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What would you like to hear from Boris Johnson's announcement on Sunday evening?

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Bletchleyite

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Pubs improve the mental health of and reduce suidicide in males so maybe we need to reopen pubs first.

The problem with pubs is that people get drunk in them, and when people get drunk they tend to be more cavalier about e.g. social distancing.

That said, it'd be nice to sit in a beer garden for a meal even if it was only with a Coke.
 
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Domh245

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As you may be aware the UK sanctioning body, MotorsportUK (RAC MSA) has suspended all activities up to 30th June. The major circuits have their own medical facilities. I expect very little domestic club racing to go ahead this year. All championships are working hard to reduce team and media personnel required at the track at each race. Many championships will race behind closed doors, or limit spectator numbers to allow distancing.

Even with at-circuit medical facilities there's still the potential for a big one that requires medical evacuation to a hospital. There's also plenty of attendance at the circuit by medics, both as dedicated paramedics and volunteer marshals. Certainly whilst there's still concerns about NHS capacity it's unlikely that they'll be able to get enough volunteers and dedicated medical teams to run unfortunately.
I agree that we're unlikely to see any club racing, not least because most of the competitors will be tightening their belts! (metaphorically, not their seat belts!)

Unfortunately Garden Centres are about the only kind of business that has seen a significant proportion not listen to the rules and there has been a not insignificant number of centres refusing to close throughout the lcokdown. In my opinion this means such businesses should be the last allowed to reopen as their selfishness has almost certainly led to a longer lock down for everyone else.

I can't say I'd heard much about these rebel garden centres, indeed quite the opposite I've heard plenty of complaints from them about plenty of stock going to waste. Certainly I don't think that garden centres staying open will have lengthened the lockdown by any considerable margin
 

Bletchleyite

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I can't say I'd heard much about these rebel garden centres, indeed quite the opposite I've heard plenty of complaints from them about plenty of stock going to waste. Certainly I don't think that garden centres staying open will have lengthened the lockdown by any considerable margin

In any case, any change to the measures should be determined by risk/benefit analysis, not collective punishment (almost all of @Qwerty133's suggestions seem to be based around the idea of collective punishment). If centres opened in breach of the law, prosecute their directors.
 

stevetay3

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I would like to see a bit more clarity as to which instructions are just advice and which are legal requirements.
 

Carlisle

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3) Limited return for office based staff, prioritised by employers for those most in need of the office environment, and/or are within walking/cycling distance.
Was there ever actually a ban on office based staff going into work if they couldn’t work from home & providing social distancing measures were in place
 

Islineclear3_1

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All might be ruined now as police have been stopping/fining people driving to Brighton today. One person had driven from Milton Keynes...

There's at least 2 regulars on this forum from that area... ;)

I'm really hoping its fake news...
 

muz379

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What I want to hear is that furniture shops can reopen , gyms and swimming pools can reopen and that I can visit friends and family not in my household . But thats me being selfish .

What I think we will hear is the first baby steps towards relaxing the stay at home advice , with the guidance about only exercising once being relaxed and maybe being able to visit non vulnerable friends or family outside your household .

I'm not sure about the private property bit necessarily. I don't see a problem with people meeting in a park or on a beach etc, however as you say, there needs to be an emphasis on physical distancing.
The only problem with that is I can then see these places getting overcrowded and it being difficult to maintain distancing ,especially if other social venues like pubs remain closed . Confining it to private property first and foremost means that people can go and visit friends and family in their homes without being at risk of not being able to socially distance from other people .
Seeing as the Government allowed for Car Repair & MOT services to remain open, this is something that isn't really within their control (although I suspect that withdrawing the Job Retention Scheme will focus minds and get employers who'd closed without being required to back to work)
Agreed , it was actually slightly annoying that almost all franchised dealers decided to close . I would have got my car serviced whilst it was not used as much and I suspect a lot of other people would . Instead due to the financial concerns this pandemic has caused I have made the decision I will be keeping this car until it is completely dead so I have foregone the manufacturer stamp and serviced it myself .
If MOT services are open why the need to extend MOT validities for 6 months?
Because even though they did not get ordered to do so plenty of MOT stations did close and there was public/motoring group pressure that lack of availbility would cause people to be forced off the road . I dont think that it would have made good headline news that all these key workers could no longer get to work because their nearest MOT garage was 50 miles away and fully booked .

Because there is no need. McDonalds, KFC etc were never told to close.

The big chains did it purely from a logistical perspective. They needed to take stock and review operations to find a way that suppliers, staff and customers could operate within social distancing guidelines, some are starting to reopen on a takeaway basis. Independent takeaways didn't need to do this on such a large scale so could remain open while maintaining their own social distancing system.
Yes a point I think a lot of people missed entirely , for the likes of these big chains it was easier to close for a period , have the government pay the wage bill whilst they took stock and brought in place modified operations . Some of their outlets are also on business/retail parks or in city centre locations where the majority of units have had to close so closure was only going to be a natural reaction to lack of footfall . Some smaller takeaways/cafes for example have done the same .
I'd like to see Garden Centres being told that due to widespread non compliance within the sector that they'll be the last thing to reopen (both to punish them for breaking lockdown and as a deterrent for other businesses thinking about reopening)
I cant say I agree , punish the whole sector for the actions of some businesses seems unreasonable, not to mention what difference would such a measure make to businesses that already have shown they have no issue ignoring the law ?
 

scotrail158713

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Restoration of dental treatment services .
Definitely! For the sanity of staff as much as the well-being of patients. My Mum is a dentist and when I spoke to her the other day she said it’s sole destroying dealing with patients just now. No treatment can be done so all they can do is give them pain killers to take, even though they know they won’t work in the long term. More and more are getting fitted for PPE every day though, my Mum is getting fitted this coming week, so hopefully the situation begins to improve.
 

Bletchleyite

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Was there ever actually a ban on office based staff going into work if they couldn’t work from home & providing social distancing measures were in place

No. But I suspect the post you replied to meant "those psychologically needing human contact", as those who physically can't do their job from home can indeed still go to work.
 

yorksrob

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The only problem with that is I can then see these places getting overcrowded and it being difficult to maintain distancing ,especially if other social venues like pubs remain closed . Confining it to private property first and foremost means that people can go and visit friends and family in their homes without being at risk of not being able to socially distance from other people .

That's true to an extent. But I expect the real honeypots such as national trust properties have wardens etc. Presumably they could count people in/out. But failing that, I agree, visiting people on private property would still be an improvement.
 

Bletchleyite

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All might be ruined now as police have been stopping/fining people driving to Brighton today. One person had driven from Milton Keynes...

There's at least 2 regulars on this forum from that area... ;)

I'm really hoping its fake news...

The furthest I've been today is Peartree Bridge to drop someone off an aid package.
 

Bletchleyite

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That's true to an extent. But I expect the real honeypots such as national trust properties have wardens etc. Presumably they could count people in/out. But failing that, I agree, visiting people on private property would still be an improvement.

Things like National Trust places could take advance bookings only, just like pubs etc.

The main "honeypot" issues are in places that can't, like the likes of Brighton Beach, Snowdon etc.
 

muz379

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That's true to an extent. But I expect the real honeypots such as national trust properties have wardens etc. Presumably they could count people in/out. But failing that, I agree, visiting people on private property would still be an improvement.
I would support that for places which can manage crowds like that , although majority of national trust estate in my experience is open access . Much like my local council run park it has about 8 or 9 different entrances and is already increasingly busy as the weather has got better.
 

yorksrob

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Things like National Trust places could take advance bookings only, just like pubs etc.

The main "honeypot" issues are in places that can't, like the likes of Brighton Beach, Snowdon etc.

Much as I love Brighton, I don't know why it seems to be such a blue touch paper in this crisis (the idea of going there without the pier or pubs open seems to be pointless) - but we are still in the lockdown. In a post lockdown world, there's potentially no more difference in risk in people being spaced out along its uncomfortable pebbly beach than at their local park.
 

Bletchleyite

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Much as I love Brighton, I don't know why it seems to be such a blue touch paper in this crisis (the idea of going there without the pier or pubs open seems to be pointless) - but we are still in the lockdown. In a post lockdown world, there's potentially no more difference in risk in people being spaced out along its uncomfortable pebbly beach than at their local park.

"Honeypotting" is the issue. If it was only Brightonians on the beach, that'd be fine (just like Campbell Park and Willen, Furzton and Caldecotte Lakes in MK will just mostly be populated by people who live in MK or very near to it). But the trouble with Brighton (and Snowdonia, and the Lakes...) is that they are famous tourist honeypots. As soon as the "go" is given, half of London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds etc will decamp to one of them, and then you've got a problem - alongside the fact that they don't have the hospital capacity to cope if there was big spread.

The effect of this would be reduced if they said something like "discretionary travel is now allowed but only within a 50 mile radius of your home", which is sort of what the French have done (100km).
 

yorksrob

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"Honeypotting" is the issue. If it was only Brightonians on the beach, that'd be fine (just like Campbell Park and Willen, Furzton and Caldecotte Lakes in MK will just mostly be populated by people who live in MK or very near to it). But the trouble with Brighton (and Snowdonia, and the Lakes...) is that they are famous tourist honeypots. As soon as the "go" is given, half of London, Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds etc will decamp to one of them, and then you've got a problem - alongside the fact that they don't have the hospital capacity to cope if there was big spread.

The effect of this would be reduced if they said something like "discretionary travel is now allowed but only within a 50 mile radius of your home", which is sort of what the French have done (100km).

Yes, perhaps that would work. Although maybe 60 miles !
 

JonathanH

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The effect of this would be reduced if they said something like "discretionary travel is now allowed but only within a 50 mile radius of your home", which is sort of what the French have done (100km)

The radius is going to have to be considerably less than 50 miles. I think I would go for 10 miles - that is enough for everyone to get out into local countryside and local attractions. 50 miles means that a lot of people can get to Brighton for example.
 

DannyMich2018

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Barbers and hairdressers are on many people's wishes. I also think many outdoor places should be allowed to re-open such as gardens, castles, zoos and many other outdoor tourist attractions, these will be more easy to manage regarding socially distancing rather than cramped indoor places and will at least help our tourist industry in what would would be a busy time of the year. I also think large indoor museums such as NRM etc should re-open in due course-allowing for social distancing and limit the numbers in at any one time.
 

greyman42

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Pubs improve the mental health of and reduce suidicide in males so maybe we need to reopen pubs first.
Yes, get the pubs open. If people are as terrified to go outside, as some will tell you, then they will be very quiet anyway.
 

Qwerty133

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The radius is going to have to be considerably less than 50 miles. I think I would go for 10 miles - that is enough for everyone to get out into local countryside and local attractions. 50 miles means that a lot of people can get to Brighton for example.
10 miles wouldn't even give access to any level of shopping facilities for some rural people so is of little use as a generic rule. 50 miles is perfectly doable in most circumstances, and would always be possible to bring in local restrictions if it was making social distancing impossible.
 

MDB1images

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On another forum I frequent some people were moaning how street parties around them had descended into "distancing chaos". They were wailing how it "signaled the end of lockdown".

The one I saw started off well, everyone social distanced at the start, after an hour that slipped a little.
Once alcohol kicked in it ended completely.
Would have loved to have seen Pubs with large Beer Gardens open but as demonstrated yesterday a very small percentage of the population are too stupid to be allowed to self govern.

Would love to see clear guidance to all companies on what social distancing means before they open.
For instance the Government Health advisors have stated throughout face masks have little benefit along with gloves, the World Health Organisation use the same line so if the plan is face masks/coverings to open businesses up I'd like to know how something that is currently deemed of little use suddenly became the solution to opening things up and if what we are doing is nothing more than a visual 'feel good' action as opposed to the proper actions that should be implemented but cost far more money.l and are harder to implement than just saying wear a face mask.
 

HLE

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There is a public footpath straight across Tattenhoe Lane Golf Course in MK. However, rarely does anyone actually walk across it, there are plenty of alternatives and most people probably don't even know it's there.

Yes there's a number up and down the country with public footpaths through them. Churston has a road running at the back of the 2nd green although it's a lightly used private road.

But the majority I've played on don't have them.
My own club is enclosed on all four sides to keep undesirables off the fairways, greens and teeboxes.
 

bramling

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All might be ruined now as police have been stopping/fining people driving to Brighton today. One person had driven from Milton Keynes...

There's at least 2 regulars on this forum from that area... ;)

I'm really hoping its fake news...

I can't say I noticed any extra traffic on the road today to be fair. Travelling into work this afternoon (after being absolutely begged to come in for the weekend due to a short-notice absence!) the motorway was fairly empty, the most conspicuous traffic was vans. Even the London end was fairly quiet.

Perhaps everyone was in Brighton at the time! ;)
 

GB

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Why all the talk about dentistry? They were on the closure exception list from day one.
 

JonathanH

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10 miles wouldn't even give access to any level of shopping facilities for some rural people so is of little use as a generic rule. 50 miles is perfectly doable in most circumstances, and would always be possible to bring in local restrictions if it was making social distancing impossible.

Yes, I get that - it might be permissible for people in really rural locations to be able to travel further for the reason you indicate but ten, maybe fifteen, miles is sufficient for most people to have a varied mix of attractions, countryside and urban experience.
 

JonathanH

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Why all the talk about dentistry? They were on the closure exception list from day one.

Dentists can't function to any material consent because most of the treatments involve an 'aerosol' spray - ie small water droplets which hang in the air.

Therefore, while they could have stayed open for check ups, they wouldn't have been able to do any treatment, and frankly there was no point.

Some 'urgent care' centres have been set up with staff in full PPE.
 

yorkie

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Unfortunately Garden Centres are about the only kind of business that has seen a significant proportion not listen to the rules and there has been a not insignificant number of centres refusing to close throughout the lcokdown. In my opinion this means such businesses should be the last allowed to reopen as their selfishness has almost certainly led to a longer lock down for everyone else.
Do you have evidence of rule breaking?

Anyway you're out of luck:

Garden centres in England will be allowed to reopen next week as one of the early steps to ease coronavirus lockdown measures, a senior government source has told the BBC.

Centres can reopen from Wednesday if they comply with social distancing.

Nursery bosses must control the number of people inside their shops so customers can keep 2m from each other, while in-store cafes must stay closed.

The Welsh Government has said garden centres can open from Monday.
 

bramling

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The one I saw started off well, everyone social distanced at the start, after an hour that slipped a little.
Once alcohol kicked in it ended completely.
Would have loved to have seen Pubs with large Beer Gardens open but as demonstrated yesterday a very small percentage of the population are too stupid to be allowed to self govern.

There were certainly some issues in my road yesterday. Interestingly most of the people out in the street were those apparently shielding (which to be fair presumably *if* they've been robustly shielding then they should post little threat to each other by this stage). It seems someone "snitched", as police were going round asking if anyone knew of any trouble - the first time I've actually seen any police in my town since the lockdown came in. Then there were a few arguments between people sitting in the street and passing traffic. A not-too-wonderful atmosphere in what's normally a tranquil road!

Perhaps I should add for completeness that we didn't join in on the "fun". I'd certainly echo the point that some people were apparently getting a little tactile after having taken in some alcohol.
 
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