it'll do is make town centres full of pissed up 'revellers' at 5pm (given that the bars in town centres often stay open until 2am). They'll just start earlier, duh.

Off to Asda Gosforth today, wish me luck. I hear it's like a warzone in the supermarkets, again. Because apparently people didn't learn last time that the supermarkets don't close and the world doesn't end if there's a lockdown (or if the pubs close at 10pm 🙄).

I use my own hand sanitiser, too, because the ones in shops often have that disgusting 'fishy' smell and they're sticky and horrible. Also I get eczema between my fingers and the one I use doesn't irritate it. At a charity shop in Gateshead I was refused entry because I didn't use theirs, even though I took mine out of my bag and used it in front of them!

I often sanitise my hands outside before putting my mask on.

And I completely avoid the M&S one after it left my hands smelling like febreze all afternoon. I could not wash that smell out and it was giving me a headache.

I love the Marksies one I too carry my own but the hand station also sanitises trollies. And while some people will use their own I dont think for one minute everyone is. I think people are tired of being told what to do, even some sensible friends of mine are complaining about new rules, I think there is a general sense of complacency around now.

My Sainsbury’s delivery only has 2 substitutions so hopefully the rushes on supermarkets may be overhyped. (It comes from the High Heaton branch.)

I use my own hand sanitiser as well, have been caught out with a few shop ones that absolutely reek and take about 10 hand washes for the smell to disappear.

And I completely avoid the M&S one after it left my hands smelling like febreze all afternoon. I could not wash that smell out and it was giving me a headache.

Yes the M&S one is awful!

The m&s one is the only one I don't mind using! I like that it's so thin and not sticky and it smells like eau de cologne. I've been known to swing by m&s just to use their sanitiser!

I think there is a general sense of complacency around now

I agree, and it's no wonder really when so many of the rules seem so arbitrary. Closing pubs just an hour early (but it's perfectly ok to get drunk before 10pm) but not being able to sit in your mam's garden, go to work on packed metros but don't go for lunch with the people you work with? You can see why some people aren't arsed.

I don't claim to have the answers, btw. Closing everything again would be awful. But the virus is a twat, too. Thank God I'm not paid to make these decisions (not that those in charge are doing much better!).

Hi all, great news about childcare! That would have hit a lot of key workers.

Sorry some schools are going over board. I agree it can often make kids more worried. Better to address it in slightly different more resilience building ways.

I'm just telling them to wash their hands more because "it's the rules and I say so!" "And you've all be playing in the mud!"

I haven't seen the news but I had expected it was likely the NE rules would roll out elsewhere this week?

So the NHS Spitfire is flying over all hospitals except North Tyneside?

@FrolickingLemon

So the NHS Spitfire is flying over all hospitals except North Tyneside?

Last week North Tees was omitted from the list. Seems like they cant quite manage all of them!

@BessieSurtees I love the M&S one too.
For some reason it reminds me of Blackpool in the 90s and sun tan lotion
I think I'm a bit crazy 🤣

I'm really enjoying this local chat (just north of Durham here)

Feel very much like I'm waiting for the axe to fall wrt schools. Confirmed cases in many schools round here and several year groups sent home - feel like I'm waiting for a call from the DC's schools.

On a less depressing note, if anyone knows of any Christmassy activities still going ahead in the NE, please share here

Not Christmas, but Brockbushes are doing PYO pumpkins next month if anyone is interested.

Not sure if been discussed but what do you think will be the situation with Santa's grotto this year ?
I'm assuming no panto at Sunderland empire as it's normally advertised by now.

@idontthinkicare

Not sure if been discussed but what do you think will be the situation with Santa's grotto this year ? I'm assuming no panto at Sunderland empire as it's normally advertised by now.

DD still has her interview next month for her elf job at Dobbies' grotto, so up until now at least that's still a go-er. Will report back if it's cancelled!

Well after listening to BJ's speech there in the commons, I'm thinking there will be absolutely no or very little in the way of Christmas attractions / activities.

I started thinking of this last night and made lists of things to do like Christmas jigsaws, making a gingerbread house, going for walks to look at lights, making a Christmas wreath, baking cookies, crafts etc.

Did anyone else hear Boris Johnson say shielding is still in place in local lockdowns? That's news to me

Yes he said there was no need to go back to shielding unless you were in a local lockdown area! News indeed.

This was now become way too complicated. He should have made the new restrictions the same as the local ones we were given last week. That way, everyone is on a level playing field. People will just use the excuse that they have no fucking idea what's what.

I saw that as our Two week warning. People won't play ball. In two weeks we will be in a mini lockdown again. They wont wait till half term I don't think. There was too much of "of course, this all depends on people complying..."

Did he say 6 months? I am working and only caught some of the summary On the radio and 6 months is all I can remember

I reckon that's it until a vaccine. Spring at the earliest 😭 I think whatever it takes to keep the kids in school has to be done sadly