Garden centres will immediately become absolute hell holes. For hundreds of thousands of people they will be the only option for a "nice day out" while others will be desperate to buy up as many plants as possible. I imagine that social distancing will immediately go out of the window in the scrum at these places. Big mistake allowing them to reopen now, IMO.

I can understand your concerns but if they implement the same rules as the supermarkets and only allow limited numbers into the store, with a one-way system and the restaurants still shut then the risks are containable.

Is ridiculous and grossly unfair that some places are still selling gardening stuff: supermarkets and farm shops for example. It is illogical to force garden centres to shut but allow identical produce to be sold from other retail outlets.

 

Would be cheaper to isolate them on remote farms in the North Yorkshire Moors.

My lasting memory of garden centres is that walkways once inside are generally quite narrow. Perhaps their more modern these days.

Hay fever, sneezing, lovely place to be in right now!

 

I can understand your concerns but if they implement the same rules as the supermarkets and only allow limited numbers into the store, with a one-way system and the restaurants still shut then the risks are containable.

Is ridiculous and grossly unfair that some places are still selling gardening stuff: supermarkets and farm shops for example. It is illogical to force garden centres to shut but allow identical produce to be sold from other retail outlets.

 

Yes, it is unfair. I agree with you there. Supermarkets and DIY superstores should not be allowed to sell gardening stuff during this crisis. Farm shops are another matter as most are independent.

On your other point, I have my doubts about the effectiveness of implementing the same rules at garden centres. People will be interested in the same stuff because it is so seasonal and so will naturally congregate around veg plants, certain bedding plants, etc. I think it will be a clusterf*ck no matter what rules the shops apply. 

 

I've just been to do a shop in Weymouth Aldi. Something I've never seen before driving on the esplanade. 

5 ocean liners anchored in the bay and looking incredible in the Corona morning light.

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-2.369/centery:50.606/zoom:14

 

Aurora

Arcadia

Oceana

Queen Mary

Ventura

I bet that does look impressive. 

I think the biggest among a number of failures in the UK has been the care home scandal. In terms of wider society I don't think we've done any worse than France, Italy or Spain. Other countries with less strict lockdowns have fared better both with the virus itself and the devastating effect on the economy. 

The crucial question regarding infection rates is what percentage are in hospitals/care homes and what are in wider society? If the majority are in the former groups then it's less worrying: if they're not...

I have no idea of infection rates if any in the one below but had this email yesterday from the care home my 94 year old mother is in.

Hi .......,

I hope you are keeping safe and well.

We have had even more donations of PPE this week and have some more coming next week, which is really helping us stay stocked up!

The residents and staff held a birthday party for me this week which was lovely, we all enjoyed some dominoes pizza and chocolate cake made by ......! (From the Philippines)

Today we are celebrating VE day and will be having another tea party with some sing-alongs, as well as having the TV on in the background with VE day celebrations and speeches.

The residents have been enjoying the lovely weather in the garden again this week! 

The staff morale has been boosted by some lovely veg selection and meat selection boxes provided by ......!

.... (my Mum) is on her second course of antibiotics as she is still not herself, she also has had a number of falls in the last 24 hours. The GP has been made aware and has prescribed a 3^rd course of antibiotics which is stronger. She is always on a fluid chart anyway but I just wanted to let you know this is in place so we can monitor how often she is being encouraged to drink and whether or not she is accepting a drink. She is currently on half hourly checks due to the number of falls she is having.

Kind regards,

And then this one from my brother this morning.

I  had a call earlier from ............. to say that Mum had a another fall during the night. She had hurt and gashed her leg, so they have taken her to Poole Hospital. I was half expecting that the next call would be about a fall and was waiting for the phone to ring.

Maybe this is it. I haven't seen my mum since before Christmas last year. I have been prepared for when she does depart for a long time now. 

So, that is what it is like in one particular care home. Doesn't say where the donations actually come from private or govt.

Nick

Not business as usual in SK...

Seoul shuts down nightclubs, bars due to a new cluster of cases 

No more clubbing for people in Seoul as authorities in the South Korea capital shut down more than 2,100 nightclubs, hostess bars and discos.

The move came after all but one of 18 new cases were linked to a 29-year-old clubgoer who went out last weekend in the popular neighborhood of Itaewon as the country relaxed physical distancing guidelines.

"We are put to the test," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, vowing to mobilise all resources to contain a further spread of the new coronavirus.

He said South Korea's quarantine success or failure will depend on whether the country can stop a further spread of infections linked to clubs in Seoul.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/japan-backs-coronavirus-drug-moscow-lockdown-live-updates-200508232257831.html

 

Yes, it is unfair. I agree with you there. Supermarkets and DIY superstores should not be allowed to sell gardening stuff during this crisis. Farm shops are another matter as most are independent.

On your other point, I have my doubts about the effectiveness of implementing the same rules at garden centres. People will be interested in the same stuff because it is so seasonal and so will naturally congregate around veg plants, certain bedding plants, etc. I think it will be a clusterf*ck no matter what rules the shops apply. 

I'm inclined to agree.

We have some rather nice plant nurseries round  here that  open to the public but don't have the array of "tatt" garden Centres have.  I feel bad for them because they have lost their main market through a large chunk of the "gardening season"  (supplying Garden Centres).  At the same time, I'm petty sure they won't be able to open up to the public.  They have no facilities  and  the undercover  areas have very narrow walkways (the sort you get in a normal Greenhouse).  I can see a lot of these businesses going TU to be honest

There are some interesting data in this study involving 2000 young people and their attitudes and behaviour re. Covid-19

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1AOc0wCPqv2gfFSQ_DVmw12vrqQK01z0V/view

Thank you for that Michael.

I will pass it on to my two who often talk about the times we are living in. The important thing is they are very positive about life.

Nick

Oh, more than I thought. I knew there were loads moored in the bay outside Manila.

https://www.cruisehive.com/almost-a-dozen-cruise-ships-anchored-in-manila-bay-in-one-day/39401

https://iwradio.co.uk/2020/04/21/cruiseliners-take-shelter-off-the-isle-of-wight-at-sandown-bay/

 

I bet that does look impressive. 

Yes, I would love to see a photo as the sheer size of some of the ships is amazing.

Up here we quite often get a number of offshore oil-related vessels anchored up off the coast. There seem to be a few more than usual at the moment https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-2.051/centery:57.189/zoom:12 

Not business as usual in SK...

Seoul shuts down nightclubs, bars due to a new cluster of cases 

No more clubbing for people in Seoul as authorities in the South Korea capital shut down more than 2,100 nightclubs, hostess bars and discos.

The move came after all but one of 18 new cases were linked to a 29-year-old clubgoer who went out last weekend in the popular neighborhood of Itaewon as the country relaxed physical distancing guidelines.

"We are put to the test," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, vowing to mobilise all resources to contain a further spread of the new coronavirus.

He said South Korea's quarantine success or failure will depend on whether the country can stop a further spread of infections linked to clubs in Seoul.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/japan-backs-coronavirus-drug-moscow-lockdown-live-updates-200508232257831.html

Surprised those kind of places were open, but hats off to them for taking quick action. On our high infection rates here still, there was a mention at one of the last updates "well we are looking into this". You need to look at this as a matter of urgency because we should not relax anything until we understand what is driving this. Even some investigations may quickly lead to a trend, a suggestion on why the rate is not coming down. Okay there is more testing but+4k a day is nowhere near any good. On that high base number as a starting point we would soon be in total lockdown.

The PM's speech tomorrow needs to have very strong caveats for his roadmap. In the scheme of things, are plants that important at this time?

Yes, it is unfair. I agree with you there. Supermarkets and DIY superstores should not be allowed to sell gardening stuff during this crisis. Farm shops are another matter as most are independent.

On your other point, I have my doubts about the effectiveness of implementing the same rules at garden centres. People will be interested in the same stuff because it is so seasonal and so will naturally congregate around veg plants, certain bedding plants, etc. I think it will be a clusterf*ck no matter what rules the shops apply. 

I don't know how it will work out. Maybe one way would be a timed entry with say half an hour to get what you want, limited numbers in the place at any time and queues outside?. When someone leaves another enters?

It may be the last year some of these places will exist in their current form. Or perhaps that's too negative.

At virtually every step, HMG has either dithered or made the wrong decision:

• Not closing our borders in January/February when it was clear that a highly infectious new virus was on the march

• Allowing major sporting events to go ahead in mid March

• Not locking down society two weeks earlier

• The ongoing PPE fiasco

• The care homes disaster

• The briefing about relaxing lockdown from Monday

• And now the forthcoming garden centres disaster

On the plus side, Sunak's furlough scheme, business interruption loans and grants and for the self-employed were timely and well conceived at pace. But the messaging on this has been soured by the very poorly advised comments about people becoming "addicted to state aid". And if Sunak withdraws these measures too soon (as he is threatening), there will be a far worse economic and social disaster.

Absolutely right.  The Times is quite critical of the government this morning. Matthew Parris is worth a read. He thinks Johnson isn't up to the job. He's right.

Some of TUI’s Marella fleet, including the Discovery that we were on, are apparently moored off the Isle of Wight at Sandown Bay. 

https://iwradio.co.uk/2020/04/21/cruiseliners-take-shelter-off-the-isle-of-wight-at-sandown-bay/

Yes Caz just had a look. it must be a sight too.

6 of them in the anchorage.

https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:-1.2/centery:50.6/zoom:11

Nick

 

Absolutely right.  The Times is quite critical of the government this morning. Matthew Parris is worth a read. He thinks Johnson isn't up to the job. He's right.

Well sorry but I think he is.

Not business as usual in SK...

Seoul shuts down nightclubs, bars due to a new cluster of cases 

No more clubbing for people in Seoul as authorities in the South Korea capital shut down more than 2,100 nightclubs, hostess bars and discos.

The move came after all but one of 18 new cases were linked to a 29-year-old clubgoer who went out last weekend in the popular neighborhood of Itaewon as the country relaxed physical distancing guidelines.

"We are put to the test," Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun said, vowing to mobilise all resources to contain a further spread of the new coronavirus.

He said South Korea's quarantine success or failure will depend on whether the country can stop a further spread of infections linked to clubs in Seoul.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/05/japan-backs-coronavirus-drug-moscow-lockdown-live-updates-200508232257831.html

Madness reopening night clubs...hot and sweaty, perfect environment for spreading a virus

 

Absolutely right.  The Times is quite critical of the government this morning. Matthew Parris is worth a read. He thinks Johnson isn't up to the job. He's right.

Apparently the Times are now on the banned list with Number 10.

It is irrelevant to my point whether I believe them or not.

Ulric seems to have ignored the proposed enforcement measures totally. Perhaps he can’t work out if having them is “Libertarian” or not.

Proposed enforcement measures are not the same thing as enforcement.

There will be plenty of proposed measures but no actual enforcement.

It will be just like money-laundering and tax avoidance.