Feeling Lost
Another long bank holiday weekend gone, lost to the mists of pandemic time. The 75th anniversary of VE Day on Friday May 8th was always going to be awkwardly muted under the sombre circumstances. On Sunday Boris Johnson's much heralded speech on easing the Lockdown was so confusing I found myself completely lost, a sensation shared with much of the country. I write this after several days of trying to find my way but am still disorientated.
Last Friday glorious sunshine for the so long planned and keenly anticipated VE day anniversary public holiday. Alas, events large and small were inevitably cancelled weeks ago. Locals everywhere tried their best, bunting fluttered in a gentle breeze, union jacks hung from gateposts. a few brave souls even sat gamely in their front gardens with tea and cake in the spirit of planned street parties.
Once again it was up to the Queen to lift the nations spirits, her speech a tribute to our shared past, our present and our future. Eight million listened as she echoed her father 75 years ago, words of remembrance, pride, and optimism . There will come a time when we can gather to celebrate the end of this war too, time to cherish our loved ones and commemorate those we lost, time to rejoice.
'Never give up, never despair'. This too will pass.
Then, on Sunday , Boris Johnson on strategies to ease the Lockdown. An audience of millions listened. And were completely baffled. His speech was full of (im) possibles and (im) probables, within hours members of the cabinet trying to clarify the new rules found themselves at the mercy of repeated gaffes and repeated clarifications.
One thing is crystal clear . The United Kingdom is no longer The Governments new slogan of 'Stay alert, control the virus and save lives' is universally dismissed by Wales, Scotland, North Ireland and universally ridiculed here in England, as per below:
An indistinct shadowy outline of this 'exit strategy' emerged after the publication of a 50 page book of guidelines on Tuesday to aid business, schools, employers large and school, hospitality, etc. In essence the plan is that workplaces should begin to look at safely reopening, likewise primary schools, maybe from June 1st, likewise shops, and from July, hairdressers, hospitality... That key word 'safely' is where this makes no sense, where even a 50 page book of hints and tips is not enough to stop everyone feeling lost.
There was one high point when on Tuesday the Chancellor announced welcome news that the Job Retention Scheme, otherwise known as furloughing, is to be extended into the autumn in conjunction with employers.
As employers and employees begin the nightmarish task of working out the hows, whys and wherefores of returning to work, the more than 1 in 5 British workers currently in receipt of Government funds paying 80% of their wages must be breathing a collective sigh of relief.
Thank goodness for this bonus point, because I see a shaming roll call of media across the world citing as 'incomprehensible' Britain's botched testing, our poor care home response , our lack of contact tracing, in essence our failure to learn valuable lessons on tackling despite being one of the last places in Europe to be badly hit.
https://inews.co.uk/news/
Today is Wednesday, the day proposed for workers who cannot work from home to head back to work if possible. It is chaos. Nothing shows clearer than these images the impossibility of this happening safely. Oxford Street and Regent Street in London were deserted at the weekend, today streets across London became a heaving mass of humanity, at the mercy of killer virus with as yet no cure.
Saturday , During lockdown :
And today. Easing the lockdown:
Boris Johnson has urged us as a nation to move forward gradually, baby steps, together, relying on
Great British Common Sense.
Really. Right, that's fine then. Open up garden centres, sports , schools, workplaces, and rely on common sense. I have given up trying to understand what is going on. Trade Unions are up in arms, conflicting advice is everywhere, every turn is a cul de sac of frustrating U turns and dead ends. Proposals for schools to go back in June have been met with universal condemnation by teachers and teachers unions, who regard it as impossible to do safely, as neatly summed up in this cartoon:
There is no magic bullet to beat this virus, as yet there is no cure. Our weeks of lockdown has added capacity to the NHS for those who succumb but we have no cure, only the need to stay safe, as then, as now. However, the economy has crashed and the country is now in a recession, with a dire financial forecast.
I cannot make sense of easing the lockdown guidelines. I am lost. Until I can see a way ahead, I shall abide by this plain common sense version:
1. You can now have a childminder, a cleaner, a gardener, a tradesman or an estate agent in your house.
2. You can go to work if you cannot work from home.
3. You can go to many shops.
4. You should stay at home and not mix with people outside your own household
Numbers 1 -3 are economic advice.
Number 4 is scientific advice.
You decide if you wish to follow the science for yourself.........
Another long bank holiday weekend gone, lost to the mists of pandemic time. The 75th anniversary of VE Day on Friday May 8th was always going to be awkwardly muted under the sombre circumstances. On Sunday Boris Johnson's much heralded speech on easing the Lockdown was so confusing I found myself completely lost, a sensation shared with much of the country. I write this after several days of trying to find my way but am still disorientated.
Last Friday glorious sunshine for the so long planned and keenly anticipated VE day anniversary public holiday. Alas, events large and small were inevitably cancelled weeks ago. Locals everywhere tried their best, bunting fluttered in a gentle breeze, union jacks hung from gateposts. a few brave souls even sat gamely in their front gardens with tea and cake in the spirit of planned street parties.
Once again it was up to the Queen to lift the nations spirits, her speech a tribute to our shared past, our present and our future. Eight million listened as she echoed her father 75 years ago, words of remembrance, pride, and optimism . There will come a time when we can gather to celebrate the end of this war too, time to cherish our loved ones and commemorate those we lost, time to rejoice.
'Never give up, never despair'. This too will pass.
Then, on Sunday , Boris Johnson on strategies to ease the Lockdown. An audience of millions listened. And were completely baffled. His speech was full of (im) possibles and (im) probables, within hours members of the cabinet trying to clarify the new rules found themselves at the mercy of repeated gaffes and repeated clarifications.
One thing is crystal clear . The United Kingdom is no longer The Governments new slogan of 'Stay alert, control the virus and save lives' is universally dismissed by Wales, Scotland, North Ireland and universally ridiculed here in England, as per below:
An indistinct shadowy outline of this 'exit strategy' emerged after the publication of a 50 page book of guidelines on Tuesday to aid business, schools, employers large and school, hospitality, etc. In essence the plan is that workplaces should begin to look at safely reopening, likewise primary schools, maybe from June 1st, likewise shops, and from July, hairdressers, hospitality... That key word 'safely' is where this makes no sense, where even a 50 page book of hints and tips is not enough to stop everyone feeling lost.
There was one high point when on Tuesday the Chancellor announced welcome news that the Job Retention Scheme, otherwise known as furloughing, is to be extended into the autumn in conjunction with employers.
As employers and employees begin the nightmarish task of working out the hows, whys and wherefores of returning to work, the more than 1 in 5 British workers currently in receipt of Government funds paying 80% of their wages must be breathing a collective sigh of relief.
Thank goodness for this bonus point, because I see a shaming roll call of media across the world citing as 'incomprehensible' Britain's botched testing, our poor care home response , our lack of contact tracing, in essence our failure to learn valuable lessons on tackling despite being one of the last places in Europe to be badly hit.
https://inews.co.uk/news/
Today is Wednesday, the day proposed for workers who cannot work from home to head back to work if possible. It is chaos. Nothing shows clearer than these images the impossibility of this happening safely. Oxford Street and Regent Street in London were deserted at the weekend, today streets across London became a heaving mass of humanity, at the mercy of killer virus with as yet no cure.
Saturday , During lockdown :
And today. Easing the lockdown:
Boris Johnson has urged us as a nation to move forward gradually, baby steps, together, relying on
Great British Common Sense.
Really. Right, that's fine then. Open up garden centres, sports , schools, workplaces, and rely on common sense. I have given up trying to understand what is going on. Trade Unions are up in arms, conflicting advice is everywhere, every turn is a cul de sac of frustrating U turns and dead ends. Proposals for schools to go back in June have been met with universal condemnation by teachers and teachers unions, who regard it as impossible to do safely, as neatly summed up in this cartoon:
There is no magic bullet to beat this virus, as yet there is no cure. Our weeks of lockdown has added capacity to the NHS for those who succumb but we have no cure, only the need to stay safe, as then, as now. However, the economy has crashed and the country is now in a recession, with a dire financial forecast.
I cannot make sense of easing the lockdown guidelines. I am lost. Until I can see a way ahead, I shall abide by this plain common sense version:
1. You can now have a childminder, a cleaner, a gardener, a tradesman or an estate agent in your house.
2. You can go to work if you cannot work from home.
3. You can go to many shops.
4. You should stay at home and not mix with people outside your own household
Numbers 1 -3 are economic advice.
Number 4 is scientific advice.
You decide if you wish to follow the science for yourself.........
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