Tiers Of A Clown

[Bytheloch]

Thread #3456

Released from our dirty T4, but still bamboozled. Let’s keep each other sane on here...

@titsbumfannythelot
although I do agree the tory party in Scotland is proving to be as ineffective as all the others, what other options are there exactly?
Labour? Lib Dem?? The Greens??????????

Mind you, it all depends which way they vote where you are. That is probably the least wasteful way to cast your vote.

I agree waxon! I suppose "legally" there could be some inflow from the Borders/ East Lothian, but I can't imagine the numbers there would exceed Edinburgh's capacity! If anything, I'd have thought there would be more "illegal" travel when the tier 4 shops were closed, with people in that area coming through (or from NE England, I suppose, but that's also still illegal). Now t4 shops are open again, it would surely be easier for any westerners wanting a bit of illegal non-essential shopping action to go to glasgow/ Braehead or wherever. And no-one's concerned about poor little T2 Falkirk getting overloaded by "opening up their services two weeks before Christmas". (Sorry, yes, I have been to Falkirk...).

The main thing that could influence people coming to T2 Edinburgh rather than a T3 area, I suppose is the hospitality. But a restaurant open til 8, and serving booze is hardly going to be a huge draw, I wouldn't have thought. Its not as if the "nice, Christmas things" to attract tourists are on this year (Christmas markets, mulled wine, santa land, pantos etc). I love Edinburgh, and am obviously biased, but this year I can't see why anyone would choose it over their own high Street or nearest big city frankly.

Yes, I've been tactically voting for quite a long time now. It feels very negative as I'm voting against something rather for something. The SNP capitalised on that greatly when they were allowed to decide on the question in the referendum.

I think people are going to the shops all over the lothians, despite the rules. There is certainly not much reduction in the number of cars in IKEA or Costco’s car parks, both are in Midlothian but I know plenty of people who have been shopping there from Edinburgh (though a Billy bookcase may be essential I suppose).

Yes, that's what I was trying to say, maybe it's more about hospitality... again...?

I'm Lanarkshire and I visit Edinburgh every Christmas in normal circumstances but wouldn't bother this year. If I'm doing an illegal shopping trip it'll probably be to the fort.
Labour get my vote as they're the only party to come to close to SNP where I am so I feel like anything else would be a waste.

I feel so heartened by this thread - I used to think nothing could make people see the SNP for the incompetent, divisive and poisonous shower that they really are. But so many small business owners, particularly in hospitality, have been so damaged by the SNP delays in paying out the UK compensation and by imposing restrictive tiers longer than necessary, that I now have genuine hope we can give them a kicking in the May elections.
Please may I urge all of you to vote tactically for whichever candidate is best placed to beat the SNP.

I’m going with the hospitality angle too, the shops makes no sense. Our local angry restaurant owner says it’s because a&e will be overwhelmed from drunken Christmas parties, nothing to do with mingling (even soberly) on premises and spreading the virus, but more the drunk folk and mildly injured as a result of drinking, who rock up to A&E.
That makes a bit more sense for the main reason they can justify further restrictions on hospitality. They just won’t say that, as need to stick with the covid spread narrative to justify the other restrictions?

Tom Kitchin was on the news last night, saying that keeping Edinburgh in T3 was basically causing the hospitality industry a long, slow death. Yes they can open, but food/ soft drinks only, lunch only and reduced numbers is taking away the vast majority of their income, and they are losing money by opening (on top of the costs they had to make everything "covid safe"). Of course they still need to pay rent/ staff/ utility/ food wastage costs etc when they are open, whereas if they were totally closed some of those would be reduced.

I did feel for him, and others in his situation... its an awful place to be in. If he just stayed closed and claimed the business loans/ furlough or whatever, he'd maybe save some money, but would lose "visibility", his skilled staff would leave before being made redundant and so on. Obviously his "kind" of restaurant will get custom even with partial opening, but if even he can't make it work profitably, you wonder how many other non-famous places must be even worse off.

Those minority rocking up to A&E would surely be tested and then tracing kicks in?

@Bytheloch

I’m going with the hospitality angle too, the shops makes no sense. Our local angry restaurant owner says it’s because a&e will be overwhelmed from drunken Christmas parties, nothing to do with mingling (even soberly) on premises and spreading the virus, but more the drunk folk and mildly injured as a result of drinking, who rock up to A&E. That makes a bit more sense for the main reason they can justify further restrictions on hospitality. They just won’t say that, as need to stick with the covid spread narrative to justify the other restrictions?

In most years I'd agree... But how raucous is a group of 6 people from 2 households (staying 2m away from each other if course) going to get before chucking out time at 8pm?! It's not like there are going to be office parties or stag and hen nights.... Or if your angry restaurant owner has them in their place, maybe they need to think about how strictly they are following the hospitality guidance .

They may move the party on outside, or back to someone's home after 8 I assume, resulting in said A and E trip. But they'd do that regardless of the restaurant being open or not.

At this point I’m just assuming they don’t want the gap between Edinburgh & Glasgow restrictions to be too big - bring everyone down rather than have some succeed

Their usual approach gibbons. I saw that - good on Tom Kitchn for taking a stand. Perhaps I need a lunch at the scran.

I would think a small number would end up in A&E, but he said it would overwhelm (isn’t that the case most Fridays in December back in our normal life?) and couldn’t manage to test everyone. I would assume if nightclubs were reopening (When will that ever happen?), it would generate serious issues for a&e?
He’s-understandably- annoyed that restaurants are being portrayed as where people will go to ‘get drunk’ (his words) if their local pub doesn’t reopen.

Well we've just crossed the non existent border into England

@hilbil21

Well we've just crossed the non existent border into England

Woohoo! I hope you’ve held your breath on as long as possible

Enjoy yourself @hilbil21 !

Yes Tier 3 really is death by a thousand paper cuts for restaurants. I felt so sorry for the manager at The Bonham - he genuinely thought they were moving to Tier 2 this week and could offer a lunch with drinks - they said they wouldn't get enough customers without being able t serve alcohol and were going to close Sun - Thu.

@hilbil21

Well we've just crossed the non existent border into England

Enjoy!

It's almost surprising that more restaurants and hotels haven't taken the same route as Nardinis and Gleneagles - shut up until spring and furlough all the staff.

Just a thought how much money is HMRC loosing in lost alcohol revenue?

I don't know but hmrc probably raking it in from supermarket alcohol sales though. All their people drinking alone in their flats as this year has been so awful etc.

I've seen some posts on LinkedIn by the owner of Bucks Bar, I feel so angry fir them.

I only have anecdotal 3rd hand info but a friends daughter works for a major retailer in the centre of Edinburgh. When the west were in tier 4 there were a lot of west coast accents noted in the shop especially at the weekends. I would bet my bottom dollar that this won't be the case now Glashow shops can open.
The shutting of retail in the west just before Christmas was very short sighted in my humble opinion and may well contribute to any spread over in the east. Not blaming people at all it's just a consequence of these ridiculous restrictions.

@hilbil21

Well we've just crossed the non existent border into England

Wooooo- hoooooo! Well done. Have a great time

Nightclubs aren't even allowed to open in tier 0, so no chance of anyone going there to get pissed in the foreseeable... I still don't think restaurants with a "substantial meal" requirement are going to take over the pub/ nightclub territory. (Outdoors you may not need to have food, but I think the venue needs to have the capacity to serve food, so wet pubs are still stuffed in T2... plus, it's outside. In Scotland, in December). All the drinks market has moved to home drinking I assume - based on my extensive and robust research of my house. So you just know the SNP are working on ways to stop that, by stopping supermarket sales or whatever, as someone mentioned on the last thread.

@hilbil21

Well we've just crossed the non existent border into England

Woo-hoo. Enjoy the relative freedom, have a substantial meal and a glass of something nice for all of us here!