Very grateful thanks to all people who have volunteered to take part in trials. I have heard of none here, and wouldn't be considered as a candidate anyway.
I got a letter from the Office for National Statistics asking me to take part in an Infection Survey - I should get a phone call in a week or so asking me to provide a swab and blood test (they'll come to the house to take them). It's randomised so they can work out how far the virus has spread.
The stamp was inspired by the panic-buying of toilet paper when COVID-19 first hit Europe in the spring. It shows a baby elephant, a symbol which has encouraged citizens to keep their distance during the pandemic.
...
The stamp has the unusual value of €2.75 plus a surcharge of €2.75 ($3.25), as the mail service donates half of the price to help those who have been severely affected by the pandemic.
Very grateful thanks to all people who have volunteered to take part in trials. I have heard of none here, and wouldn't be considered as a candidate anyway.
Vaccine trials (for effectiveness) need to be conducted somewhere where there's high prevalence of the virus (unless you deliberately expose people to the virus). Since you have a functional government that acted in a sensible manner to prevent the virus getting a foothold it would be impossible to conduct effectiveness trials there.
35,000 people. The picture shows nary a mask. It isn't coping. It's stupidity.
That is the epitome of thick.
And proof that ‘feelings’ can be very, very wrong. A pastor said "Something struck a chord in me that I needed to be here this weekend," she said, "so we just followed the lead of God and we came.". Idiot.
If any of these idiots do get sick, it will be because they had insufficient Faith...or so it will be explained away...
...but what about the poor innocent sods they might infect, who took no part in this nonsense? They, presumably, will suffer because they had no Faith.
A good friend of mine has always worked from ‘home’. She does have a house but it’s in California and she rents it out. She lives and works in Europe, earning very good money in advertising. She spends three months in Regensburg, Germany, three in Spain, three in Brittany and three in Cornwall, all short term rentals. I’ve visited her often, she has a lovely assistance dog called Carbón. She comes to stay here some weekends when she’s in the U.K. We really get on well and have lots of video calls. I went to Regensburg to look after her when she broke her leg two years ago.
She enjoys her itinerant life and gets lovely beach cottages - apart from the time in Germany where she gets an apartment in the lovely old town.
She’s in Brittany now and due to move on at the weekend to another beach house. They’ve just cancelled due to the new lockdown. She now has nowhere to live. She’ll sort something - but I can’t imagine the stress!
The thought of moving up a Lockdown Level doesn't fill me with joy. It isn't as if there is a prize for completing all the levels...
And I am completely fed up of watching idiots endangering themselves and me by NOT observing correct social distancing, wearing ill-fitting masks incorrectly (I don't want to see your nose, and stop fiddling with it...), not sanitising their hands on the way into shops etc.
A good friend of mine has always worked from ‘home’. She does have a house but it’s in California and she rents it out. She lives and works in Europe, earning very good money in advertising. She spends three months in Regensburg, Germany, three in Spain, three in Brittany and three in Cornwall, all short term rentals. I’ve visited her often, she has a lovely assistance dog called Carbón. She comes to stay here some weekends when she’s in the U.K. We really get on well and have lots of video calls. I went to Regensburg to look after her when she broke her leg two years ago.
She enjoys her itinerant life and gets lovely beach cottages - apart from the time in Germany where she gets an apartment in the lovely old town.
She’s in Brittany now and due to move on at the weekend to another beach house. They’ve just cancelled due to the new lockdown. She now has nowhere to live. She’ll sort something - but I can’t imagine the stress!
🕯
Is AirBnB an option? I am planning on moving house from rented and did consider that as a stop-gap.
Depends on local regulations, I think. During our first lockdown, we couldn't rent our house out because no one was meant to be travelling to get there.
A considerable number of Parisian landlords who were renting short term to tourists on Airbnb have gone back to offering their properties as long term rentals. Given what a nightmare our housing market is, this is rather good news for Parisians.
When we still thought we were going to Orkney at Easter to scatter David's ashes, we'd arranged with friends who had just opened an Air BnB that we could use it, but when it became clear that nobody was going anywhere they said they'd decided to accept a long-term rental instead.
I am now convinced that the "extras" added to the local Tier 3 implementation are effectively using us as guinea pigs for tweaking them nationally. (And I am not normally a conspiracy theorist) Yes there have been student house parties that made the national news, so they're trying to stop people getting alcohol late at night, but all the stuff about not being able to sit in any form of catering establishment that isn't serving a "substantial" meal, (and that hasn't been properly defined) is going much further than the areas to the north of us that have already gone to Tier 3, so I can't even pop in a cafe for a coffee if I am out with Dragonlet 3.
I've booked into air bnb - I hope the booking is able to be honoured. I've also booked a holiday cottage in November - again I hope this will go ahead. It's not the end of the world if it doesn't but I truly hope I can.
My daughter, who runs a holiday cottage, has a couple staying who have sold their house and as yet have nowhere to move to. There is hardly any rental property around here, and house buying takes time, so my daughter should be able to keep them on for a while. This will help to make up for the many cancellations she has had.
I hope you don't have to wait too long for your holiday Helix.
Thanks Huia! In the scheme of things, it's really very little hardship considering what others are having to go through. I don't think it looks likely in 2020 tho - will be worth the wait.
A railway journey from Scotland to the Med would, I'm afraid, take you via *England*, with subsequent long delays at the internal border(s). Once you reach Lille or Paris, though, no problem...
As to the other countries, Finland is somewhere I would love to visit. A most civilised and beautiful place, possibly one of the best in Europe at looking after its *ahem* more senior citizens...
A railway journey from Scotland to the Med would, I'm afraid, take you via *England*, with subsequent long delays at the internal border(s). Once you reach Lille or Paris, though, no problem...
Hypothetically, in a future where an independent Scotland joined the EU, if you were to seal the doors in Edinburgh, and not unseal them until Calais, I wonder if you could avoid border controls? I suspect there aren't existing treaties that allow trains to pass through third party countries like this (unlike planes), but perhaps someone knows...
Hmm. There used to be things called Korridorzuge - corridor trains - which ran between Austria and Austria via a little bit of Germany! The route wholly in Austrian territory was, to say the least, circuitous.
I don't know if the coaches were actually sealed, but there were certainly Uniformed Officials on board to ensure that the borders were respected.
There was also an international train service between Finland and Russia, whose coaches (mostly Finnish) were indeed sealed - and the windows covered with blinds! - whilst passing through an area near the border (on the Finnish side, I believe) wherein were based Russian nuclear missiles...
So there are precedents, but the difficulty would be in changing in Londoningrad from the train from Scotland to the Eurostar (which may be renamed the Faragevitch Express, I suppose). The change would have to be made in a sealed area of St Pancraski Station, with passengers surrounded by armed guards, to make sure no-one was stupid enough to try to make a dash for *English* soil...
All this presupposes that the Tunnel Beneath The Sleeve remains as a useful railway connection, but it might (post-Brexit) become another lorry park.
I don't see a need to seal the train, just for it to not stop between the Scottish border and exiting the Channel Tunnel. But, the strange scheme whereby the HS2 line terminates at a different station to the Eurostar terminal would make such things very difficult.
When I was at school in Folkestone, one of the trains was known to us as the Birkenhead Express, and was believed to connect our ports with that one via some unknown route. I have since come across the existence of some other peculiar connection which seemed to not to recognise London, but have forgotten where from or to.
Perhaps a Scotland to Europe train could utilise whatever strange connections have already existed.
Without going into too many details, there were indeed at one time a lot more cross-country railway routes available. IIRC, the service from Kent to Birkenhead went via Tonbridge and Reading - avoiding London completely - before going on to Northern Parts.
Some cross-London services utilised the line through Kensington (Olympia) station - a missed opportunity for useful connections if ever there was...
The' Korridorzuege' which BF mentions did indeed have the doors of certain carriages locked.The trains ran from East Tyrol via (Italian)South Tyrol into the main part of Tyrol as well as from Salzburg to Tyrol via Germany. The trains would have certain carriages where the passengers were subject to border checks and of course have the possibility to get out or get on. But there were some carriages where the doors were locked, no-one could get out or in,but you were not subject to border checks.
The scariest train of that sort was the mainly underground railway in Berlin which was maintained by the German Democratic republic but used by West Berliners. The trains did not stop at East German stations but you would see security guards with rifles as the train passed through stations in the German Democratic republic. The only exception to this was the well known ? Bahnhof Friedrichstrasse where East German pensioners were allowed to leave the German Democratic republic, leaving their pension behind them.
Whilst still pondering (.... and deciding against air travel, but do enjoy yours @Boogie! .....) I do wonder about opening up some new ferry crossings to the east of the UK????
They closed the ferry route from Newcastle to Norway, sadly. It was a fabulous crossing - it sailed for the last time in 2008 after being established for over 140 years.
There’s always the overnight Hull to Rotterdam or Hull to Zeebrugge. Very nice meals to be had in the restaurant and usually a good wo/man playing in the piano bar.
They closed the ferry route from Newcastle to Norway, sadly. It was a fabulous crossing - it sailed for the last time in 2008 after being established for over 140 years.
I didn't know that. I'd been hoping to recreate the experience some day, with the exception of the part where I was, for the first, and so far only time in my life, seasick. The ship was the Leda, a fine old fashioned ship even then (1968).
I don't see a need to seal the train, just for it to not stop between the Scottish border and exiting the Channel Tunnel. But, the strange scheme whereby the HS2 line tl
When I was at school in Folkestone, one of the trains was known to us as the Birkenhead Express, and was believed to connect our ports with that one via some unknown route. I have since come across the existence of some other peculiar connection which seemed to not to recognise London, but have forgotten where from or to.
Perhaps a Scotland to Europe train could utilise whatever strange connections have already existed.
The scariest train of that sort was the mainly underground railway in Berlin which was maintained by the German Democratic republic but used by West Berliners. The trains did not stop at East German stations but you would see security guards with rifles as the train passed through stations in the German Democratic republic. .
I was in Berlin in the spring of 1956 before the wall was built. Germany was divided into occupation zones; Although Berlin was surrounded by the Russian zone, the city itself was divided into four sectors, US,UK, French and Russian. People could travel freely from one sector to another, but they were liable to arrest if they strayed into the zone.
There were two subway systems. the U-Bahn and the S-bahn. The U-Bahn ran only within the four sectors, The S-Bahn ran within the sectors and outside them into the Russian zone. I was warned to be extremely careful when riding the S-bahn to make sure to get off before we left the sector and entered the zone
Well, Day One of Lockdown Two in pestilence-ridden England. How's everyone coping so far? I gather that those unfortunate shops being forced to close at least had a bit of a last-minute rush of customers - especially for Comfort Food, such as Sweets - yesterday.
After a cold and foggy morning here, it's now sunny and mild, so I shall go on deck in a minute and drink ALE.
Church is not quite cancelled - we are opening for an hour or so for private prayer on Sundays and Wednesdays, although it seems that the RCs (at any rate) are hopeful that public services may be allowed after all.
So far so good. The bright weather helps, although I am naturally more of an indoor person and have several books lined up to read. I'm currently about to head out for a walk in the sunshine, with the aim to get back before the paths are taken over by homegoing school children who have zero regard for social distancing.
I somehow feel safer during lockdown as there are fewer decisions to be made about what and what not to do. I had quite a big dilemma about going back to my Zumba classes at the local leisure centre: I went once and decided it was a risk I didn't need to take. I've been having weekly lunches with friends in a local café and it was very busy on Tuesday and didn't feel very safe. I don't have to make decisions about those things now for a few weeks.
Our church had its first and last (for a while) face to face service on Sunday. I had no inclination at all to book a place there and am relieved that it won't be a dilemma for a few weeks about whether Mr Nen does or does not do the projection. He agreed to being on the rota but I can't say I was happy about it.
Yes, there is a sort of relief (or comfort?) in knowing that certain things are no longer possible, without having to decide whether or not they're safe!
There seems to have been quite a bit of chat on Facebook among my organist friends about what's allowed and what isn't. Several of the English cathedrals had gone back to sung services, and even Radio Three was broadcasting live Choral Evensong again, but it's probably all had to stop again.
Part of the argument was that people are supposed to go to work, and if that were taken to its logical conclusion, the organists (and presumably paid lay-clerks) should be going in and singing ...
I feel very sorry for everyone involved in church (and other) music: I'm almost relieved that David isn't having to cope with all this, as I think it would have driven him crackers.
Our Cathedral had started to use the Lay Clerks on Sundays, for the two morning Eucharists and the mid-afternoon Evensong, half-a-dozen or so at each service. Still no congregational singing, though.
As you say, I guess that will cease for the rest of November, unless the restrictions are amended, as has been hinted...
I think the CofE has made a ruling of some sort: there was a post on FB from the organist of Portsmouth Cathedral with a link, but I couldn't get it to open, and as it doesn't affect me, I didn't try again. I'll maybe give it a look later.
I think people here in France are finding (possibly like in the UK) the division between "essential" and "non essential" purchases strange and frustrating. I do understand the reasons for it, but there was a video posted online along the lines of "If clothes are not considered essential, then I don't have to wear them!" and a gentleman cavorting around a city, wearing a mask correctly, with his -erm - tackle encased in another, held on in a mankini type way. Happily, he was in reasonably good shape, so it wasn't quite as unpleasant as it could have been!
ROTFL re doubly-masked man! We've some men here in town who've been known to go for a stroll, on a very public street, wearing only their birthday suits. I wonder if they're using face masks now?
Comments
I'd like to see 322 of our MPs here coming forward...
...although I thought even baby elephants were a bit bigger than just one metre long...
35,000 people. The picture shows nary a mask. It isn't coping. It's stupidity.
That is the epitome of thick.
And proof that ‘feelings’ can be very, very wrong. A pastor said "Something struck a chord in me that I needed to be here this weekend," she said, "so we just followed the lead of God and we came.". Idiot.
For the good of their country, of course.
...but what about the poor innocent sods they might infect, who took no part in this nonsense? They, presumably, will suffer because they had no Faith.
She enjoys her itinerant life and gets lovely beach cottages - apart from the time in Germany where she gets an apartment in the lovely old town.
She’s in Brittany now and due to move on at the weekend to another beach house. They’ve just cancelled due to the new lockdown. She now has nowhere to live. She’ll sort something - but I can’t imagine the stress!
🕯
And I am completely fed up of watching idiots endangering themselves and me by NOT observing correct social distancing, wearing ill-fitting masks incorrectly (I don't want to see your nose, and stop fiddling with it...), not sanitising their hands on the way into shops etc.
Is AirBnB an option? I am planning on moving house from rented and did consider that as a stop-gap.
A considerable number of Parisian landlords who were renting short term to tourists on Airbnb have gone back to offering their properties as long term rentals. Given what a nightmare our housing market is, this is rather good news for Parisians.
Thanks Huia! In the scheme of things, it's really very little hardship considering what others are having to go through. I don't think it looks likely in 2020 tho - will be worth the wait.
So far it is a toss-up between railway journey from Scotland to the Med
Or
Finland Sweden Denmark and Norway ( but not necessarily in that order!)
It whiles away the time........
As to the other countries, Finland is somewhere I would love to visit. A most civilised and beautiful place, possibly one of the best in Europe at looking after its *ahem* more senior citizens...
Hypothetically, in a future where an independent Scotland joined the EU, if you were to seal the doors in Edinburgh, and not unseal them until Calais, I wonder if you could avoid border controls? I suspect there aren't existing treaties that allow trains to pass through third party countries like this (unlike planes), but perhaps someone knows...
I don't know if the coaches were actually sealed, but there were certainly Uniformed Officials on board to ensure that the borders were respected.
There was also an international train service between Finland and Russia, whose coaches (mostly Finnish) were indeed sealed - and the windows covered with blinds! - whilst passing through an area near the border (on the Finnish side, I believe) wherein were based Russian nuclear missiles...
So there are precedents, but the difficulty would be in changing in Londoningrad from the train from Scotland to the Eurostar (which may be renamed the Faragevitch Express, I suppose). The change would have to be made in a sealed area of St Pancraski Station, with passengers surrounded by armed guards, to make sure no-one was stupid enough to try to make a dash for *English* soil...
All this presupposes that the Tunnel Beneath The Sleeve remains as a useful railway connection, but it might (post-Brexit) become another lorry park.
Perhaps a Scotland to Europe train could utilise whatever strange connections have already existed.
Some cross-London services utilised the line through Kensington (Olympia) station - a missed opportunity for useful connections if ever there was...
We are off to Heidelberg tomorrow morning!
The scariest train of that sort was the mainly underground railway in Berlin which was maintained by the German Democratic republic but used by West Berliners. The trains did not stop at East German stations but you would see security guards with rifles as the train passed through stations in the German Democratic republic. The only exception to this was the well known ? Bahnhof Friedrichstrasse where East German pensioners were allowed to leave the German Democratic republic, leaving their pension behind them.
There’s always the overnight Hull to Rotterdam or Hull to Zeebrugge. Very nice meals to be had in the restaurant and usually a good wo/man playing in the piano bar.
I didn't know that. I'd been hoping to recreate the experience some day, with the exception of the part where I was, for the first, and so far only time in my life, seasick. The ship was the Leda, a fine old fashioned ship even then (1968).
I was in Berlin in the spring of 1956 before the wall was built. Germany was divided into occupation zones; Although Berlin was surrounded by the Russian zone, the city itself was divided into four sectors, US,UK, French and Russian. People could travel freely from one sector to another, but they were liable to arrest if they strayed into the zone.
There were two subway systems. the U-Bahn and the S-bahn. The U-Bahn ran only within the four sectors, The S-Bahn ran within the sectors and outside them into the Russian zone. I was warned to be extremely careful when riding the S-bahn to make sure to get off before we left the sector and entered the zone
After a cold and foggy morning here, it's now sunny and mild, so I shall go on deck in a minute and drink ALE.
Church is not quite cancelled - we are opening for an hour or so for private prayer on Sundays and Wednesdays, although it seems that the RCs (at any rate) are hopeful that public services may be allowed after all.
Hey ho.
I somehow feel safer during lockdown as there are fewer decisions to be made about what and what not to do. I had quite a big dilemma about going back to my Zumba classes at the local leisure centre: I went once and decided it was a risk I didn't need to take. I've been having weekly lunches with friends in a local café and it was very busy on Tuesday and didn't feel very safe. I don't have to make decisions about those things now for a few weeks.
Our church had its first and last (for a while) face to face service on Sunday. I had no inclination at all to book a place there and am relieved that it won't be a dilemma for a few weeks about whether Mr Nen does or does not do the projection. He agreed to being on the rota but I can't say I was happy about it.
Part of the argument was that people are supposed to go to work, and if that were taken to its logical conclusion, the organists (and presumably paid lay-clerks) should be going in and singing ...
I feel very sorry for everyone involved in church (and other) music: I'm almost relieved that David isn't having to cope with all this, as I think it would have driven him crackers.
As you say, I guess that will cease for the rest of November, unless the restrictions are amended, as has been hinted...
Hmm - has anyone investigated the extent to which live virus is present in flatulence?