|
|
Post by dixinormus on Dec 9, 2021 17:54:33 GMT
I think people generally are tired of staying at home (or bored, or...). They might not be commuting to workplaces anymore, but there are shops, gyms, pubs, pals etc to go visit.
The first lockdowns worked fairly well because many people were scared of the unknown, whereas now Covid is yesterday’s news. And of course events like people driving to Barnard Castle for eye tests didn’t help.
And, of course, people who are double-vaxxed and boosted believe that they are safe and should now be allowed to travel freely... Who cares about the unvaxed as long as the local mall/pub/cinema/takeaway is open?
|
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Dec 10, 2021 10:24:08 GMT
My conclusion is people are not staying home. Tram back was packed too - last time we'll go into Manchester for a while. Went to the Royal Exchange Theatre on Monday night for her birthday. Was running a bit late and it was cold/wet, so we drove in. What a nightmare. They seem to have changed most of the road priorities at the top end of Deansgate and Chapel Street, and other roads are now one-way, closed entirely or being dug up. Some car parks are now closed, so trying to visit Manchester for leisure is crazy. If it wasn't for a handful of shops and entertainment unavailable elsewhere I would rarely go into town now. And I only live 2.5 miles from it. |
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Dec 10, 2021 15:10:43 GMT
Omicron has now scuppered my plans for the Christmas break. I was intending to go back to Israel for the first time since August 2020 but they have closed the border again. They only opened it to tourists on about 4th November and I had a flight booked for 20th December. But a two week closure ending this Sunday has been extended by a further ten days and I cannot see them opening until 2022. I had lots of plans, mainly connected with sorting out Dad's affairs which I cannot do remotely, as well as seeing friends and family.
Oh b****r...
|
|
Rob
Full Member
Posts: 2,779 
|
Post by Rob on Dec 10, 2021 17:51:46 GMT
I'm assuming the nearest car park to the Royal Exchange which we'd normally use (underneath the Renaissance Hotel) is closed because they are tearing most of the lower part of the building down. Were glad to see the progress on that from Harvey Nick's yesterday.
What was 'THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART' like BTW? Nothing on at the moment that would tempt us - we've not been there since late 2019.
Sorry to hear about the border closure - it was probably inevitable. I know you had important plans for sorting things out.
|
|
|
|
Post by dixinormus on Dec 12, 2021 20:37:34 GMT
Boosters all round for Christmas then?
Aren’t Israel on quarterly boosters already?!
How are we going to pay for all this?
|
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Dec 12, 2021 21:49:38 GMT
I'm assuming the nearest car park to the Royal Exchange which we'd normally use (underneath the Renaissance Hotel) is closed because they are tearing most of the lower part of the building down. Were glad to see the progress on that from Harvey Nick's yesterday. What was 'THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART' like BTW? Nothing on at the moment that would tempt us - we've not been there since late 2019. Sorry to hear about the border closure - it was probably inevitable. I know you had important plans for sorting things out. The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart was ... well. I'm not sure. In some respects very typical of a Royal Exchange show. Quite highbrow but trying to bring it down to the level of a mere intelligent audience. Curates's egg and all that. There are some friends I could recommend it to, but others definately not and I can't quite tell you who fits into which category. They are all 'professionals' and well educated but even those of us who went to The Manchester Grammar School would not agree if it was very good or merely interesting. In the meantime you must see the Spielberg version of West Side Story. Slightly long but very well done and darker and closer to the original Romeo & Juliet story than the stage show and film with Natalie Wood. I enjoyed it as did Espadrille, Espadrillette and her 23 year old brother, home for the weekend. As you noted the car park I wanted to use last week was the one under the old Ramada. Good it is being demolished; it was an eyesore from the day it was built. |
|
WDB
Full Member
Posts: 7,427
|
Post by WDB on Dec 12, 2021 21:50:33 GMT
Boosters for all will require a fraction of the cost of the alternatives — ie mostly doing nothing and letting the hospital cases pile up.
More likely we’ll get a too-late injunction on social functions, as last year. I’ve been to the cinema today — afternoon showing, wasn’t busy, but even so, I can see it being my last visit for a while.
|
|
Rob
Full Member
Posts: 2,779
|
Post by Rob on Dec 13, 2021 9:15:13 GMT
Referring to the old Ramada again, unfortunately the tower itself is not being demolished because the impact on the environment was deemed to be too great to replace it. So they will merely refurb inside totally and cover the outside. A shame.
|
|
|
|
Post by Humph on Dec 13, 2021 11:17:11 GMT
It was to have been our company office party this coming Friday but we have decided to postpone it until Easter. Discretion and valour etc.
|
|
WDB
Full Member
Posts: 7,427
|
Post by WDB on Dec 13, 2021 11:27:29 GMT
I’ve had no hint that anyone in my company, at least in the UK, ever planned anything. I kinda wish they had, given that since I returned from a trip to Brussels on 13 February 2020, I’ve met precisely no colleagues at all.
But, even by the bizarre standards of Johnsonian logic, a party with people you work with must count the same as being at work, and we’re all supposed to be back to doing that at home now. So much as I’d enjoy spending an evening in a Paddington bar before catching the penultimate train home, I can’t see it happening this year.
|
|
|
|
Post by Humph on Dec 13, 2021 12:06:04 GMT
To be very honest, I’m quite happy not to have to or feel any obligation to attend such a thing anyway irrespective of COVID risks.
I know different people have different views of these things (team building and all that) but I much prefer to keep my work life and private life entirely separate.
I’m happy to have working relationships with my colleagues but I don’t want to have to socialise with them.
May seem mean spirited and so on but that’s how I prefer it.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2021 12:29:01 GMT
Not at all. I feel the same way.
|
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Dec 13, 2021 15:27:50 GMT
This year is soft drinks and a small buffet at lunchtime tomorrow in the office. We all work in the office anyway so there is no additional mingling going on. Any 'party' was already postponed to January and maybe won't even happen.
|
|
|
|
Post by dixinormus on Dec 20, 2021 7:56:41 GMT
New lockdown measures seem imminent! Do we rely on these modellers too much? They always seem to forecast huge infection rates and subsequent deaths... I can’t be the only one who is getting sceptical?
I’m not quite sure how far a government ought to intervene, once it’s sourced and provided free vaccines and booster shots, and prepped the country’s medical service? So many businesses must be on their knees now thanks to lockdowns, vaccine passports, and other restrictions. Interest rates are on the up - I fear there’s a huge recession not far away 😣.
|
|
|
|
Post by EspadaIII on Dec 20, 2021 9:40:20 GMT
Despite being a well known Tory voter the current mess is just turkeys voting for Christmas. Plan B is working. Booster vaccination rates are amazing, even the 1st and 2nd jab rates are climbing (albeit slowly), and Covid passports do work. Compared to the almost North Korean style of Covid rules in Europe we are free, even with Plan B. Hospitalisation rates are falling (the number of people leaving hospital having been treated for Covid is greater than those entering), as my mate who is a ICU consultant tells me.
I don't understand those 100 MPS who voted against Plan B? What were they trying to acheive. I think that the majority in the country have accepted that Plan B is reasonable and if we stick to it, any further restrictions are unlikely to be needed, especially as people are back to WFH and schools are closing. So the government needs to stop scaring us.
I despair about the whole political situation at the moment. SKS is not a Prime minister in waiting as he has no gravitas. I have no idea who leads the Liberals and Boris needs to get a grip because he is clearly losing the Red Wall. I feel an Opera being composed....
|
|
