***** This thread is now closed, please CLICK HERE to go to Volume 9 *****
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And on it goes....keep safe
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Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 25 Mar 20 at 11:29
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Article on p.14 describing how the cabinet has dealt with the epidemic over the last few weeks.
It seems Cummings pushed for the 'herd immunity' plan but was then the one demanding rapid change when it became apparent that it would result in 250,000 - 500,000 deaths.
Paywalled online but I'll put this here for now.
postimg.cc/gallery/38g31cunq/
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Thank you for that.
Though it does remind me how much I miss newspapers.
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"It seems Cummings pushed for the 'herd immunity' plan but ........."
He probably read what I had to say about it. ;-)
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...well, I suppose somebody had to..... ;-)
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Brompt, there is a closed FB group called Isle of Barra and also an account by same name on twitter.
Although FB is closed group ask to join and they will accept you.
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Just been looking over some flash figures for tomorrow morning.
Borrowing by business customers has spiked, unsurprisingly and its over a week away from monthly payroll day - not a good sign.
Some PAYE BGC to HMRC went out Friday (due 19th) the run is usually 22nd but may be 23rd so some of these will hit accounts tomorrow. If we stop or return any payments it will be to the Govt as stopping payments to suppliers has supply implications.
Someone is doing a lot of calculations re the pay grants and I have seen emails out to some customers asking for payroll details so the potential grants can be assessed and facilities put in place to cover same. Problem is some business have come back to say GDPR doesn't allow them to do this! Stupid really as we have the details from their last payroll BACs run but it takes an age to log on to each account and access these so if a customer wants quick support they need to help us help them.
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Mister.
Do you know there isn't a padlock on volume 6?
Does it matter?
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www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51995092
Looks plenty were out and about enjoying themselves. Only a matter of days I think until a more general forced self isolation is announced.
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"Looks plenty were out and about enjoying themselves."
Yep - they think it's a Bank Holiday.
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Thanks Duncan, I dropped the key earlier !@
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>> It would be good to see some really serious punishments dealt out to stop these.
Some people really do reserve to die.
Last edited by: VxFan on Mon 23 Mar 20 at 02:11
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>>Some people really do reserve to die.
Yes, they do. And I hope they do.
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A while ago four 20-somethings bought a house in our close as a house-share. Yesterday morning one of guys, who is in the TA, threw a huge kitbag into his car and left. I then realised that I hadn't seen either of the two nurses who also live there for more than a week. I guess they're either working extended shifts and staying in staff quarters or, more likely, they've been transferred to help out at another hospital.
On another note, the local fish-wrap is reporting that thieves have been stealing catalytic converters from staff cars at our local hospital. Let's hope they're on CCTV and spend some time in a cell with Big Bubba along with whoever they are fencing them through!
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Our local boots got ram raided last night, result? it was duty chemist this morning but was closed because the front was demolished.
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And they'll be the first crying and whining if they can't get treatement when they need it. One can but hope.
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I don't understand it.
I was no saint as a kid, but Christ, I would never have gone anywhere near as far as some of these! I feared a rollicking from Dad, or even worse, a total rollicking from Mum.
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>> I don't understand it.
>>
>> I was no saint as a kid, but Christ, I would never have gone anywhere
>> near as far as some of these! I feared a rollicking from Dad, or even
>> worse, a total rollicking from Mum.
I'd have been worried about being shamed in front of my mates who would have seen me as a lowlife. That particular dynamic seems to have changed somewhat these days.
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>> I'd have been worried about being shamed in front of my mates who would have
>> seen me as a lowlife. That particular dynamic seems to have changed somewhat these days.
>>
I guess people chose friends of the same type.
The worst thing I did as a kid (before mobiles) was turn up home from a party as dad was leaving for work, without telling them where I was.
Hadn't thought that they were up most of the night worrying.
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This a set oif graphics that I found useful and easy to follow.
Especially note;
-How fatality ramps up by age
-Similarity in infectioness to Spanish Flu
-The US on the trajectory chart.
It is clearly essential that we get a grip on the total number of cases, not just those that become noticed byt eh system.
informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/covid-19-coronavirus-infographic-datapack
Do note that it's a couple of days old though.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Mon 23 Mar 20 at 00:01
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Haywain Sat 21 Mar 20 22:02
>>Yes, I do - absolutely I do. Last Tuesday, we said goodbye to our beautiful 3yr old granddaughter; after she'd gone my wife and I looked at one another with tear-filled eyes, but we knew what was for the best.
s*** that's awful, I cannot imagine how that must feel. I hate being so far from my elderly and unhealthy parents, but I'd fall apart if I was away from my children and a 3yr old grandchild must hurt just as much.
My heart goes out to you and I sincerely hope that you and your wife get to see your granddaughter again as soon as possible.
It also makes me feel terribly guilty that I have kept my own children 8,000 miles distant from my parents for a few years. How could I not have thought that through?
I shall put that right as soon as we are able to relocate. God willing that I have the opportunity.
Stay well.
Last edited by: No FM2R on Mon 23 Mar 20 at 00:10
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"My heart goes out to you and I sincerely hope that you and your wife get to see your granddaughter again as soon as possible."
Thank you. Currently there must be countless scenes going on around the country that are reminiscent of Neville Shute's 'On the Beach' as the radiation cloud approached.
But we, as a family group, have it easy in that we can keep in touch via Facetime and WhatsApp and we have now been introduced to the benefits of Zoom. Our sons' main concern is that our daughter who lives with us, works at the local supermarket; I reassure them that we know the score and will take all precautions possible. My daughter is no longer allowed to slice bread for customers, and all staff have to maintain a distance between themselves and customers.
I called at the PFS after dropping her at work yesterday morning; there was a notice asking customers to stay behind a yellow line when paying the cashier.
This morning, the media are carrying photos of crowds of people flocking to beauty spots and parks across the country; I hope the dire warnings from the PM yesterday evening have an effect on those now referred to as 'Covidiots'.
But - this is a country where 50% of the population goes to 'uni' and is therefore well-educated (???). How are things in Chile - how are you surviving there?
BTW, thinking back to state of my father in the last year before he passed away, I cannot start to imagine how we would have coped.
Stay safe.
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I posted yesterday morning that I hadn’t heard any bikers around Settle. Then they turned up in their hordes. Queuing in local food shops, literally crowds of them. Same at Devils Bridge Kirkby Lonsdale. Great weather for a ride out.....glad I wasn’t behind the counter serving queues of customers all day!
Second homers now arriving en masse pre the imminent lock down.
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>> >> This morning, the media are carrying photos of crowds of people flocking to beauty spots and parks across the country;
I live in a relatively quite village where there is a lot of open space and country walks. Yesterday there was a remarkable increase in people in the village, along with the regular dog walkers who come in from "outside" and leave their dog turds everywhere. All of a sudden the risk level to everyone else has increased in the village because of these simpletons thinking they'll be safe because they're out in the open air.
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>>dog walkers who come in from "outside" and leave their dog turds everywhere.<<
Puts a new dimension on spreading the peak?
We live in a similar situation and noticed the same increase in footfall yesterday. But statistically I suppose that the walkers, (whilst increasing risk to villagers), actually decrease the risk to the population as a whole, since they would otherwise be infecting a greater number in a more crowded urban enviroment.
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Funny how you get used to things....I have a great view half a mile away of the Settle- Carlisle line and the lack of train noise these past few days seems really strange. Rather like 20 years ago when all the sheep disappeared and the bleating stopped.
Another gorgeous Spring day here so I’ll venture out for a short walk to the top of Giggleswick Scar late afternoon, walk slowly, stop and look around at the landscape and fully appreciate it after my admittedly short period of lockdown in Spain. And I’ll be wearing gloves for the one gate I need to pass through to gain access to the hill.
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Does wearing gloves help? It seems to be that when you take them off you will use your hands to touch the glove and then you are back to square one. Use alcohol hand gel if you have it or better still wash your hands. Carry some soap. Plenty of streams around.
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No flowing streams the route I walk....upland limestone country.
But seriously I do wash my hands when I get home. And put the gloves into my washing machine.
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"Does wearing gloves help?
I would agree with your thinking that they are little use when trying to protect against Covid However, if you've got gloves on your hands, it might just serve to remind you not to touch your face.
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>> who come in from "outside" and leave their dog turds
Well you come into "our"outside and steal all our toilet rolls.
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>> Well you come into "our"outside and steal all our toilet rolls.
Purchased dear boy, purchased - legitimately. And they're not "yours" they were anybody's. And also BEFORE the panic buying had even started.
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>>And also BEFORE the panic buying had even started.
Perhaps you started it.
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>>
>> Perhaps you started it.
>>
...I thought that was the Chinese......?
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" Perhaps you started it.
>>
...I thought that was the Chinese......? "
No - it was the Germans, - they invaded Poland.
" .. if there is one thing in life you should listen to less for your news than "soshul mejia", it's most certainly the Jeremy Vine show........ "
I'd given up hope that i was the only one who shared that opinion .. at least i won't die alone !!!
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>>
>> at least i won't die alone !!!
>>
...I'm rather hoping you might.... ;-)
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>> Perhaps you started it.
Sorry, not getting the blame for the both the virus and the panic buying ;)
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>>I sincerely hope that you and your wife get to see your granddaughter again as soon as possible.
I know some off this feeling as do so many.
We have had conversations with our grandson and our offspring but they were in the garden and we inside with locked french doors.
An extract from a substitute program on TV last night.
Dan Snow the 41-year-old historian has asked his dad Peter and mum Ann to stay at home due to the coronavirus outbreak - he said he is worried as his father is in one of the groups at risk.
www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/tv-star-dan-snows-tears-21732431
The program showed why 2m is recommended for separation -
Unfortunately all these thickos will ignore that info and wander everywhere.
Yesterday the roads to Richmond Park were blocked by police to stop idiots in vehicles entering.
>>we can keep in touch via Facetime and WhatsApp and we have now been introduced to the benefits of Zoom.
I am now been supplied a smart phone by my son so I will be using these sharing options.
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"I am now been supplied a smart phone by my son so I will be using these sharing options."
Henry, I was a late adopter of a smart phone and of WhatsApp; there are a few additional things that can be done with WhatsApp that you might not be aware of yet. I was talking to a friend yesterday (landline) and he hadn't realised that you could do a video-call on WhatsApp; and there's the facility for tracking someone.
Did your son show you how to do those?
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>>Did your son show you how to do those?
Not yet but thanks for the info.
Training is this week.:-) He has always been right up to date with these type of apps.
In addition to web cam I have Echo show so a good video demo is possible.
The aim is for me to more easily share photos etc with him and my daughter.
Fortunately we are well stocked with food without the panic approach.
In Nov I stocked up with SWMBOS care needs so we have supplies for almost a year.
All bargain discounts or bulk buys.
We are now into week two of self isolation so "old hands ?"
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About 50 people in our tiny park this morning, a lot for a Monday and mostly mums and their small (off-school)children but also adults walking dogs. Plenty of parking spaces and much-reduced traffic. One café open to all as usual, another closing its tables off but functioning as a shop for bread and cakes. A Mum & Pop store was fully stocked and is re-stocked three times a week. Its only restriction was for eggs, only 6 per customer. In all, not much to reflect the national emergency.
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I found a couple of unused FFP3 builder's masks lying around (still in sealed poly bags) and offered them to a young GP I know. She was gobsmacked, amazed and so grateful as they were so, so much better than the NHS one that she had been issued with.
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>>But - this is a country where 50% of the population goes to 'uni' and is therefore well-educated (???). How are things in Chile - how are you surviving there?
Oh where to start.....
There's a town called Algarrobo. It's on the beach about 80km from Santiago. It's a growing resort for annual holidays. From being a rural town 10 years ago it now has the largest swimming pool in the world, high-rise apartments and hotels and all that goes with it.
Additionally, Santiago being a pretty crap place, it is very common amongst those who can afford it to have a weekend/holiday home. Consequently a common career goal is to buy a piece of land (Parcella) outside Santiago and when money permits build your own house on that land. Algarobbo was a target over many years inclduing frm before it being a built up holiday area.
Since Chile is increasingly talking about isolation then many people living in crowded Santiago decided to pack up shop and move to their holiday/weekend homes.
So Chile's glorious truck drivers parked across the freeways entirely blocking them and built fires in the middle of the roads destroying the tarmac to stop people getting out of Santiago.
They built barriers across the other roads into town and if you didn't have a certificate proving residence then they wouldn't let you in and beat you up if you tried. The certificate of residence was available from the local vigilante committee for a small fee.
A man was arrested for firing an Uzi at the opposing side.
The Health Minister made a statement saying that he'd die in the ditch ebfore he'd order a quarantine at this time since nobody knew how the virus would behave in Chile and it might mutate into something as harmless as a common cold.
He also said that the Alcades of individual boroughs in Santiago that had made declarations of seperation, quarantine or closing businesses had exceeded their authority and would be stopped..
The anti-Government riots continued declaring that the entire C19 thing was made up by the President just to stop them rioting and to deprive them of their rights. They said "Our fight continues and the lies of the Government will not stop us".
Since nobody is going to school and few are oing to work then they've taken this as a holiday and a group of people were filmed at the beach saying they didn't understand why all the shopsand restaurants were closed and that this is yet another example of the incompetence of the Government.
Chile has few cases so far, it took the virus quite a while to get in here. Mostly I suspect because most of the panic traffic was to get out of Chile, there weren't many panicking to get in. However it is here now and I full expect it to go like wildfire.
I live in a b***** basket case and all I can do is keep my immediate family safe. Though my in-laws and wider family are as stupid as the rest of the Chileans.
>>BTW, thinking back to state of my father in the last year before he passed away, I cannot start to imagine how we would have coped.
My Mother is not coping. Every morning she wakes up and wants to know what's going on. The pandemic comes as a surprise out of the blue for her about 6 times a day. God only knows how my Father copes.
Life's a bitch.
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>>Oh where to start.....
Not surprised you're looking for an exit strategy, that sounds horrendous.
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"Life's a bitch."
Sorry to hear that the situation is so bad over there, and that the your parents are having great difficulties; I am amazed that people somehow seem to find reserves of strength when times get very tough.
Things are, as you might expect, very quiet and stable in Bury St Edmunds. My wife and I have just cycled into town to pick up a prescription and found 3 police cars with a van in front of the chemist. My first thought was that it was a robbery (already today, staff at the our local Tesco Express had been robbed at knifepoint) but when I saw two coppers returning to M&S with a partially empty wine bottle, I inferred that a wino had been caught while slaking their thirst. My wife related that in the chemist, she'd had to wait as a druggie collected his clean needles and medical wipes. She reckoned that she could have done with those wipes.
This morning's trip into town was to call at the solicitors and return the contracts for re-hashing our wills - yes! Cycling back, we came across our first doctor when we'd moved to Bury - the delightful, bumbling chap who, 40 years ago, had confirmed that my wife was pregnant. He was out walking with his wife and he is just as charming, a bit more bumbling and harder of hearing - not surprising as he must now be in his 80s. Seeing him reminded me that science certainly does not have explanations for everything.
Over 40 years ago, I had consulted this doctor about a massive verruca on my big toe; there was a collection of smaller verrucas around it that extended onto neighbouring toes. A few days later, I turned up to have the verruca cut out. After some sort of local anaesthetic, I could feel the scraping and I could see the nurse grimacing; then there was the smell of burning flesh as he cauterised it.
The doc left the room and the nurse asked if it hurt - it didn't at the time as it was still anaesthetised, but I pulled up my foot to see this still-smouldering crater about a half-inch across. I put it to the doc - 'Great, that's got the big one, but what about the rest?' He replied that 'once they got the big one - it frightened the rest off'. And sure enough, over a few days, the others all disappeared; I was amazed.
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No F,
If push comes to shove and you need to exit Santiago rapidly, PM me and I’m sure I could secure you a family sized place to stay in my area. I’m sure you’d prefer to stay close to your parents, but the offers there.
Stay safe
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That is very kind, thank you. I shall bear it in mind.
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The idiots running the country I live in....
From our glorious health minister;
Jaime Manalich said Chilean President Sebastian Pinera should not bow to pressure to order Chile's residents go into quarantine like neighboring Argentina, which has fewer confirmed cases of the virus.
"This whole thing has a variability because we're talking about a particle that you can only see under a microscope and we can't predict its behavior.
What happens if this virus mutates into a more benign form? And the only thing it produces is a common cold?
What happens if the virus mutates and becomes, pardon this word, a better person? That's a different ballgame".
www.newsweek.com/coronavirus-chile-lockdown-health-minister-1493708
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 25 Mar 20 at 02:06
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>> From our glorious health minister
Presumably a lockdown will mean substantial wealth impact for the high and mighty in Chile?
Doesn't make much sense otherwise.
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What happens if this virus mutates into a more benign form? And the only thing it produces is a common cold?
What happens if the virus mutates and becomes, pardon this word, a better person? That's a different ballgame".
Answer - that would be a nice problem to have.
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Sorry on mobile, please excuse typos.
On Jeremy Vine today. Doctor interviewed says medical staff threatened with disciplinary action for wearing masks where management don’t think it is appropriate.
Surely the medical staff know best!
Madness! It’s not the management’s life at risk is it!
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Methinks there is half a story going on there, and to be fair, yes the managements life is as much at risk as anyone else in the NHS (if they go to a hospital that is)
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 23 Mar 20 at 13:19
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>> Methinks there is half a story going on there, and to be fair, yes the
>> managements life is as much at risk as anyone else in the NHS (if they
>> go to a hospital that is)
Yes there must be more to it.
Taken at face value, if I was said doctor I'd be happy to argue that one, but if management hasn't go that instruction or sign off from senior clinician then they must know they will come unstuck.
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....if there is one thing in life you should listen to less for your news than "soshul mejia", it's most certainly the Jeremy Vine show........
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>> ....if there is one thing in life you should listen to less for your news
>> than "soshul mejia", it's most certainly the Jeremy Vine show........
Come on, credit where it's due. What about Piers Morgan?
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....if there's two things........
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I'd love to be the sentencing judge here -
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-52003543
"Now where did I put my black cap?"
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>> I'd love to be the sentencing judge here -
>>
>> www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-52003543
Released? Now i am not one for mob rule or vigilantes, but come on, publish their names and addresses.
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We're in the age group that should be self isolating, but after trying Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Ocado multiple times each day over the last week and a half, getting a delivery slot has proved impossible.
We won't give up, but in the meantime it's business as usual for us, and many others in the same boat.
Last edited by: Clk Sec on Mon 23 Mar 20 at 17:41
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Can't get delivery slots here either. I jumped up at 6 yesterday and managed to book a click and collect slot 3 weeks away. I'll repeat every few days so I have them ready. Meanwhile I have to shop. Went to M&S today for bread, milk, eggs and they had them all. The cashiers were telling the customers to keep 2m separation, which at least meant I didn't need to make any threatening coughing noises.
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Same here no home delivery or click and collect from none of the supermarkets. Although there does seem to be quite a few small and farm shops got into home deliveries as well as the large scale supplies that normally supply restaurants are doing the same. I would imagine that's similar to other parts of the country.
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Anyone worried who long their toilet roll mountain will last can look here
thepooptool.com/
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...given the maximum number of rolls you can input is 50, they've obviously not heard about Dave....
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>> ...given the maximum number of rolls you can input is 50, they've obviously not heard
>> about Dave....
Ha ha ha ha ha ha.
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>> ...given the maximum number of rolls you can input is 50, they've obviously not heard about Dave....
Sorry, but you're confusing me with that plonker Rodney.
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...I blame it on my age, Trigger.....
Last edited by: tyrednemotional on Tue 24 Mar 20 at 09:25
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Also drew a blank with home delivery of groceries today. Tried ASDA, Tesco, Sainsburys, Iceland and Morrisons.
Last edited by: John Boy on Mon 23 Mar 20 at 20:26
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So, Boris closes down the country and gives the police powers to arrest.
but I think he forgot the snipers.
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What police? Rare as hens teeth in t’Dales. Hardly surprising given the rural nature of my part of the world.
Last edited by: legacylad on Mon 23 Mar 20 at 20:50
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>> So, Boris closes down the country and gives the police powers to arrest.
>>
>> but I think he forgot the snipers.
And he also forgot he doesent have the power to give to the police to enforce it, not till the new bill comes in - next week I believe. Currently its just words.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 23 Mar 20 at 21:20
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>> And he also forgot he doesent have the power to give to the police to
>> enforce it, not till the new bill comes in - next week I believe. Currently
>> its just words.
I am sure that the boys and girls in blue can find other laws to suit - public disturbance etc.
Last edited by: VxFan on Tue 24 Mar 20 at 02:42
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>> I am sure that the boys and girls in blue can find other laws to
>> suit - public disturbance etc.
Indeed they can but they will have a hard job bending that one to stop, say, me the wife and the dog driving to the new forest for a dog walk.
And if you have sufficient buys n gals in blue, there just simply isn't enough of them.
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..and the dog driving to the new forest for a dog walk.
Does the beemer have paw controls?
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The dog is in charge of using the indicators....
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Didn’t you know Kevin ?
It’s an automuttic gearbox
LL has left the building....
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>> Didn’t you know Kevin ?
>> It’s an automuttic gearbox
>>
>> LL has left the building....
Alas, too late.
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>> Didn’t you know Kevin ?
>> It’s an automuttic gearbox
>>
...slush (puppy) box...?
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>> >> Didn’t you know Kevin ?
>> >> It’s an automuttic gearbox
>> >>
>>
>> ...slush (puppy) box...?
First person to mention a Rover, gets a slap
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www.hertz.co.uk/rentacar/special-offers/key-worker-offer?
A very good offer for those in need and who work for the relevant services.
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I have noticed that if conversation flags in a party, mention of anything cloacal gets people excited and animated chat ensures. I don't know if this is an explicitly British trait, but the toilet roll shortage makes me wonder if wet wipes are taking up the slack.
Wipes are known to help build up fatbergs.The package of a supermarket own brand wipe states that theirs are flushable. This may be true technically but they are certainly not dispersible, as my carefully controlled scientific experiment (one of them kept in in the shed a jar of water for the last fortnight) shows, they can remain wet but otherwise unchanged.
My water company's leaflet on the subject says "...even if the say 'flushable' they aren't." I am sure they know best, considering the number of blockages they must deal with, but how come the practice is not banned nationwide?
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... which leads me to an irrelevant question which occurred to me on holiday. In those places where you have to put your used paper in a bin rather than flush it, what do they do with it once collected? If it's disgusting, don't bother responding :-)
And back on topic, my mate in Tucson Arizona said a week ago they had the same shortage of toilet rolls as we did so it seems maybe worldwide obsession, based on my sample of one. :-)
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"And back on topic, my mate in Tucson Arizona said a week ago they had the same shortage of toilet rolls..............."
My SiL in Kiama, Australia told us it was just the same over there. I blame soshul meeja.
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"how come the practice is not banned nationwide?"
It should be.
A few years ago I had to get Dyno-Rod out on a Sunday. The property is at the head (i.e highest part) of a shared sewer running along the back of about five terraced houses and sewage was overflowing into the garden.
Credit to DR - they sorted it out pretty quickly with a hooked implement passed along the sewer, which pulled out the offending material. The blockage was not on my property, but several doors down, and consisted largely of wipes.
What hacked me off afterwards was that none of the other house-owners would contribute to the cost, even though the blockage was not on my property.
As Ambo says, the test is what happens if you leave a wipe in a glass of water - overnight is as long as is necessary, according to the DR guy. Toilet paper will disappear; a wipe will not. The rule is: toilet paper and human waste are the only solid things that should ever be put down the loo.
Last edited by: James Loveless on Tue 24 Mar 20 at 13:30
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We bought a house once from a divorcee who had two teenage daughters. Shortly after we bought it had a blockage which was caused entirely by "ladies requisites".
Having said that a major sewer in the next road was bunged up shortly after that, and a whole mattress was found down it, so the story went. Whatever caused it, I suppose maybe ours was draining too slowly to properly clear.
Last edited by: smokie on Tue 24 Mar 20 at 13:59
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>>
>> What hacked me off afterwards was that none of the other house-owners would contribute to
>> the cost, even though the blockage was not on my property.
You should have contacted the water company and told them it was a shared drain.
Which it was!
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>>
>> You should have contacted the water company and told them it was a shared drain.
>>
>> Which it was!
>>
...depends how long ago. The legislation changed in late 2011 to make such shared drains part of the sewerage companies' responsibilities.
(Prior to that I had on at least two separate occasions to rod my downstream neighbour's section of the foul drain, as he had root intrusion he wouldn't fix, and it was backing up to the three houses upstream, including ours).
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>> I had on at least two separate occasions to rod my downstream neighbour's section of the foul drain, as he had root intrusion he wouldn't fix
I had a similar experience prior to the change to shared drain responsibiities.
I lived in close of 13 houses in a private road when the drains backed up at 8 of the houses. We didn't have a drainage plan and it was urgent. I organised the unblocking and by prior agreement collected about £50 per house to pay for it.
Some time later I figured out that the eight houses were on one connection that went to a main to the south while five of us were connected via another shared pipe to a main to the east.
I gave everybody a copy of the drainage plan and suggested that in case of future problems all the houses upstream of any blockage would have to share the cost (as was the convention at the time) rather than involving all 13.
Sure enough it happened a couple of years later, the 8 houses again had a blockage and two of them came to me to sort it out. I said I wasn't actually involved as my drain went the other way and left them to it.
They 'elected' a resident to sort it. He got a contractor in who put a camera down and found a collapse halfway across a field behind their back gardens. Quote was c. £2,000 to dig hole and replace 6ft of pipe. The job was done, and the bill duly sent. The resident in question argued the toss because they had only used 3ft of new pipe. Contractor said, not unreasonably, it made no difference - same hole, same machine, same gang, same time, same price. Resident - a man of uncertain temper whose house was named Llamedos (read it backwards) - refused to pay. This went on for months. He ended up with a CCJ. Very glad I ducked that one.
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>> >> I had on at least two separate occasions to rod my downstream neighbour's section
>> of the foul drain, as he had root intrusion he wouldn't fix
>>
>> I had a similar experience prior to the change to shared drain responsibilities.
>>
When I said I, I meant I.
The first occasion the issue was noticed in our "inspection pit" and Dyno-Rod dealt with it. Luckily, it was the last job of the day and it didn't go through the books ("make sure you ring me direct on the mobile if you have any immediate further problems") so wasn't extortionate.
I then bought a set of lockfast drain rods which have paid for themselves several times over. Not a particular pleasant job, but effective. I now have a drain-unblocking attachment for the power washer - that could cause the s*** to hit the...... well, everything, really.
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There was a programme the other night with Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall. Most wet wipes contain around 80% polyester (plastic).
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Three unannounced visitors knocked on the door today.
All were over 6 feet away from the door when I opened it so some messages are working.
Two were in the caring profession and the other was a parcel for daughter from a delivery company.
One a neighbour came unannounced with a bag of veg, groceries and goodies.
One from the council care relief dept. with a flower arrangement that had been donated to them.
The council also sent me a laminated card with contact numbers on it.
One member of their team will phone twice a week to enquire if we need help and if so will get it actioned.
All very reassuring and I hope we can manage without needing them.
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Epicentre - why ?
e.g. " London is the epicentre of the outbreak "
What's wrong with using centre ? Is this an earthquake we're dealing with ?
I could go on about using other wordy words like shell-shocked, pre-booking, PIN number . . . but I won't.
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>> All very reassuring and I hope we can manage without needing them.
There is a lot of stuff in the meeja about bad things going on, precious little about the good stuff going on at local levels by a range of official, organised or had hoc community support networks, large and small.
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There's a lot of kind stuff going on in our town and covered by local social media. Every day individuals offer help and free surplus items such as nappies, Calpol etc. Businesses too gave stuff away as they closed down.
A man came round yesterday with a card offering help with shopping etc in an initiative supported by the council. He hadn't quite got all the messages himself yet as he was allowing his pre-school daughter to hand these over face to face. It takes time for it to become second nature.
What I still find odd is having to get prescriptions by queueing up among the sick. The few postal options, just as happened with home grocery deliveries, are now unavailable. Perversely I can still order Amazon tat for immediate delivery.
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There's a live scrolling news on the BBC that covers just good news stories with people helping out during this crisis.
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I've just been out for a three mile walk with our Beagle, traffic levels are lower than a quiet Sunday and the only pedestrians I saw were a couple of neighbours walking in the opposite direction. The buses have been cut from hourly to two hours and they are running nearly empty, with hand sanitiser available from a dispenser by the door. I have heard that the drivers have been screened off behind a Perspex screen.
The newsagents I do a morning shift in is exempt from closure and Fishguard was like a ghost town this morning. We are doing well out of it as home deliveries have gone through the roof. The paperboys are issued with vinyl gloves every morning, and at the moment the place has a "Phoney war" feel about it. No real impact locally yet with the virus, but everybody is waiting nervously.
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I went to the post box today. I was walking from the car to the box when my mobile rang. It was from UK_GOV . “ALERT New rules in force now: you must stay at home.”
Was it a coincidence I had just left home? Do they know my age? How do they know my phone no?
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Everyone is getting one, Mrs O'Reliant's message has just appeared. The phone companies are sending them out to their customers on the government's behalf.
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>> Was it a coincidence I had just left home? Do they know my age? How
>> do they know my phone no?
The messages are distributed by the networks. I got the same one while sitting at my home working desk busy on webchat.
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In Chile coronavirus brings us other challenges...
Streets quiet, traffic lower, weather cooler, so a 70lb Puma comes down to have a look about and wanders into one of the local [closed] schools....
This is less than a mile from where I live.
www.theclinic.cl/2020/03/24/videos-realizan-operativo-para-rescatar-a-puma-que-anda-suelto-en-nunoa
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Friends of mine live in Placerville CA. When I first started staying with them ( aka sponging off them in exchange for property repairs) they lived opposite El Dorado High, whose football team were called the Cougars. Cougars, also known as Puma & Mountain Lion, were occasionally picked up on local CCTV roaming the suburbs. Pville is a small town.
One of their good friends was killed by a cougar whilst she was out jogging on a well used trail in the mid 90s. My friends are huge dog lovers, and normally have 4 rescue dogs at any one time, 2 of which are always BIG dogs. Reason is they walk the dogs en masse in open country reasonably close to town, and safety in numbers.
One of the few places in the world I would happily live. If I could ever afford the health insurance.
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But this is not a small town; it's the Country's Capital with a population of 6m - though it might be one or two lower now.
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I went out last night, nnot too late as we now have a military curfew. I felt like I was in "I Am Legend".
Quie why we have military curfew I do not know. Perhaps they think people are more contagious at night.
You are also no longer allowed out of the town you are in. Which is a bit of an a*** because I was thinking of heading to the hills and isolating myself 50 miles from the next person.
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>>I went out last night... I felt like I was in "I Am Legend".
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZWy7q3AXy0
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>>
>> >>I went out last night... I felt like I was in "I Am Legend".
>>
>>
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZWy7q3AXy0
>>
And we still have Covidiots having BBQs in carparks and parks.
Two Iceland vans torched last night.
It really is time to get tough on anti-social behaviours. Sod fines. Prison. For a long time. Draconian sentences. (They can always be reduced to reasonable levels when this crisis is over.)
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"It really is time to get tough on anti-social behaviours."
Arrest them, take them down to the nick, identify them and inform them that if they or their kin develop Covid, they will not be treated by the NHS. Then give them a good coshing and send them home.
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>> "It really is time to get tough on anti-social behaviours."
>>
>> Arrest them, take them down to the nick, identify them and inform them that if
>> they or their kin develop Covid, they will not be treated by the NHS. Then
>> give them a good coshing and send them home.
Too much unnecessary talking, only the last bit is needed.
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>>
>> >>I went out last night... I felt like I was in "I Am Legend".
>>
>>
>> www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZWy7q3AXy0
Quite a few kerbs clipped there........
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Clearly this thing has a cost, monetary cost, in real terms. We are mortgaging the country now, and we will be paying for several lifetimes.
Whats going to get the chop?
HS2, is now probably unaffordable.
Heathrow third runway? Unaffordable, and will the airline industry recover sufficiently to make it necessary?
The sudden move to working at home, will it mean the end of the commute?
Global warming, have we suddenly proven it possible to suddenly and drastically cut emissions?
Civil liberties, will we get any back?
Fundamental stuff is happening, is this a massive step change?
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>> is this a massive step change?
I think so.
Massive international seminars will prbably die, or at least never return to their former glory.
Take one example, the phenominally expensive MWC. Expensive to everybody except Barcelona that is. They appear to have managed without it. And the worry was always being the only one not to go because it might send undesirable messages to the market.
I'm not sure it will return to it's previous status. Or NAB and IBC for the broadcast industry. And of course many more, SAPPHIRE, ASUG, CES etc. etc.
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"Fundamental stuff is happening, is this a massive step change?"
I hope not ......... on Thursday evening, we are having a choir practice via Zoom. Several of us go to the pub after a normal practice and I would like that to resume asap.
I daresay some attitudes/things might change permanently; I remember the great potato shortage in 1976 (draught) when the talk was about whether people would simply forget about potatoes and turn to pasta and rice.
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>> I daresay some attitudes/things might change permanently; I remember the great potato shortage in 1976
>> (draught) when the talk was about whether people would simply forget about potatoes and turn
>> to pasta and rice.
There was certainly a shed load of diffrent rices and pasta in the shops* that were not there in 1975
* Well until this month that is. Weirdly there does not seem to have been a potato shortage.
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It’s going to have huge social and economic effect. Probably finish of the high street.
What I find interesting is how quickly people can be persuaded to accept authoritarian rule and will indeed clamour for even more. I’m sure the current restrictions are justified but it could end up as a further step down the road to an authoritarian state. It’s in the nature of governments not to relinquish powers once the have acquired them.
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We are social animals and will want to mix and go out again. I suspect there will be a big bank holiday type exodus to the beaches in August if it's all clear by then.
I don't think the population in this country would accept authoritarian rule when its not required. Bromp. mentioned Willcock v. Muckle en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Willcock previously and in times of peace, that's the way we roll in this country. Of course this is not peace time.
Miss Z has a couple of days off at the moment and it's much welcomed.
She has been running the semi official student training program at her hospital since she started there and it has been very well attended (basically getting volunteer medics to teach the y4 & 5 students things she wasn't taught at the time) and so she has been co-opted to put a very quick programme together for the new doctor entrants that they expect over the next few weeks.
Last edited by: zippy on Tue 24 Mar 20 at 23:19
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"Of course this is not peace time."
Is it a war then? I thought we were dealing with an infectious disease.
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>> "Of course this is not peace time."
>>
>> Is it a war then? I thought we were dealing with an infectious disease.
>>
It's not business as usual is it? National Emergency springs to mind.
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Sunday Times - Manatee
