"Clap For Carers" is back again

[Sprinter153]

I did the ironing at 8pm on a Thursday last time. I felt it helped to have something to press down on whilst watching Boris Johnson (a man with all the compassion of a haemorrhoid) standing outside Number 10 clapping like a gurning chimpanzee.

 

[MikeWM]

This nonsense motivated me to go on nice long walks every Thursday, aiming to be in the middle of a field at 8pm each week rather than having to grit my teeth and raise my blood pressure. So it had its uses, I suppose. That won't be quite as successful a strategy in January as it was in April, unfortunately.

I wonder if anyone will actually do it this time? Hopefully not.

 

[brad465]

Agree with other sentiments against the move on here.

However there was one clap last year where I did an evening cycle ride and was passing through a Kent village at the clapping time, and rather amusingly had everyone suddenly pointing their claps and cheers towards me (as if I was a Tour de France rider). However it's cold and pitch black at that hour currently so won't be expecting or trying the same.

 

[kristiang85]

This nonsense motivated me to go on nice long walks every Thursday, aiming to be in the middle of a field at 8pm each week rather than having to grit my teeth and raise my blood pressure. So it had its uses, I suppose. That won't be quite as successful a strategy in January as it was in April, unfortunately.

I wonder if anyone will actually do it this time? Hopefully not.

Or, even better, time your evening run to finish at 8pm and you will feel like your whole street is clapping you home.

Edit: Or your bike ride, as @brad465 suggests above!

 

[Islineclear3_1]

I'm surprised it's not a "clap-for-politicians" as the UK is (almost) the world-beating country in the administration of the vaccine and no doubt, they will want everyone to know just how clever they are

 

[Class 33]

To add to what I said in the opening post, I didn't clap for carers the first time around, and won't be doing so this time - however many weeks this will go on for!

What with this returning, the return of a full March/April style national lockdown, the return of the "Stay at Home. Save Lives. Protect the NHS" slogan on the podiums of the Downing Street Press Conferences, I for one feel very much a sense of Deja Vu, and we've resetted right back to where we were some 10 months ago at the start of all this!

And to add to that comment above, we've also got really high numbers of cases, deaths, people in hospital, etc, all over again, just like we did back in April! So with all this and the "Clap for Carers" starting all over again, I'm feeling very much a sense of Deja Vu about all this. Which isn't going to do my mental health any good, and I expect millions other will feel the same.

 

[bramling]

Agree with other sentiments against the move on here.

However there was one clap last year where I did an evening cycle ride and was passing through a Kent village at the clapping time, and rather amusingly had everyone suddenly pointing their claps and cheers towards me (as if I was a Tour de France rider). However it's cold and pitch black at that hour currently so won't be expecting or trying the same.

At least you didn't get "stop panting your virus through our village", which was a not uncommon sight last March!

 

[High Dyke]

I didn't even remember that one !

It was that noticeable...

The best result would be for the Government / employers to recognise the efforts of front-line workers. A round of applause will not pay the bills!

 

[bramling]

It was that noticeable...

The best result would be for the Government / employers to recognise the efforts of front-line workers. A round of applause will not pay the bills!

Absolutely. I think it's fair to say most "key workers" feel pretty demoralised by the whole thing. Supermarket staff in particular have had it pretty bad. Just a bit of appreciative discourse from Boris would have gone a long way, whereas instead the main focus seemed to be on ensuring the nine to fivers got their summer holiday with a gluttony of discount meals thrown in!

 

[kristiang85]

Imagine if you were a person from the past with a time machine coming into 2021 to see what it's like. And then you go back to 1970-whatsit, and tell your superiors who sent you on the mission:

"In the future the government has removed all the fun things in life, apart from work, and even regulate who they can meet up with. And yet they stand outside their houses clapping like seals every Thursday!"

 

[bramling]

Imagine if you were a person from the past with a time machine coming into 2021 to see what it's like. And then you go back to 1970-whatsit, and tell your superiors who sent you on the mission:

"In the future the government has removed all the fun things in life, apart from work, and even regulate who they can meet up with. And yet they stand outside their houses clapping like seals every Thursday!"

It's farcical isn't it. Will be interesting to see to what extent the lemmings appear for the cult ritual tomorrow evening.

 

[Bantamzen]

Absolutely. I think it's fair to say most "key workers" feel pretty demoralised by the whole thing. Supermarket staff in particular have had it pretty bad. Just a bit of appreciative discourse from Boris would have gone a long way, whereas instead the main focus seemed to be on ensuring the nine to fivers got their summer holiday with a gluttony of discount meals thrown in!

Indeed, I'm a "key worker" for the government and they've already made it clear whilst we are "key workers", we are just not key enough to give a pay rise to this year (and potentially many more). Uh huh, I guess nearly a year's worth of furlough will do that. I've even lost annual leave this year not taking my full allowance and having too much to carry forward.

So I'm not actually sure if the claps will include me & my co-workers, or if we've been dropped from "hero" status to "and others".....

 

[brad465]

The tweet by the founder is going down like a lead balloon in the replies fortunately (yes it's twitter but I doubt the mood on Twitter was quite like that last time):

https://twitter.com/AnnemariePlas/status/1346767248971718656

We are bringing back the 8pm applause, in our 3rd lockdown I hope it can lift the spirit, of all of us. Carers teacher, homeschooling parents, those who shield and ALL who is pushing through this difficult time! Please join & share!

 

[hst43102]

Every Thursday on our main shop I always put a few quids worth of stuff in the foodbank box at my local supermarket, that is something everyone could do to make a difference for someone else.

Thank you for your contributions, but you would probably be better off donating money to a poverty charity - I can tell you first hand that a LOT of the food people donate into those boxes gets thrown out or rejected.

Back on topic - I really don't see the point of this clap for carers nonsense now. It *may* have raised morale last time but now it's just in really poor taste.

 

[Darandio]

Thank you for your contributions, but you would probably be better off donating money to a poverty charity - I can tell you first hand that a LOT of the food people donate into those boxes gets thrown out or rejected.

Back on topic - I really don't see the point of this clap for carers nonsense now. It *may* have raised morale last time but now it's just in really poor taste.

Maybe in your experience, not in the local Footprints one I donate to.

 

[hst43102]

Maybe in your experience, not in the local Footprints one I donate to.

That's great to hear, in that case, keep up the good work! For a number of years I've volunteered with a small local food charity and some of the larger food banks throw away absolutely loads of food.

 

[bramling]

Indeed, I'm a "key worker" for the government and they've already made it clear whilst we are "key workers", we are just not key enough to give a pay rise to this year (and potentially many more). Uh huh, I guess nearly a year's worth of furlough will do that. I've even lost annual leave this year not taking my full allowance and having too much to carry forward.

So I'm not actually sure if the claps will include me & my co-workers, or if we've been dropped from "hero" status to "and others".....

I get the feeling the focus on NHS has peeved quite a lot of other people off. As I say, supermarket staff have had a pretty grim year and have performed a function just as important as the NHS. And it doesn't seem like NHS staff receive the clapping particularly well either, my impression is it started to wear thin pretty quickly.

 

[3rd rail land]

I didn't clap on Thursdays at 8pm, or at all for that matter, when it was a thing in 2020 and I am not about to start now. I don't see the point.

I appreciate that NHS and other key workers worked extra hard during 2020 and continue to do so now but clapping doesn't achieve anything. As others have said they should really be given a decent pay rise for once but we know that won't happen. Despite the countless billions of pounds spent on the pandemic the Government will just say they can't afford to give all key workers a pay rise beyond what they might ordinarily get, which correct me if I am wrong is about 1%.

 

[RichJF]

I have a couple of acquaintances (one works in care, one works for NHS) & this sits very uneasily with them. They said the first claps were pointless & meant nothing after about about 3 weeks and preferred for people to watch the TV & stay in rather than standing on the street banging metal objects.

 

[Bantamzen]

I get the feeling the focus on NHS has peeved quite a lot of other people off. As I say, supermarket staff have had a pretty grim year and have performed a function just as important as the NHS. And it doesn't seem like NHS staff receive the clapping particularly well either, my impression is it started to wear thin pretty quickly.

Yeah, in my sector the news of no pay rises went down like a lead balloon. News of Thursday Happy Clappers went down like two.

 

[bramling]

Yeah, in my sector the news of no pay rises went down like a lead balloon. News of Thursday Happy Clappers went down like two.

I still sit by my promise that on the day Boris heads back to the palace (which I think is highly likely to be this year), I intend to be at the road-side somewhere rubbing it in.

 

[Islineclear3_1]

Of course, the standing at open windows/doorways or outdoors clapping and cheering is going to spread the virus around ...

 

[Trackman]

The tweet by the founder is going down like a lead balloon in the replies fortunately (yes it's twitter but I doubt the mood on Twitter was quite like that last time):

https://twitter.com/AnnemariePlas/status/1346767248971718656

Lift the spirits of us all? Hells Bells. What planet is she on? Last thing you want is weekly reminder on how bad things are.

'Clap for Carers' is a bad phrase to start with, unless we give them all antibiotics.

I think it has been mentioned up-thread, I don't think they will be a big turnout this time, everyone is really fed-up and if there was a novelty about it, that went a long time ago.

 

[DustyBin]

'Clap for Carers' is a bad phrase to start with, unless we give them all antibiotics.

That's my little laugh for the day!

 

[Logan Carroll]

I remember waking up at just after 8 on the first night they did it and not believing that people actually did that when my parents told me.

Glad to see the insanity hasn’t spread to this forum.

 

[GB]

Didn't clap then, certainly will not start now. Nothing against the frontline staff but the NHS as a whole has let down regular patients.

 

[weastebusdepot]

I live in a development of low rise flats close to a hospital and hence where a higher than the national average number of residents are healthcare professionals. So the idea of doing something to show they were appreciated seemed a good one. The first couple of Thursdays I went and stood in the communal garden and when I heard other people clapping I joined in. The third time there was no sign of anyone else so I didn't bother again.

However the last lot did quickly become an exercise in businesses trying to outdo each other on which could do the most theatrical clapping performance to post a video of it on their social media platforms.

 

[Hawkwood Junc]

I find the whole thing a bit odd and won't be partaking.

I have a friends who are NHS doctors who have been working throughout and I have enormous respect for the work they do and the vast majority of their colleagues. But the religious like fervour for the NHS is something that makes me hugely uneasy.

Hats off to all of those who have been working through this, be they NHS workers, those in transport, schools, supermarkets. I just don't see how this odd clapping ritual actually does anything. How about pressuring MPs form all parties for a better health service and better conditions all round.

 

[Bantamzen]

Didn't clap then, certainly will not start now. Nothing against the frontline staff but the NHS as a whole has let down regular patients.

I second this. Twice last year my wife had some serious non-covid health scares, twice the NHS tried to keep her away "because covid". Thankfully both proved to be nothing too serious, but it was an insight into the covid-centric thinking of NHS bosses.

 

[dan5324]

Clap for an institution that is messing up our freedoms, jobs, and everything else. An institution that had all summer to beef things up. And did diddly squat, apart from the TikToks. An institution that was and still is actively telling people to stay away. Nope. Might give it a boo or two though.