Coronavirus

Excellent response to the latest Guardian editorial here. my views exactly. (Except that the writer doesn't seem to own a dog, thus not having to worry about what would happen to her if we both died or became too ill to look after her.)
It says;

"I am in the fortunate position of not really owning fuck all, so a stock market crash will not directly affect me too much.

I have not hoarded food or other essentials because my reasoning is that if it gets as bad as that then a few tins of beans and packs of pasta are not really going to do much in the grand scheme of things.

I do have the countryside and nature emerging from it's slumbers to watch and enjoy. if you don't expect too much you won't be disappointed was what my grandad often said and is advice my wife has heeded. Hence us still being together.

I expect I will survive as will my wife. We have inummerable books to read, things to see and our hands to hold (after washing three times every hour).

We are both in our early sixties, quite healthy and active so if either of us, or bith do succumb then it's been an enjoyable time so thanks to all who have made it that way.

And if I meet any others on 'other side' well your worrying and panicking wasn't of much use was it. What will be will be. I came into this world with nothing and we all leave the same way, no matter what you have hoarded or fretted about."
 
My feelings exactly. I have lots of scale modelling to get done to keep me busy.
OH will be scanning the skies for spring migrants flying over. gardening to do, and what will be will be.
I think there would be a long queue to take on the adorable Poppy, not that anything will happen to either of you.
We have a lad get on our buses with learning difficulties and other problems his sole enjoyment in life is riding around on our buses all day with his pass, as he is bus obsessed. Yesterday he gets on a bus with a stinking cold and is coughing, sneezing dropping tissues on the floor, several passengers voiced their concerns as did drivers, and we had to tell him he really can't travel whilst like this, and we contacted his parents and told them to come and get him and they said " but he doesn't understand"
"No but you do and you will have to make sure he stays inside until he is better"
So they got onto my boss who totally agreed with our decision.
We got a mini bus down from the yard and took them all home, today he is back out again. So far no one has let him on a bus, as he is coughing and sneezing even worse.
 
popped in to Tesco on my way home yesterday afternoon. All I wanted was a head of cabbage.
It was actually frightening in there! I've never seen anything like it. Totally mobbed (and I don't use the word lightly!). Shelves being stripped.

Bigyetiman, as regards taking it on to your parents, I'm in the same boat, and I work part time as a Home Help. My family are all also in and out to mum. So, what I've done is given everyone instructions that when they arrive at mums (and I do the same when working), coats, bags etc. are to be left in the hallway. Then wash hands properly before going in to her. I've more or less blanket bombed her house, and the house I work in with bleach and disinfected everywhere.

One thing to note! Those disinfectant/antibacterial spray cleaners have to be in contact with the surface for around ten minutes. So, squirt, go and have a cuppa tea, then go back and wipe down!
 
Thanks Lady A, much appreciated, OH has already given me the lowdown on spraying surfaces, mazing how conscious you get of touching door handles etc.
It was manic in Morrisons at 7am this morning, the shelves were being stripped of flour faster than they could put it out. No pasta, not that we wanted any luckily. As for toilet rolls women were rushing at it like a hungry predator sighting the first decent meal in a week.
I did get everything my parents wanted which was a relief.
Someone I work with has been into Wilko, Boots, Superdrug, Tesco everyday and bought two hand sanitisers in each. What on earth is he going to do with them all, there are only two of them in the house. Work has supplied one on each bus and one driver was threatened because he wouldn't hand it over.
We supply buses that just take Amazon staff to work, and they have asked for extra buses as they have ordered all staff, sorry colleagues to only sit one to a seat, no talking to people in front or behind you and keep a metre apart at the bus stop, no talking at work, only two people to a dining table.
Not sure how that will pan out, as they have missed out don't walk to the bus stop together, or live in separate houses if you are married.
I quite envy OH at the moment up at the neighbours in the calm of the lambing sheds, or out bird surveying far from the madding crowd
Stay safe one and all
 
Our small town Whitchurch in Hampshire started a new Facebook group today to help people who are struggling in the present crisis. In less than 24 hours over 400 people have signed up to help. What a great place to live!
see
http://whitchurch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Community-Support-Poster.pdf
So far there has been only one request for prescription to be collected but the town is ready for what may come.
 
Hen-Gen said:
There’s no accounting for human stupidity. Spot the predictable mistake:-
Woman or man enters house, turns on tap, thoroughly washes hands then turns off the tap.
Click to expand...

Uses door handles etc. I used to be paranoid about using public loos because so many people don't bother washing their hands that even if you wash your own you just pick up their germs from all the other surfaces.
 
Me two. Your hands are only as clean as the person before you if you have to open the door.
That's a great idea Marigold, nice to see people banding together. Our local community forum has set up a helpline for people and will do the same thing. Down our lane only 10 houses and 4 farms we are all in touch. One farmer had been to the local cash and carry the week before and got a huge bag of toilet rolls and has already given some out to people who couldn't get any. He swapped some for pasta which he couldn't get. Jean swapped a pack of sausages for a bleach.
 
Here, unbeknown to all but two of us, we have a retired “escort”.
What’s he gonna ................................................?
No o o o. Don’t even go there! ?

This virus will almost certainly bring out both the best and the worst of people. It’ll certainly help us identify who is who.
The secondary school (a boarding school) in the town has been closed for a week because of a possible case (eleven in the town so far). All the children have been sent back to the islands on which they live. Sounds like a typical local authority plan.
 
Not sure what these people are doing with all these toilet rolls. I am waiting for my Tesco delivery this afternoon so I'll see what I get. Informed that the nearest CV is to us was Grampian yesterday but it can change so quickly.

You are like us, Hen-Gen, naturally self-isolating but good that your school has been closed. Now the little spreaders are happily dishing it out to their islands. No, surely not!
 
I gave our neighbourhood help group a trial run this morning. Within 10 minutes of asking if anyone was going to the library who would be willing to collect two books on the reserve shelf I had a reply. Books arrived half hour later plus a lovely bundle of freshly picked home-grown rhubarb. And we had a chat out of the window. Brilliant!
 
Marigold said:
I gave our neighbourhood help group a trial run this morning. Within 10 minutes of asking if anyone was going to the library who would be willing to collect two books on the reserve shelf I had a reply. Books arrived half hour later plus a lovely bundle of freshly picked home-grown rhubarb. And we had a chat out of the window. Brilliant!
Click to expand...

That's lovely! Oh, rhubarb! When we lived in Yorkshire there was a lady who got on the bus into Settle who seemed to supply the whole of the neighbourhood with rhubarb. No idea how big her plant was but if you wanted some she'd put it on the next bus down the dale, you just had to walk to the bus stop and fetch it. :D
 
Marigold said:
I gave our neighbourhood help group a trial run this morning. Within 10 minutes of asking if anyone was going to the library who would be willing to collect two books on the reserve shelf I had a reply. Books arrived half hour later plus a lovely bundle of freshly picked home-grown rhubarb. And we had a chat out of the window. Brilliant!
Click to expand...
All public facilities here, including libraries, museums, and all tourist sites, are closed.

This morning, I went to the village and had a walk in the park. There were a few people out and about, interestingly mostly middle aged or older, just obviously out for the walk and fresh air. Because it's so good for your mental health. Most were alone, so not "congregating". I shall do it again tomorrow!
 
Lakeside shopping centre was very busy, people buying up everything they could, Tesco had to close for a few hours to enable the staff to restock bare shelves. Yet Bluewater shopping centre in Kent was virtually empty as were our buses going over there
OH said Rainham Marshes was it's usual Saturday self with people walking the trails and river wall. Café busy as well.
Three of our drivers had their holiday trips due to start Monday cancelled by TUI today, two were daughters weddings sadly.
 
My sister is staying with me for a long weekend. She loves our local supermarket and if you spend £40 it's 10p off a litre of (Texaco) petrol.
So we went there this afternoon. It wasn't any busier than a normal Saturday afternoon and although the stock of loo paper was about half the norm there was plenty on the shelves - limited to one pack per customer. The only other product rationed was pasta - two packs per person. Other than that the shelves were well stacked and we're all wondering what the fuss is about! No sanitiser but I don't want it anyway - I wash my hands!

Sister has a somewhat "toxic" friend who berated her in a Whats App message for going out. Said friend is in Spain and only leaving apartment to swim in pool. They have concerns about getting home as they drove so I think criticising my sister is a bit of a cheek!
 
Thanks Margaid. That's encouraging.

I'm driving from Kent to Bournemouth tomorrow morning to spend a couple of days helping my elderly mum including stocking her kitchen cupboards and freezer if I can. She can no longer walk to the bus stop, so she relies on me (& my sister who lives in East Anglia) to take her to the nearest supermarket that has battery powered granny buggies.

I'll leave her at home and do the shopping for her this time, but I 'll need to be able to get her a few weeks' worth of supplies- if they're out of stuff I'll be spending two days going from shop to shop...

Hopefully the shoppers near her will be as sensible as those near you...
 
Have you thought about ordering her groceries on-line? They can be delivered to a different address.I have a couple of friends who do that for elderly relatives.
I think Tesco will now only deliver to your door which may possibly be a problem for her.

I don't normally buy on-line but if I have to self-isolate I may have to do that but i will be mainly fresh fruit and veg that I'll need.
 
My visitors from the US have had to go home early. They fly to London today and have to stay overnight, and got the last six seats available on a flight to the US tomorrow! It was disappointing for them, but with all tourist sites here closed anyway, and they are not a family who are in to going walking, there was not a lot for them to do, except sit around worrying!
 
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