Bonny lasses assemble for the North East support thread 2!

[PennyDreadfuI]

Shiny new thread for all your north east needs.

Hello 👋

They like keeping us on tenterhooks don’t they.

So sorry for those here that have been I’ll or lost their jobs or may lose their livelihoods
It just seems like one lot of bad news on top of another.
Me and dh are just plodding on as best we can.
Love and hugs to everyone for tomorrow.

The whole leaking / pre briefing thing is awful. My partner works in a comms and strategy role for a kin of gov department. So we've been talking lots abut comms through out this disaster. From the phrases the use to this strategy of leaking. I think partly its do ingrained the can't not do it. But it is also about gauging reactions. There's a few times when things haven't happened as leaked and I think that's partly been due to public reaction.

I do also think people are increasingly going to be making their own decisions. Like loads of people on the thread have said they just can't manage through the winter without some support.

I remember right at the start of lockdown an idea was floated about having a bubble of 10 people you could see. I think this would be way better but I do know it doesn't get people out spending money.

@BessieSurtees

We’ve gone with staysure
The two of us have 15 months for £388

Morning all. Gosh it's taking everything I've got to summon the energy just to face the day this morning. How is everyone holding up?

@PennyDreadful you are so right about this not being a banana bread happy clappy lockdown. The Newd channels are whipping it all into a frenzy about What Is To Come for us. It's like being in a bloody circus. Then you listen to Trump coughing his way through his plans to hold a rally. I don't think people will believe us, when we are recounting this all in our dotage!

I hope everyone is feeling a bit brighter today.

Does anyone know when Boris is going to make this announcement / do a briefing? The waiting to find out about support bubbles is awful. I'm a single parent and bubble with my folks. It's the only bit of social contact I have other than brief social distanced chats on the school run.

I agree about the comms, they leak info so people can go through the stages of anger, denial etc until you finally get somewhere near acceptance before they officially announce it ☹️

@gingeristhenewblack43 on something I read I think it was announcement on Monday to be implemented on Tuesday.

I just feel completely fed up today.

Is it worth watching parliament today or will they just wait and make a proper announcement tonight?

I've a feeling something will be said today / tonight. I'm off today so will keep a lookout.

Just checked online and it doesn't even look like anyone is in session today at all.

Hi Everyone,

Good morning!

I agree with everyone, the way they're communicating this is horrendous. As it stands I have no idea if I'm going to have to close my business next week or not so I'm having to plan for both eventualities which is such a waste of energy and resources and I'm right on the brink as it is.

I really feel for everyone who might lose support bubbles. I don't think that's right at all, totally cruel! Even if they do the right thing and allow support bubbles you shouldn't be going through this stress of worrying right now, it's got to be bad for everyone's health.

If the support bubbles go and anyone is lonely I'd be happy to buddy up and do a zoom call with anyone who needs a chat.

Looks like Monday for the announcement but the 3 tier thing is all over the media and they are announcing some sort of support package today so that will give a good steer on what will be closed. Really feel for those who run/work in small businesses. Whitley Bay is full if small indies and they are all hanging on by a thread (and their nerves) atm 😪

I really came on the say I'm still seeing my Mum support bubble or not. She couldn't do being alone again!!!

The Wylam Brewary and The Town Wall have announced closures

I've woken up feeling agitated by the fact that stories are being leaked while we have no real idea when an announcent will be made. Half the country are still arguing over whether a sleeping baby counts in the rule of six while I feel like I'm going to be under house arrest. I'm not even an anxious person.

The clocks go back next week, the evenings are going to be very long for people on their own. I have been maintaining minimum social interaction since March, spending actual time with very few people and always within the rules. I can't see me following a rule of no interaction at all and no bubbles. I have to strike a balance between reality and the ideal.

I think there will be mass ignoring if support bubbles are "banned"

Bessie I am heartily sick of hearing folk ask if the kids are asleep upstairs, can they still have a gathering of 6 downstairs. Ready to blow my top with the byggers. But this is what local lockdowns has created. There's so much talk of being kind and peoples mental health yet those who aren't in local lockdown aren't giving two hoots about how we feel. My Mum said last week that there was already a huge North South divide, but that she now felt as if the Govt wanted to put us all in a field and shoot us! She also said yesterday "They are not taking you away from me!" bless her. We've spent the last 6 months dealing very quietly and privately with her cancer. I can't abandon her now. Someone asked yesterday if I could get her to move in with me. We've weighed up the pros and cons and she has a tiny bungalow, so do we. We have spent ages making her a lovely bedroom and she's happy there. We will manage. We are just around the corner.

SnoringFerret Honestly, what a nightmare. For yourself and for these businesses dropping like flies. Nice of you to offer with the zoom support. Maybe that's something a few of us could think about going forward?

Gingercat02 I was in Whitley shopping yesterday. It was looking very sad with a few places closed up already. We are never going to be able to recover from this but I hope there will he different types of work available for folk. I reckon it's a good time to train up to be a counsellor or therapist!

@nildesparandum pleased you have recovered from your flare up. What a bloody mess, though eh.

I can't imagine how it must feel to be losing businesses and jobs with no end in sight. And me moaning about not seeing family sounds so selfish. My DH industry is starting to make redundancies. I think the initial hope that furlough would sustain business through the worst phase, has well and truly faded.

I'm going to put some music on and dance, Billy Idol on loud usually distracts me from reality. Anyone else got any songs that make them sing out loud, dance or brighten their day?

Just checked online and it doesn't even look like anyone is in session today at all.

I think they’re all supposed to be in their constituencies on Fridays so there won’t be anything discussed in parliament. That doesn’t mean there won’t be something leaked to the Times or released on Twitter without consulting parliament though

Apparently they're going to announce an extension to the furlough scheme today.

bessie I think that not seeing your family is really tough too.

I checked my hair salon's Facebook and they've has loads of cancellations, this month and have reduced their opening times to 3 days a week. This is in the centre of Newcastle. I hope for their sake and mine that they survive. There may not be any doorways big enough for my hair when this is over.

I need to pick up a prescription, this afternoon, so will probably pop into the micropub nearby to pick up a few bottles of local brew because I can't see how they will survive this.

FrolickingLemon having just moved from the south to here I can tell you I'm still absolutely shocked at the divide. If we had these numbers when I was down south I know so much more would have happened. Its awful and I can't believe how different it is and how the North is just sort of ignored and treated as someone else's problem by the government.

I'm sorry your poor mum is going through so much.

@FrolickingLemon

Morning all. Gosh it's taking everything I've got to summon the energy just to face the day this morning. How is everyone holding up?

@PennyDreadful you are so right about this not being a banana bread happy clappy lockdown. The Newd channels are whipping it all into a frenzy about What Is To Come for us. It's like being in a bloody circus. Then you listen to Trump coughing his way through his plans to hold a rally. I don't think people will believe us, when we are recounting this all in our dotage!

Early on someone was saying about documenting your actual experience of this as the media can tell a different story! So what you're saying is very true.

The phone just rang and they're squashing kiddo into an urgent appointment next week (it sounds like they're clearing the decks in case of shutdown). Floods of tears of relief here. I honestly thought they'd shut down the hospitals before getting him in.

@swg1
So pleased you now have the appointment sorted, I hope it goes well! x