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?

What would riots /civil unrest achieve for those who don't want to comply? Genuine question ...cant get my head round it.*

A riot doesn't 'achieve'. It is an expression of anger and tension, often by those who feel their voices are unheard in society. I suppose you could say it 'achieves a venting of their frustration and a knowledge their displeasure is finally seen', but that's all. It isn't about logical thought, it's often stems from oppression and poverty. As it builds momentum, you see looters join in for the heck of it, but as Martin Luther King said, 'a riot is the language of the unheard'.

It is never an isolated event or single issue that causes a riot, it always has historical and social issues that feed directly into it. In this case, Covid-19 plays on the difficulties already faced by many below the poverty line. Some parents may have struggled to feed children through this, they may not have coped parenting them with no school. Some gangs used the time to try and target more children.

The Tories give an untrue message about poverty and always punish the most vulnerable in society. They've been in power for ten years in some form or another. Public services, health services are underfunded, benefits have had huge issues (UC), child poverty has increased etc. All these statistics are also twisted by the government who fail to register those without homes but couch surfing etc as homeless. All of these things put pressure on people, but often have the most severe outcome for those below the breadline (half of BAME households were counted as living in poverty in July 2020, which is important when factoring in racial tension, as is targeting of the black community by Police). All of these things and more cause anger, people complain and are not listened to, nothing changes, things get worse - so it's expressed in (often violent) unrest.

Covid restrictions will have disproportionately affected those already struggling far more. Even basic things like living in an area with a lot of gang related violence and crime can make a big difference to whether someone wants to pop out for a walk or not. It's much more about general expression than achievement of a single objective.

We have booked a trip away for the October half term. I'm an eternal optimist but I understand that it might not happen. It's a risk, you win some and you lose some.

I feel a lot of people are at the point now where they are just fed up and want to get back to normal. I can't imagine peoples patience going for too much longer if I'm honest.
Well then they will break the rules, spread the virus and kill a lot of people. The new normal will be less moaning about masks and holidays and more mourning people we loved.

Grow up FFS

What does the “final straw” look like? The restrictions are there for a reason, I am completely pissed off with them, wake every morning thinking “here we go again!”
But me being hacked off isn’t magically going to make things normal again and I certainly won’t be staging a revolution or manning the barricades, if that is what you mean.

I'm not sure what you mean by last straw and what you will do .
Am I fed up of wearing a mask yes
Am I fed up of all the restrictions changing yes
Am I fed up of the constant worry of my job is at risk yes .
What am I going to do about it ? Nothing carry on .
I haven't had a holiday this year but if I can still work , dc goes to school we can still do stuff then I'll put up as what choice do I have .
A holiday is the least of my worry .

@DumplingsAndStew

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

I think the government have already warned they might have 2-3 weeks mini-lockdown over half-term (all the half-terms covered around the country) to dampen transmission down. I would be fine with 2 weeks (3 weeks too much schooling lost IMO) but if those staying in the UK have to do this, then the government should also stop those flying abroad for their holidays too - not least because that would be a consistent approach.

I do wonder though, what peorhino is the alternative to lockdown?

We had a relaxation of the rules and it’s spreading, you only need to look at the mask threads to see just how unhappy some people are with mask wearing.
No one seems to want to quarantine, and that would be the logic follow up of track and trace.

So what do we do?

Let it burn?

We have a cottage booked in the UK, we have half term earlier than a lot of people so we booked knowing it wouldn't be as busy. We are just looking forward to the change of scenery. By booking we hoped we would be helping some others out by spending in cafes etc, there are lots of businesses that need people to buy a coffee and a cake as this is how they will survive, if it can't be bought safely then we wont buy it. Most of our days away will be spent outdoors. If we can not go away, we will spend time outside local to us.

I am sure who owns the cottage we are renting will be glad of the income too.

Maybe it was silly booking but if it doesn't happen we will be able to get a refund.

What do you mean by ‘final straw’? Civil unrest, a revolt, mass depression?

Another point from me is that if a complete lockdown at October half term guarantees that my DSs school stays open, then sign me up for it right now.

Selfishly my DSs education and my mental health matter a lot more to me than the lives of strangers.

Of course I know it doesn't work that way

oh dear another entitled selfish mumsnetter that may not get to go on holiday and then will 'lose her patience'
Blimey! perhaps you should of tried living during the war and the 1918 pandemic. You would of had a melt down with rationing!

Grow up!

@Riceandpoppadoms

I think the government have already warned they might have 2-3 weeks mini-lockdown over half-term (all the half-terms covered around the country) to dampen transmission down*

Have they? Where/when is that?

Surely most people have the sense to realise that in the scheme of things a cancelled holiday is small stuff? Disappointing of course, but not unexpected. Most folk are more concentrated on jobs, bills etc and if all you have to worry about is a missed holiday you should count yourself very lucky imho

I really don't think that many people will be planning to go on holiday in October this year.

I think another lockdown in the manner of March to May/June - older people to self-isolate, stay at home unless you are exercising/buying food, all shops and businesses closed apart from groceries and pharmacy, all educational institutions closed, would tip a lot of people over the edge though.

@DumplingsAndStew - a week or two ago, there was widespread discussion of the Circuit-breaker (planned for 2 weeks over half-term)

I don't think it will happen, the travel industry is on it's knees as it is. I don't think there are the funds in most businesses to refund customers if everything is locked down again.

I did see people posting about the possibility of a circuit-break but no official source, or dates.

The Furlough scheme will be winding down fully by half term.
Tens of thousands of families will be facing life on Universal Credit for the foreseeable future
and the yummy mummies on here worry about holidays

FFS
Spend the money on quietly building up a supply of food that is imported
as the shops may well be very empty by the second week of January

We're in this current position because ppl wouldn't listen.

I am getting fed up of adults blaming schools starting back and not the behaviour of adults since just before lockdown up until now.

The absolute twit's crying over pubs closing early and flooding streets complaining... clearly no one is capable of behaving with common sense!

It's a very selfish attitude...be kind has obviously sodded off with no hopes of return.

In my area...last Thursday supermarket shelves cleared, only a few wearing masks, only a few practising social distancing. The virus hasn't gotten cleverer, it's not needed to with lazy humans.

We live in an instant society where ppl want results immediately, regardless of scientists saying that they are unfamiliar with the virus and ppl need to take every precaution to slow/prevent spread.

My father has been out 3 times since March...now his area is back in lockdown and bus services cut again. Physically he is getting weaker, at some point when movement is allowed, I will try to move him 500miles to live closer to me (my area is also in bloody lockdown). He's vunerable and had no help off his council or even a call off his GP to find out if he's ok, the only shining light has been his brilliant pharmacist keeping a check on his medication and delivering it.

Last straw? Nah. I have a holiday booked for half term to an area which is now in local lockdown. Will my kids understand if it's cancelled? Of course they will, because we've prepped them for it. We will instead carve pumpkins and go on autumn walks. I've already seen Santa visits being cancelled, so those who think this will be the "final straw" best get prepping the kids.

You can be hacked off about lost mg a holiday without being a yummy Mummy. Somewhere there is someone who is the most badly affected and most miserable person in the world, it is unlikely to be any of us but I don’t think that means that we can’t have a moan!

"It is thought that the circuit breaker could be timed for the half-term period at the end of October to avoid any further disruption to schools, a government source told the Financial Times"
From:
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/circuit-breaker-lockdown-coronavirus-uk-what-boris-johnson-b500116.html
@DumplingsAndStew

It's been 7 months of Covid disruption. It's a worldwide pandemic and a national emergency. At the beginning of all this, the best educated guesses were that a vaccine would take 18 months minimum to produce. It was obvious by April that there would be no return to normal without either a vaccine or effective treatments. Even by the most optimistic estimate (that there will be an effective vaccine, delivered roughly on time at 18 months), we're not halfway through.

So pull it together, OP. Everyone's suffering, a tragic many are dead or mourning their loved ones. It's shite. Declaring that disruption to the October half term is your last straw is frankly ridiculous.

I live in Spain and our schools dont have half terms ( instead they add it onto the summer holidays)
I just wonder if Half terms should take place considering a lock down may mean kids cant go in ( and haven't for a lot of last school year).
I understand that the kids will work from home, but it seems to me that this isn't really as intense as working from school.
Saying that it isn't fair to the teachers who then don't have a break either.

No, I think it’s pretty foolhardy to have booked holidays for October and people should only do it if they are fully prepared for it being cancelled.

Pubs and restaurants don’t matter to me right now (I do realise they are important for the economy, just answering on a personal level). What would send me over the edge would be school closures and children’s activities being cancelled. I can cope and I know it will come to an end but it’s not fair for children to have their lives put on hold again. I’m fed up with people saying “children are so resilient”. They may be, but it’s damaging all the same.