Personally I fear this stage is going to be the most irritating. Until now, everyone was inside and it was pretty quiet and orderly. Now that people can have 'guests' in the garden, it's going to be really tiresome. I've got student neighbours - sure enough, not waiting for Monday, they were out today, sitting around making a hell of a racket. Then they decided to 'have a go' at a BBQ - with predictable results. I thought some electrical unit was on fire inside until I realised I needed to shut the window. This is going to go on for weeks. I fear I'll murder someone soon!

Yes it will be irritating as the world tries to do the impossible and "safely" run everything. Queues to get in anywhere myriad silly rules in place. Trips to the cinema or theatre could become unbearable.

Commiserations on living next to students Rick....And I say this from the knowledge of having been one!

wyot wrote:
Yes it will be irritating as the world tries to do the impossible and "safely" run everything. Queues to get in anywhere myriad silly rules in place. Trips to the cinema or theatre could become unbearable.

Commiserations on living next to students Rick....And I say this from the knowledge of having been one!

Trips to the cinema or theatre would be a waste of time as they are both shut and they are not likely to be open till July at the earliest when hospitality can open up. In reality Theatres aren't going to open up till near the end of the year at least, since productions next take weeks to rehearse and are impossible to do with social distancing.

My neighbours too have already started with the new loosening of the restrictions. They were attempting some sort of social distancing, but were sharing cutlery and I'm sure they would have to enter the building at some stage to use the facilities.

Looks like lockdown is over.

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8374007...tml#comments-8374007

Reactions to the virus have been interesting, sometimes - from extreme compliance to the guidelines, to systematic whistleblowing on errant neighbours.

Some people haven't been out for 8/10 weeks - others have made few lifestyle changes. One emerged hermit said to me the other day that I shouldn't be wearing a mask - because doctors needed it more!

At least, the weather has been banished from the top of the conversation chart - as well as sports and politics chatter. Soon, we'll be asking each other - what did you do, during the lockdown?

Barney wrote:
Reactions to the virus have been interesting, sometimes - from extreme compliance to the guidelines, to systematic whistleblowing on errant neighbours.

Some people haven't been out for 8/10 weeks - others have made few lifestyle changes. One emerged hermit said to me the other day that I shouldn't be wearing a mask - because doctors needed it more!

At least, the weather has been banished from the top of the conversation chart - as well as sports and politics chatter. Soon, we'll be asking each other - what did you do, during the lockdown?






When pubs are open again it be interesting to overhear conversations.

It will be great to go to bricks and mortar shops again if they still exist after lockdown.

Many people have discovered, during the lockdown, that their favourite pastimes are - visiting restaurants, bars and non-essential shops.

And are learning to cope with consuming a half a bottle of wine by lunchtime - enticing then to track online orders, made three minutes previously.


Tha standards for shock have dropped too. Neighbours going out for a second walk in a day - are now deemed to be particularly horrific and grotesque.

Just like the idiots and lunatics who either wash their cars or mow their lawns - or both. How many times do some people have to be told to stay at home?

Green Man wrote:
Barney wrote:
Reactions to the virus have been interesting, sometimes - from extreme compliance to the guidelines, to systematic whistleblowing on errant neighbours.

Some people haven't been out for 8/10 weeks - others have made few lifestyle changes. One emerged hermit said to me the other day that I shouldn't be wearing a mask - because doctors needed it more!

At least, the weather has been banished from the top of the conversation chart - as well as sports and politics chatter. Soon, we'll be asking each other - what did you do, during the lockdown?






When pubs are open again it be interesting to overhear conversations.

It will be great to go to bricks and mortar shops again if they still exist after lockdown.

The crisis has shown how much we need physical shops. Bought hair clippers From Amazon, they took 4 weeks to deliver. If the shops were open, I could get to Currys and back in 1 hour.

I hope the powers-that-be are going to be studying whether there is a spike in Covid 19 cases in Minneapolis and other US cities where riots have taken place.

Would be interesting to know the extent, if any, to which it has spread with so many people in close proximity over several days.

robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
Barney wrote:
Reactions to the virus have been interesting, sometimes - from extreme compliance to the guidelines, to systematic whistleblowing on errant neighbours.

Some people haven't been out for 8/10 weeks - others have made few lifestyle changes. One emerged hermit said to me the other day that I shouldn't be wearing a mask - because doctors needed it more!

At least, the weather has been banished from the top of the conversation chart - as well as sports and politics chatter. Soon, we'll be asking each other - what did you do, during the lockdown?






When pubs are open again it be interesting to overhear conversations.

It will be great to go to bricks and mortar shops again if they still exist after lockdown.

The crisis has shown how much we need physical shops. Bought hair clippers From Amazon, they took 4 weeks to deliver. If the shops were open, I could get to Currys and back in 1 hour.

Have you ever used wish.com ?

Sadly this period has most underlined what a moronic culture we live in. I made the mistake of listening to the awful 5Live at the weekend. Some - predictably young and northern - woman was chirping, 'And his book is out now, but if you're not into reading, they'll probably make it into a telly play soon enough!' If you're not 'into' reading. Bloody hell! It's that kind of idiot who, when given lockdown instructions that aren't quite as simple as 'Stay in ALL the time and never meet anyone,' will whine, 'But it's SO unclear!' Maybe don't send the kids back to school until they can actually be given a basic education - I suspect that will be when they're about 48.

As far as opening shops etc, I can't say I've missed pubs. I've certainly not missed that weird compulsion some blokes have of staying by the bar after they've got their order, thus causing others to have to queue up in two or more rows behind them. I hope to hell THAT doesn't come back!

robbiex wrote:


The crisis has shown how much we need physical shops. Bought hair clippers From Amazon, they took 4 weeks to deliver. If the shops were open, I could get to Currys and back in 1 hour.

Really?? Amazon are still doing next day delivery for many items. Of course, they also allow all these dodgy Chinese dealers to trade on their site, which is usually why the long delays happen with some orders. Currys, far from showing how much we need them, are one of those tired and unimaginative old chains, like Debenhams, that will probably blame their demise on Brexit and/or corona virus, even though the real reasons are bad service, high prices and complacency.

It reminds me of a place near us - a tiny, crazily outdated 'everything' sort of shop, the kind you'd see in the Two Ronnies' 'Four Candles' sketch. It was absolutely filthy, its windows were full of cobwebs and sun-bleached stuff that had been there literally for years, it was run by a bloke who couldn't give a toss, and if they did have anything you needed it was about four times as much as you could get it online. Yet you'd get all these bourgeois types saying how great it was, even though absolutely none of them had gone in it for years if not decades. It 'mysteriously' burnt down last year, and, again, there was so much public despair as if something great had gone rather than just the shadowy rat hole that it had actually been. THAT'S what's wrong with the high street. If you like capitalism, then go with the flow - the most efficient and most competitive will survive. If you don't like capitalism, don't try and pick and choose the logic: if you act like, say, BHS, then don't be surprised when you go under, and don't blame it on Brexit etc. You were just shite at being competitive!

Rick wrote:
robbiex wrote:


The crisis has shown how much we need physical shops. Bought hair clippers From Amazon, they took 4 weeks to deliver. If the shops were open, I could get to Currys and back in 1 hour.

Really?? Amazon are still doing next day delivery for many items. Of course, they also allow all these dodgy Chinese dealers to trade on their site, which is usually why the long delays happen with some orders. Currys, far from showing how much we need them, are one of those tired and unimaginative old chains, like Debenhams, that will probably blame their demise on Brexit and/or corona virus, even though the real reasons are bad service, high prices and complacency.

It reminds me of a place near us - a tiny, crazily outdated 'everything' sort of shop, the kind you'd see in the Two Ronnies' 'Four Candles' sketch. It was absolutely filthy, its windows were full of cobwebs and sun-bleached stuff that had been there literally for years, it was run by a bloke who couldn't give a toss, and if they did have anything you needed it was about four times as much as you could get it online. Yet you'd get all these bourgeois types saying how great it was, even though absolutely none of them had gone in it for years if not decades. It 'mysteriously' burnt down last year, and, again, there was so much public despair as if something great had gone rather than just the shadowy rat hole that it had actually been. THAT'S what's wrong with the high street. If you like capitalism, then go with the flow - the most efficient and most competitive will survive. If you don't like capitalism, don't try and pick and choose the logic: if you act like, say, BHS, then don't be surprised when you go under, and don't blame it on Brexit etc. You were just shite at being competitive!

My partner buys me clothes from China because official merchandise is hugely overpriced and IS still made in China or Turkey.

I have a few of those shops near me Rick, with merchandise on the kerbside. It's only traditionalists who go in there. His children won't take over the shop because they know the power of the internet and supermarkets; sell what he sells at a cheaper price.

I wouldn't be surprised if it was burnt down in a years time or converted to flats.

Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
Barney wrote:
Reactions to the virus have been interesting, sometimes - from extreme compliance to the guidelines, to systematic whistleblowing on errant neighbours.

Some people haven't been out for 8/10 weeks - others have made few lifestyle changes. One emerged hermit said to me the other day that I shouldn't be wearing a mask - because doctors needed it more!

At least, the weather has been banished from the top of the conversation chart - as well as sports and politics chatter. Soon, we'll be asking each other - what did you do, during the lockdown?






When pubs are open again it be interesting to overhear conversations.

It will be great to go to bricks and mortar shops again if they still exist after lockdown.

The crisis has shown how much we need physical shops. Bought hair clippers From Amazon, they took 4 weeks to deliver. If the shops were open, I could get to Currys and back in 1 hour.

Have you ever used wish.com ?

No I haven't tried Wish.com, do they have faster delivery? There are, or at least were long delays on items that were in demand, such as Hair Clippers and Hand Sanitizer. Although I don't know why hand sanitizer is so in demand as soap and water is better. Argos were out of stock, I would have gone there, given the choice as at least they pay fair taxes and don't operate some kind of modern slavery system that Amazon seem to do, and I like to keep high street stores in business, if only to go out and see people.

robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
robbiex wrote:
Green Man wrote:
Barney wrote:
Reactions to the virus have been interesting, sometimes - from extreme compliance to the guidelines, to systematic whistleblowing on errant neighbours.

Some people haven't been out for 8/10 weeks - others have made few lifestyle changes. One emerged hermit said to me the other day that I shouldn't be wearing a mask - because doctors needed it more!

At least, the weather has been banished from the top of the conversation chart - as well as sports and politics chatter. Soon, we'll be asking each other - what did you do, during the lockdown?






When pubs are open again it be interesting to overhear conversations.

It will be great to go to bricks and mortar shops again if they still exist after lockdown.

The crisis has shown how much we need physical shops. Bought hair clippers From Amazon, they took 4 weeks to deliver. If the shops were open, I could get to Currys and back in 1 hour.

Have you ever used wish.com ?

No I haven't tried Wish.com, do they have faster delivery? There are, or at least were long delays on items that were in demand, such as Hair Clippers and Hand Sanitizer. Although I don't know why hand sanitizer is so in demand as soap and water is better. Argos were out of stock, I would have gone there, given the choice as at least they pay fair taxes and don't operate some kind of modern slavery system that Amazon seem to do, and I like to keep high street stores in business, if only to go out and see people.

No wish.com are longer to deliver but if you want decent counterfeit clothes or unofficial band merchandise it's great, but delivery takes weeks.

If you specific band you like or slogan you are a fan of look on redbubble.com