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Brexit

Westministenders: A Year of Johnson

976 replies

RedToothBrush · 24/07/2020 21:34

So having given the benefit of the doubt...

... whats your reflections?

Good (and yes do have some thoughts on the positive - challenge yourself on this one as its important) and the bad (and yes this is the easy bit but keep it within reason)?

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BigChocFrenzy · 31/07/2020 01:31

It must be a relief that at least his employer is sensible
.... but do you need to visit IKEA for comfy office chair & desk - and do you have the space ?

Are you sending in DS in Sept, if cases get under control again ?

BigChocFrenzy · 31/07/2020 01:36

Everyone should have returned from hols by end August, but I hope this doesn't mean umpteen other areas restricted again.

It's bizarre:
Millions able to go to the pubs & restaurants - and will have to pretend not to recognise family, just casually strike up an SD conversation ?

RedToothBrush · 31/07/2020 01:41

BCF, full list of boroughs which shows this week compared to last week is here:

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/breaking-government-announce-major-greater-18691720

Swindon looks likely to be the place to watch for next.

DH is completely burnt out from working from home tbh. He's taken this week off at short notice because he's found it so hard. Whilst he's glad his employer is looking after him he's also going stir crazy.

We have enough furniture although I'm off to Ikea next week if the item I'm waiting on comes back in stock.

DS is going back to school in Sept as we don't have a choice. TBH I'm just happy the pointless bubble shit has gone. I'm not too concerned about the level of the virus locally at the moment anyway (give me a couple of weeks on that one though). If we don't send him back we get fined. Schools might not reopen at this rate anyway!

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RedToothBrush · 31/07/2020 01:46

BCF living in a small community with a community centred pub its very difficult to avoid people you know! Especially if you are one of the regulars.

We went a couple of weeks ago and took a picture to send to a friend, and she joked that we all looked like we were spies as we were all sat on different tables pretending not to know each other!

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BigChocFrenzy · 31/07/2020 02:01

I was wondering if Hancock, BJ and Dom have just dreamed up this latest lark at a pub

BigChocFrenzy · 31/07/2020 02:02

It's like trying to figure out what someone sozzled actually meant to say

BigChocFrenzy · 31/07/2020 02:14

So far reasonably ok where I am:

89 cases yesterday in my state of 6 million
7 cases in my admistrative district of 270,000 giving 2.5 cases / 100,000
Cases in Germany have risen to 570 daily and 4.8 / 100,000
but R is 1.01 - 1.17 atm, a lot from large parties & returning holidaymakers

I'll be continuing with gym unless things get considerably worse
I'm sure Listening will as well

RedToothBrush · 31/07/2020 02:18

Glad you said that, as id had a drink before the news came in...

One thing i find interesting in those figures is Manchesters numbers (as in the Borough of Manchester rather than the wider city).

My friend lives in Manchester and i visited her last week. There was next to no one around. She lives in a student area and the place is like a ghost town.

Manchester's population does drop significantly during the summer when students go home as a rule.

Given that its apparently young people driving the infection rates, i think that its not schools that are going to pose the biggest problem in September. Its going to be universities. All the noise has been about schools but i think its university towns that need to be watched.

Now given that Manchester is high on the list in that context, its concerning. Theres been a drive to get people back to work in the city centre but the whole borough (not just the city centre) is quieter than normal.

Im trying to figure out why Traffords numbers might have jumped so much too, when the same isnt true in neighbouring counties. The figures for both Warrington and Cheshire East are down. Why? Its not go a high Asian population unlike a lot of other places high on the list.

To add to the bonkers the MEN is reporting the following now too:

Rossendale in Lancashire was among a number of areas where new rules have been introduced preventing households from meeting each other inside their homes or in gardens following a spike in virus cases.

But figures from Public Health England on the Government’s coronavirus online dashboard show Rossendale had a rate of new cases in the seven days to July 27 of 4.2, compared to 60.2 in Leicester and 54.3 in Oldham which have also been placed under restrictions.

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RedToothBrush · 31/07/2020 02:21

Rossendale smacks of Raab geography and not knowing where Dover is.

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QueenOfThorns · 31/07/2020 06:40

What a complete mess. I went to sleep last night convinced that it would all become clear by morning. You’d have thought I’d have learned by now! Still not sure whether our cleaner is allowed to come this morning and whether DD will have a holiday club to go to Confused

I’m pretty sure that they had no clue about Eid until very late on and this is the result of a panicked scramble to react.

gnomeisland · 31/07/2020 07:14

Given that its apparently young people driving the infection rates, i think that its not schools that are going to pose the biggest problem in September. Its going to be universities. All the noise has been about schools but i think its university towns that need to be watched.

Red this is our concern too. DH works in the local Uni in a role which will be working face to face with returning students in September. Academics and management will all be working remotely for the foreseeable but there are many other staff who will be back on campus.
We're in Cornwall and the tourist season is in full swing. Having seen how relaxed many of our visitors are we are concerned about at least a percentage of returning students and the new intake not taking enough care.
DH is an older, wider member of staff. I am worried.

borntobequiet · 31/07/2020 07:39

Universities yes, also FE colleges that have learners of all ages, many on day or block release courses when they come in from a very wide range of workplaces. I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I’ve just been fully informed off our arrangements from September when they will be complying with regulations to the letter while simultaneously operating as “normal“ with the restrictions impacting directly on the safety and comfort of staff and students, and the quality of learning, via faux “bubbles”, putting some necessary equipment out of commission and making it almost impossible to go to the toilet.

Zebracat · 31/07/2020 07:47

I’m in Oadby and Wgston and I think we came out of lockdown yesterday, although it is not clear. I think Leicestercity is now under the same restrictions as Manchester etc, but no one reall6 knows. Seriously, announcing massive restrictions to civil liberties in a really garbled way onTwitter? Wtf

QuestionMarkNow · 31/07/2020 07:52

The figures for both Warrington and Cheshire East are down. Why? Its not go a high Asian population unlike a lot of other places high on the list.

Today is Eid. So maybe the reason for the strict rules there (and not meeting up in any shape or form within houses) is to avoid the mixing up of households that happens at that time....

QuestionMarkNow · 31/07/2020 07:59

FWIW, my Uni has decided to continue with remote learning until January unless impossible to do (eg practicals, hands on learning etc...).

I know most of universities haven’t done anything like this because lockdown happened so close to exam time and them stopping for the summer anyway. But I know we did carry on until the end of June. It worked well and could easily to be organised my most FE.

I know there are talks about everything been driven by younger people because they are not careful etc...
I think it feeds well into a narrative that young people, as a group, are careless. And interestingly doesn’t adress thé issue of men. Men are the only people I saw in supermarkets wo a mask. They are ones who are more likely not to follow the rules etc.... And seeing that in the areas going on stricter rules, the reason for the spread is families meeting up, I very much doubt that, so far, it’s only young people who have been driving the pike there.

borntobequiet · 31/07/2020 08:25

I’ve been pushing to deliver remotely for more learners but am meeting with inexplicable resistance, even though what I have been doing for the last 4 months has worked extremely well. The funding rules are Byzantine and are interpreted by my managers as requiring physical presence to validate learning.

yoikes · 31/07/2020 08:26

No fucking clue whats going on! Ugh. Shower of utter incompetents.

No idea what's going to happen here in schools in Aug/Sept.

Ds2 due back on 26th Aug and ds1 due back (and straight into exams they didn't sit in June...) on 2nd Sept...

Ds1 has already been informed it's blended learning next academic year (which they didn't manage well at all imo) and he'll only be on site 50% of his timetable.

Ds2 is supposed to be back at a new school full time.

Now...call me a cynic...but I'm not assuming either of those things come to pass.

I'll check the oximeter brand x

yoikes · 31/07/2020 08:27

uni students this year will just defer

RedToothBrush · 31/07/2020 08:36

@yoikes

uni students this year will just defer
They may not be able to / allowed to.

Otherwise it screws up universities financially. Which could mean some courses are binned completely. Or universities go under completely.

It also will put extra pressure on admissions for next year. So yr12 students who have missed out on teaching last year, will have even more work to do in yr 13 to compete with the grades of this years leavers who have deferred.

I am expecting normal deferment arrangements to be binned this year. Students will have to completely reapply for next year and if youve sat on your arse for a year that might well count against you under the circumstances.

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mrslaughan · 31/07/2020 08:40

DS is due back in sept - he weekly boards. I have read their plan..... not really sure how it works in practise.
DS did really well with the online provision - he actually did better than in the classroom as part of his SEN is inability to filter -the online environment does that naturally.
Tbh I would prefer them having each year group in for a day for social / and the practical side of GSCE's he needs to do..... than trying to do bubbles. And then online provision for the rest of the time. It would make for one really long day for us ..... but I think in our case the educational outcomes would be better.
But I don't think the guidance at the moment allows for this . I think unless specified otherwise by the government- they have to do the hours in school, sitting at a desk..... very Victorian....:

yoikes · 31/07/2020 08:44

rtb really???
Poor ds1 is going into Y13 and really worried:(
I'm just not sure how best to advise him (I didn't go to uni and dh did an apprenticeship degree)
I did wonder about him travelling/working for a year but tbh will he even be able to travel???
At least he'd know his eventual grades when applying I guess...?

Clavinova · 31/07/2020 08:57

From the Manchester Evening News link;

"Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham welcomed the measures, which he said would be reviewed on a weekly basis."

RedToothBrush · 31/07/2020 09:00

@yoikes

rtb really??? Poor ds1 is going into Y13 and really worried:( I'm just not sure how best to advise him (I didn't go to uni and dh did an apprenticeship degree) I did wonder about him travelling/working for a year but tbh will he even be able to travel??? At least he'd know his eventual grades when applying I guess...?
Well what the hell do you think will happen if loads of current leavers decide to defer for a year?

There will be consequences if loads of students are able to defer. What do you think those consequences will be?

Its not in the interests of universities to allow that to happen if they have an option to restrict deferment. They need all the students they can get in September.

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RedToothBrush · 31/07/2020 09:01

Just because Burnham agrees with the lockdown doesn't mean he agrees with the way its been announced nor the detail of the lockdown.

He's said as much but i note thats not the quote used.

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DGRossetti · 31/07/2020 09:41

All very well buying oximeters and BP gauges, but you then need to make sure they remain calibrated and the batteries don't leak on an ongoing basis. Otherwise you'll simply be "doing a UK" like the out of date disintegrating PPE farce.