Will disruption over the October half term be the final straw?

[beanburgerandcheese]

Just that - will it be the point that people say enough is enough with this? Summer plans already disrupted, millions have planned for UK breaks through the October half term just to face potential disruption again. ow long will people patience last with this?

Just before the very start of the lockdown in March, my easter holiday that I had paid for in full was cancelled. I was offered the opportunity to move the date, which I did - to October half term.

I don't think that was a massively stupid idea at the time. In the first week or so of the pandemic hitting the UK it didn't seem likely that it would still be this bad in October. I could have had a refund instead, but as well as wanting the holiday, I was concious that if everyone pulled money out of the holiday firms all at once this was bad news for them as a business. They offered a reduction in price to move the dates, so I did that.

We’re in a global pandemic. It won’t stop just because some people ‘lose patience’. This question doesn’t make any sense.

TBH the Government have banged on throughout most of the last few months about looking at the risks before booking a holiday this year, and to be prepared for it having to be cancelled. If people choose to book, then they surely would be aware of the risks. I’m sure most people would be willing to sacrifice their week away in Spain to help stop the virus, and allow the country to get back on its feet. But if Covid has taught us anything, it’s shown us how many self entitled people are out there.

Many people will be worrying rather more about whether they will have a roof over their head by the end of the year

and EVERYBODY should be worrying about how we will put food on the table in January after the end of Transition
no matter how rich people are, if its not made it through Dover customs, Ocado will not stock it

@flowerycurtain

For crying out loud a holiday is not the final straw.

Keeping staff in food factories, kids in education, the healthcare system going is all far more important than a half term jolly.

^ This absolutely, give your head a wobble OP.

Sorry but if covid measures were abandoned, the virus would probably start to spread to an extent that taking an October holiday would be madness, even if it wasn't illegal

I think some people have probably been hoping they could get one last holiday in before the Brexit transition period ends. And when things were looking better in the summer, and people were going away, it wasn't that unreasonable to book. I didn't, because I am too risk averse and didn't want to lose money if things went haywire, but that's me.

Disappointing yes, “final straw “ of course not

what disruption at half term? has something been announced?

It depends what else is planned in terms of restrictions. I'm now of a view that the impact of the restrictions are almost worse than the havoc of the disease now.

If getting numbers down is the government's priority then they need to go for definitive measures. At the moment the restrictions seem to be around our personal liberties. So I can't see people really following local restrictions that stop them travelling to a holiday location in the UK, but still being able to go to the pub, restaurant,gym or cinema and indeed meet the same people you aren't allowed to meet at home. Also and most importantly- from the government perspective- these half measures aren't getting the numbers down so are a bit pointless.

I thought the students would have protested a bit more about the ridiculous and entirely predictable situation they find themselves in. But I like their window posters and slogans - good to know we've not entirely knocked the stuffing out of everybody.

I don't think there will be mass riots, but I do think people will start to ignore the bits that don't make sense. I don't think October holidays will be the trigger - people are now used to having to change/cancel and lose money - but what I don't know is if or when the deaths start creeping up, will people react as positively to restrictions as they did the first time.

Each to their own, but I'm mystified why anyone would currently book a holiday unless (a) they were willing and able to quarantine if needed on their return, and (b) are willing to suck it up if the whole thing gets cancelled and they're waiting months for a refund or never get their money back.

@shoofle

Sorry but if covid measures were abandoned, the virus would probably start to spread to an extent that taking an October holiday would be madness, even if it wasn't illegal

I’m not disputing that. I’m just saying that nature didn’t impose the lockdown, it’s a man made situation. There are people who think there is an alternative to lockdown.

I hope no-one suggests again in living memory that we are a country that cares for the elderly and vulnerable when those of us who are healthy are happy with risking more deaths if it means they can look at different scenery for a week. I bet some of them were noisy doorstep clappers as well...

@fartyface

People need work on skills of being adaptable and accepting of change.

This. We all have to learn to tolerate a sense of uncertainty now. Adapt our routines and our approaches to a lot of things - holidays included.

@goldensummerhouse

I hope no-one suggests again in living memory that we are a country that cares for the elderly and vulnerable when those of us who are healthy are happy with risking more deaths if it means they can look at different scenery for a week. I bet some of them were noisy doorstep clappers as well...

I hope we never again have a government who claims to care for the elderly and vulnerable while simultaneously ordering the release of people back into care homes from hospitals without a Covid test, thus condemning tens of thousands of the elderly and vulnerable to death.

I wouldn't book a holiday now for half term after the chaos in April-July. I went away in August - booked Friday and flew Sunday. If people have booked it off anyway they could get a last minute bargain but I wouldn't bank on anything even a few weeks away atm.

No, missing a holiday is an inconvenience that could be a little expensive.

There are far more serious potential implications.

Do you realise "October half term" varies across the UK? Or are we just talking about you?

@SoUtterlyGroundDown

Fair enough!

Anyone who booked a holiday overseas for Oct half term is daft. What part of pandemic haven't they understood yet?

I don't think people are that selfish. I think they understand these are unprecedented times. Yes it's a nightmare but a nightmare everyone is in together.

People are fed up and want to get back to normal? No shit OP? So they can't see that this situation calls for a bit more effort like, say, not booking holidays or being a big grown up if they are cancelled?

What's that saying going round here - we're all it the same storm but some of us are in different boats. You seem to be in the gosh I need a lovely holiday boat. Is it nice there?

We have a week booked in the UK, booked with the full k owledge it may not happen. We outdoor have loved to go abroad to see family but that is not possible in our view.

I must admit, I want to go out of the house, I had enough quite and peaceful weeks at home, we did lots of walks, went to places if possible but I am itching for a bit more.

We had one week since March we were out of the house for more than a day and I am at a point where I can’t face another quite week or even weekend at home anymore.

It may not happen but I still can hope.

*It's meant in the sense of if there is disruption to the half term then will it be getting to the limits of people's patience with restrictions?

Some posters on here seem to be absolutely desperate to go back into lockdown and can't imagine why anyone might actually fancy an undisrupted UK break without concerns about having to cancel last minute.*

Are you kidding OP? Surely no-one is so ill-informed about the impact this pandemic is having on society (industry/job losses, disruption to education / death and serious life-affecting complications) that the inability to have an undisrupted UK break without concerns about have to cancel it last minute is the last straw?! This has got to be a wind up.

Sorry, lots of typos but you get my point!