In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
I suppose that depends on if you want to live the rest of your life in fear of covid.
Not that it will do those people any good as everyone will still come into contact with it.
Respect and lots of tributes, but lives will go on no matter but the media will be unwatchable at times
I don't think she'd want huge fuss, just a dignified state funeral.
I think is one area where you are probably wrong though. She herself is not overly expressive as we know, doesn't like a fuss, but she will know the plans for her own funeral. I can believe she'd order them scaled back a bit to seek to avoid it being seen as too much, but they wouldn't plan for it to be huge if she was no on board with that plan. She might well regard it as necessary for a big occasion to aid in Charles' transition, who knows.
My advice is people catch the tributes in the first couple of days and then avoid the news channels and you'd probably not know much is going on until the funeral day. As a child I found the Diana stuff mawkish, and had my fill of Phillip sympathy quickly enough, the key is just not to let it get to you if others do want to be exensive - hence moaning about it at the time will only cause a reaction, whereas letting it go on without comment will be smoother all around.
Problem with that is, other things are happening in the world.
More generally, the 'reaction' issue works both ways. The question of abolition of the monarchy is going to become much more salient when the older generation (roughly, the WW2 vets and boomers) dies off; it has been suspended mroe or less by mutual consent till HMtQ departs the scene (however that happens, e.g by abdication or whatever). Those steering the monarchy will need to be veryt careful how thery handle the transition in order not to provoke an anti-monarchical reaction at a time of general reassessment: not merely in the UK (just consider how it might play out in NI for instance) but in the Commonwealth.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
Ah yes, I'd forgotten that some of the shops had kept asking people to use them, possibly because my usual choice of grocer is M&S and they haven't. My own attitude to gags, now the legal requirement is gone, is as follows: if establishment suggests that you may wish to wear a mask, ignore. If establishment insists that you must wear a mask to enter, avoid establishment.
Caveat: I'll humour the NHS. But shops can do one.
The best work Macron has done is speak to Putin, preventing him getting up to mischief for an hour and a half.
Excellent point. There's plenty of world leaders, if we basically rotate them on a shift schedule we can filibuster the entire war out of the frozen ground weather window.
He's an ice hockey fanatic, so it was with great pleasure I saw the Finns beat the ROC team in the final today. Btw the ROC manager is a dead ringer of a cross between Putin and Alex Ferguson. I wouldn't fancy being a player in that team right now.
The Boris Derangement Syndrome lot don't do themselves any favours blaming Boris for the Queen getting COVID.
There are a lots of things to attack Boris for, but for the millionth time everbody is going to get COVID at some point. With Omicron its too infectious. Unless you want to live like a hermit for the rest of your days, you are going to come into contact with people who have it and then its just a matter of probability.
Given Charles and Camilla have it, and they have been spending time with her, I think its pretty likely she got it off them, so any recent changes to rules is totally mute. Omicron household spread is huge, so unless Boris is going to go back to banning families from ever meeting, its going to happen.
The "derangement syndrome" thing was never that clever or funny, was it?
I think even Jimmy Carr would struggle to make a joke out of those who are utterly convinced that Boris can do nothing right and that the UK is responsible for every world problem that comes along. Although personally, I do find the Boris is just lucky in his opponents meme mildly amusing.
Very odd. Do you dispute that he is lazy and a liar, or just not mind? Would you employ him?
To do what? He is a natural salesman. I also don't think that he is particularly lazy. As a PM, probably not.
He is a terrible professional salesman, the most important part of the job is to ensure the customer remains satisfied after the deal is closed by providing great communicationns and service given to ensure repeat business. He fails terribly at that.
If you are suggesting he would make a great Arthur Daly cut and shut, clocked car salesman, absolutely.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Could we not just form Cromwellian cavalry troops, ride them down and slice off their heads with our swords? Asking for a friend.
He is a terrible professional salesman, the most important part of the job is to ensure the customer remains satisfied after the deal is closed by providing great communicationns and service given to ensure repeat business. He fails terribly at that.
If you are suggesting he would make a great Arthur Daly cut and shut, clocked car salesman, absolutely.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
Ah yes, I'd forgotten that some of the shops had kept asking people to use them, possibly because my usual choice of grocer is M&S and they haven't. My own attitude to gags, now the legal requirement is gone, is as follows: if establishment suggests that you may wish to wear a mask, ignore. If establishment insists that you must wear a mask to enter, avoid establishment.
Caveat: I'll humour the NHS. But shops can do one.
So don't shop there.
I think you're a complete clown, but others might agree with you.
A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) - "TEMPO DANGER AREA" - issued by the Russian Defense Ministry will be in effect for the entire Sea of Azov, from midnight local time.
Six days of military exercises, by the looks of things. No height limit on it either, so will be empty of aircraft (and presumably international airlines will be giving the NOTAM zone a very wide berth indeed).
Respect and lots of tributes, but lives will go on no matter but the media will be unwatchable at times
I don't think she'd want huge fuss, just a dignified state funeral.
I think is one area where you are probably wrong though. She herself is not overly expressive as we know, doesn't like a fuss, but she will know the plans for her own funeral. I can believe she'd order them scaled back a bit to seek to avoid it being seen as too much, but they wouldn't plan for it to be huge if she was no on board with that plan. She might well regard it as necessary for a big occasion to aid in Charles' transition, who knows.
My advice is people catch the tributes in the first couple of days and then avoid the news channels and you'd probably not know much is going on until the funeral day. As a child I found the Diana stuff mawkish, and had my fill of Phillip sympathy quickly enough, the key is just not to let it get to you if others do want to be exensive - hence moaning about it at the time will only cause a reaction, whereas letting it go on without comment will be smoother all around.
Problem with that is, other things are happening in the world.
More generally, the 'reaction' issue works both ways. The question of abolition of the monarchy is going to become much more salient when the older generation (roughly, the WW2 vets and boomers) dies off; it has been suspended mroe or less by mutual consent till HMtQ departs the scene (however that happens, e.g by abdication or whatever). Those steering the monarchy will need to be veryt careful how thery handle the transition in order not to provoke an anti-monarchical reaction at a time of general reassessment: not merely in the UK (just consider how it might play out in NI for instance) but in the Commonwealth.
I imagine in the immediate aftermath bar a few groups republican sentiment will be muted, not wishing to be bad taste, but of course it is only right that nations should reassess the situation at such a time, and once the pagentry side diminishes the debate will start up. Big news, a la Ukraine, will break through - in 2020 it took months for anything but Covid to get noticed, yet things were happening all the time.
The Commonwealth is a bit different, in that several areas have talked about and/or have support to end the monarchy already and have for a while (Jamiaca being the main example), so if ones have not done a Barbados by then I'm sure they will openly move forward at that time.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
I hope your tongue is firmly in your cheek. If so, great work.
Respect and lots of tributes, but lives will go on no matter but the media will be unwatchable at times
I don't think she'd want huge fuss, just a dignified state funeral.
I think is one area where you are probably wrong though. She herself is not overly expressive as we know, doesn't like a fuss, but she will know the plans for her own funeral. I can believe she'd order them scaled back a bit to seek to avoid it being seen as too much, but they wouldn't plan for it to be huge if she was no on board with that plan. She might well regard it as necessary for a big occasion to aid in Charles' transition, who knows.
My advice is people catch the tributes in the first couple of days and then avoid the news channels and you'd probably not know much is going on until the funeral day. As a child I found the Diana stuff mawkish, and had my fill of Phillip sympathy quickly enough, the key is just not to let it get to you if others do want to be exensive - hence moaning about it at the time will only cause a reaction, whereas letting it go on without comment will be smoother all around.
Problem with that is, other things are happening in the world.
More generally, the 'reaction' issue works both ways. The question of abolition of the monarchy is going to become much more salient when the older generation (roughly, the WW2 vets and boomers) dies off; it has been suspended mroe or less by mutual consent till HMtQ departs the scene (however that happens, e.g by abdication or whatever). Those steering the monarchy will need to be veryt careful how thery handle the transition in order not to provoke an anti-monarchical reaction at a time of general reassessment: not merely in the UK (just consider how it might play out in NI for instance) but in the Commonwealth.
There will be no reassessment, it will be a case of the Queen is dead, long live the King. A new monarch gets their post by hereditary succession not election. The Tories of course are a monarchist party and in government and now even Labour is led by a man in Starmer who says he supports a reformed monarchy whereas previously it was led by a republican in Jeremy Corbyn.
As for the Commonwealth, most Commonwealth nations became republics or got their own monarchs during the Queen's reign anyway
He is a terrible professional salesman, the most important part of the job is to ensure the customer remains satisfied after the deal is closed by providing great communicationns and service given to ensure repeat business. He fails terribly at that.
If you are suggesting he would make a great Arthur Daly cut and shut, clocked car salesman, absolutely.
He sold his Ireland deal to his backbenchers.
And they hate it
They wanted something not the May deal to approve and didn't care what it was.
I signed on for a two year contract with BT in December and I've just received a letter telling me that the price I agreed to is going up 9.4% this March. 3.9% annual increase and 5.5% for inflation!
I said 'that's odd considering you did a price based TV campaign at the end of last year. How were new customers supposed to guess their two year contracts would be subject to a nearly 10% rise two months after signing up?'
'How were we to know inflation would rise by 5.5%?' They replied
Despite the sharp practice by BT this is the first time I remember being given an extra charge specifically for inflation.
I'd consider getting a 4g/5g router, a £20 a month unlimited data sim from 3 (or similar PAYG sim) and saying goodbye to BT.
Too late unfortunately. I wish I could. I've signed up to two years and there's no way I can walk away without paying up the contract.
Which is 24 months at £150 a month! Don't touch BT with a bargepole.
I pay £75 per month for landline, broadband, bt sport and 2 sim cards and it is good value especially as they include bt halo
I signed on for a two year contract with BT in December and I've just received a letter telling me that the price I agreed to is going up 9.4% this March. 3.9% annual increase and 5.5% for inflation!
I said 'that's odd considering you did a price based TV campaign at the end of last year. How were new customers supposed to guess their two year contracts would be subject to a nearly 10% rise two months after signing up?'
'How were we to know inflation would rise by 5.5%?' They replied
Despite the sharp practice by BT this is the first time I remember being given an extra charge specificinnApally for inflation.
Actually I did the same and it was clear both in our discussions and their contact that a price rise of inflation plus 3.9% would apply in April, so if you did not read your contract then you have nobody but yourself to blame
Off Topic, but now inflation is at 5.5%, does that mean the pension rise has made the pensioners worse off this year (3.1%)? Will next year's take into account the rise they did us out of?
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
That's not going to endear the Royal family to a lot of the country.
I find that attitude really really strange if I am honest. I didn't care for the extent of the Phillip coverage and it had literally zero impact on my view of the royal family. Why would people be so petty as to be more or less endeared to the royal family when coverage of the event annoys them? I think that is a rather negative view of the public to think they'd behave so pettily.
When it is too much people will tune it out, end of. Any talk of it impacting general views on things is just over dramatic nonsense to me. Submitting of complaints etc is just attention seeking behaviour when you can just ignore it or not partake, same as that story earlier about the failure of right wing campaigns against 'woke' charities - its noisy is all.
I think you're probably right, and I don't think anyone will become a republican because of the wall to wall coverage.
However, when it happens will determine the extent to which people get annoyed, I think.
If it were to happen in the run up to Christmas, it could annoy a lot of people. Imagine if the final of Strictly got cancelled.
There's never going to be a good time to do it. We don't have a week off living our lives when this can be scheduled.
I'm a big fan of the queen. But not to the point of putting life on hold for a week when she dies. I was a big fan of John Peel/Ronnie Barker/Lemmy from Motorhead and I didn't put mife on hold when they died. The firm are in serious danger of overplaying their hand here.
Respect and lots of tributes, but lives will go on no matter but the media will be unwatchable at times
I don't think she'd want huge fuss, just a dignified state funeral.
I think is one area where you are probably wrong though. She herself is not overly expressive as we know, doesn't like a fuss, but she will know the plans for her own funeral. I can believe she'd order them scaled back a bit to seek to avoid it being seen as too much, but they wouldn't plan for it to be huge if she was no on board with that plan. She might well regard it as necessary for a big occasion to aid in Charles' transition, who knows.
My advice is people catch the tributes in the first couple of days and then avoid the news channels and you'd probably not know much is going on until the funeral day. As a child I found the Diana stuff mawkish, and had my fill of Phillip sympathy quickly enough, the key is just not to let it get to you if others do want to be exensive - hence moaning about it at the time will only cause a reaction, whereas letting it go on without comment will be smoother all around.
Problem with that is, other things are happening in the world.
More generally, the 'reaction' issue works both ways. The question of abolition of the monarchy is going to become much more salient when the older generation (roughly, the WW2 vets and boomers) dies off; it has been suspended mroe or less by mutual consent till HMtQ departs the scene (however that happens, e.g by abdication or whatever). Those steering the monarchy will need to be veryt careful how thery handle the transition in order not to provoke an anti-monarchical reaction at a time of general reassessment: not merely in the UK (just consider how it might play out in NI for instance) but in the Commonwealth.
There will be no reassessment, it will be a case of the Queen is dead, long live the King. A new monarch gets their post by hereditary succession not election. The Tories of course are a monarchist party and now even Labour is led by a man in Starmer who says he supports a reformed monarchy whereas previously it was led by a republican.
As for the Commonwealth, most Commonwealth nations became republics or got their own monarchs during the Queen's reign anyway
As usual, just a lot of old Divine Right with you.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
The Boris Derangement Syndrome lot don't do themselves any favours blaming Boris for the Queen getting COVID.
There are a lots of things to attack Boris for, but for the millionth time everbody is going to get COVID at some point. With Omicron its too infectious. Unless you want to live like a hermit for the rest of your days, you are going to come into contact with people who have it and then its just a matter of probability.
Given Charles and Camilla have it, and they have been spending time with her, I think its pretty likely she got it off them, so any recent changes to rules is totally mute. Omicron household spread is huge, so unless Boris is going to go back to banning families from ever meeting, its going to happen.
The "derangement syndrome" thing was never that clever or funny, was it?
I think even Jimmy Carr would struggle to make a joke out of those who are utterly convinced that Boris can do nothing right and that the UK is responsible for every world problem that comes along. Although personally, I do find the Boris is just lucky in his opponents meme mildly amusing.
Very odd. Do you dispute that he is lazy and a liar, or just not mind? Would you employ him?
To do what? He is a natural salesman. I also don't think that he is particularly lazy. As a PM, probably not.
He is a terrible professional salesman, the most important part of the job is to ensure the customer remains satisfied after the deal is closed by providing great communicationns and service given to ensure repeat business. He fails terribly at that.
If you are suggesting he would make a great Arthur Daly cut and shut, clocked car salesman, absolutely.
Without Arthur Daley and DelBoy Trotter there would have been no PM Boris ?
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
I hope your tongue is firmly in your cheek. If so, great work.
Ideal opportunity for Priti to get some brownie points with royalty loving Tory members and she is of course the most authoritarian Home Secretary we have had since Michael Howard so would jump at the chance!
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Dear me, you have lost it
I get the impression that he's joking this time, though given the nature of numerous previous pronouncements I can understand why no-one would be entirely sure...
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
Ah yes, I'd forgotten that some of the shops had kept asking people to use them, possibly because my usual choice of grocer is M&S and they haven't. My own attitude to gags, now the legal requirement is gone, is as follows: if establishment suggests that you may wish to wear a mask, ignore. If establishment insists that you must wear a mask to enter, avoid establishment.
Caveat: I'll humour the NHS. But shops can do one.
So don't shop there.
I think you're a complete clown, but others might agree with you.
Regarding the first point, that's what I just said.
I signed on for a two year contract with BT in December and I've just received a letter telling me that the price I agreed to is going up 9.4% this March. 3.9% annual increase and 5.5% for inflation!
I said 'that's odd considering you did a price based TV campaign at the end of last year. How were new customers supposed to guess their two year contracts would be subject to a nearly 10% rise two months after signing up?'
'How were we to know inflation would rise by 5.5%?' They replied
Despite the sharp practice by BT this is the first time I remember being given an extra charge specificinnApally for inflation.
Actually I did the same and it was clear both in our discussions and their contact that a price rise of inflation plus 3.9% would apply in April, so if you did not read your contract then you have nobody but yourself to blame
Off Topic, but now inflation is at 5.5%, does that mean the pension rise has made the pensioners worse off this year (3.1%)? Will next year's take into account the rise they did us out of?
It will this year but it was for one year so next year will be interesting
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Could we not just form Cromwellian cavalry troops, ride them down and slice off their heads with our swords? Asking for a friend.
The Coldstream Guards were a Cromwellian regiment to start with...
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
Ah yes, I'd forgotten that some of the shops had kept asking people to use them, possibly because my usual choice of grocer is M&S and they haven't. My own attitude to gags, now the legal requirement is gone, is as follows: if establishment suggests that you may wish to wear a mask, ignore. If establishment insists that you must wear a mask to enter, avoid establishment.
Caveat: I'll humour the NHS. But shops can do one.
Ultimately Waitrose (are there any other shops insisting on mask wearing) will end such requirements but will look rather ridiculous at being so slow.
It will be interesting to see if the mask wearers then still keep up the covid theatre.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Dear me, you have lost it
I get the impression that he's joking this time, though given the nature of numerous previous pronouncements I can understand why no-one would be entirely sure...
@HYUFD does not do jokes, politics is far too intense for him
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
That's not going to endear the Royal family to a lot of the country.
I find that attitude really really strange if I am honest. I didn't care for the extent of the Phillip coverage and it had literally zero impact on my view of the royal family. Why would people be so petty as to be more or less endeared to the royal family when coverage of the event annoys them? I think that is a rather negative view of the public to think they'd behave so pettily.
When it is too much people will tune it out, end of. Any talk of it impacting general views on things is just over dramatic nonsense to me. Submitting of complaints etc is just attention seeking behaviour when you can just ignore it or not partake, same as that story earlier about the failure of right wing campaigns against 'woke' charities - its noisy is all.
I think you're probably right, and I don't think anyone will become a republican because of the wall to wall coverage.
However, when it happens will determine the extent to which people get annoyed, I think.
If it were to happen in the run up to Christmas, it could annoy a lot of people. Imagine if the final of Strictly got cancelled.
There's never going to be a good time to do it. We don't have a week off living our lives when this can be scheduled.
I'm a big fan of the queen. But not to the point of putting life on hold for a week when she dies. I was a big fan of John Peel/Ronnie Barker/Lemmy from Motorhead and I didn't put mife on hold when they died. The firm are in serious danger of overplaying their hand here.
I think it would be better for it to happen outside October to March. Basically, if the weather is okay, people can go out and get away from it.
But if it happens in the dark months, when there aren't many alternatives to staying in watching TV...
And, of course, it is more likely to happen in the winter.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Dear me, you have lost it
I rather like Ms Patel. I think she'll make an excelent PM should that ever happen.
So - and entirely hypothetically, say the Queen dies at the same time a full blown getting-close-to-WWIII Russian invasion of Ukraine begins.
How would the news channels deal with that one? Probably perhaps about the only thing that stops it being entirely wall-to-wall black-armband stuff. Unless the Prez does the "my fellow Americans" speech for the announcement of aliens being here and happy to take questions.
Putin would probably invite himself to the funeral, which could delay any NATO response, sanctions or otherwise
You cannot be serious
Of course Putin won't come, he is paranoid about close human contact, just look at his socially distanced meetings. Indeed germophobia may be a sign of a dangerously deterioration in his overall paranoia.
If we're talking about the giant table, I think too much is being read into that. He seemed quite content to dispense with it when meeting Lukashenko.
I signed on for a two year contract with BT in December and I've just received a letter telling me that the price I agreed to is going up 9.4% this March. 3.9% annual increase and 5.5% for inflation!
I said 'that's odd considering you did a price based TV campaign at the end of last year. How were new customers supposed to guess their two year contracts would be subject to a nearly 10% rise two months after signing up?'
'How were we to know inflation would rise by 5.5%?' They replied
Despite the sharp practice by BT this is the first time I remember being given an extra charge specificinnApally for inflation.
Actually I did the same and it was clear both in our discussions and their contact that a price rise of inflation plus 3.9% would apply in April, so if you did not read your contract then you have nobody but yourself to blame
Off Topic, but now inflation is at 5.5%, does that mean the pension rise has made the pensioners worse off this year (3.1%)? Will next year's take into account the rise they did us out of?
Going to be a potentially tricky public sector pay round this spring too.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Part habit, part terror I should imagine. The habit wearers will eventually get out of it, as they notice more and more other people stopping. The first spell of hot weather (in whatever century we finally get some) should help with that.
The terrified may keep using them for the rest of their lives.
Riveting to listen to you edgelords giving it large about the terror of us bedwetters.
Just to calibrate I assume you are a wingsuit flier? Stunt double? Consumer of after eights at 1950 hours?
I signed on for a two year contract with BT in December and I've just received a letter telling me that the price I agreed to is going up 9.4% this March. 3.9% annual increase and 5.5% for inflation!
I said 'that's odd considering you did a price based TV campaign at the end of last year. How were new customers supposed to guess their two year contracts would be subject to a nearly 10% rise two months after signing up?'
'How were we to know inflation would rise by 5.5%?' They replied
Despite the sharp practice by BT this is the first time I remember being given an extra charge specificinnApally for inflation.
Actually I did the same and it was clear both in our discussions and their contact that a price rise of inflation plus 3.9% would apply in April, so if you did not read your contract then you have nobody but yourself to blame
Off Topic, but now inflation is at 5.5%, does that mean the pension rise has made the pensioners worse off this year (3.1%)? Will next year's take into account the rise they did us out of?
It will this year but it was for one year so next year will be interesting
The state pension increase from April 2022 was set on the higher of 2.5% and CPI Sept 2021 which was 3.1%. Even if CPI inflation had fallen to 0.0% in January 2022 the increase from April 2022 would still be 3.1%.
Assuming the Triple Lock is not reinstated the increase from April 2023 will be the greater of 2.5% and CPI at September 2022, the latter will reflect all CPI inflation experienced since Sept 2021 including the current conditions.
The 'missing' third element of the Triple Lock which may or may not be reinstated is something to do with the movement in average earnings.
Macron seems to br staking quite a lot on the opposite, today, with all this talk on a ceasefire and new summit. Either he or the UK/US are going to emerge with their credibility damaged in some way, from all this.
I disagree with this. Macron has been playing one role, other leaders another. He couldn't play that role without someone else talking up a harder line. Given how mercurial Putin is I don't think leaders taking diffferent approaches would mean they automatically would lose credibility.
I think any assessment afterwards which says 'This person suggested an invasion could be avoided and it wasn't, they are a fool' or 'This person said it looked like an invasion would happen and it didn't' will be very misplaced.
The differences are greater than that, though. The UK/US are now saying an invasion is *certain*, in the last few days ; Macron is talking about a new security architecture and possible ceasefire. Those are too definiitvely different to be part of a broader western strategy, I would say.
I don't think it is coordinated strategy, it doesn't need to be. Just that if everyone had taken the Macron line from the start it'd have been ineffective, but that if everyone had taken the opposite line then it'd be too late for someone to try the Macron approach now.
I don't really agree there. I think both the French/EU and US/UK stances come across as so definitive, on an issue of such global importance, that there's bound to some fallout in terms of reputation either way.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
Ah yes, I'd forgotten that some of the shops had kept asking people to use them, possibly because my usual choice of grocer is M&S and they haven't. My own attitude to gags, now the legal requirement is gone, is as follows: if establishment suggests that you may wish to wear a mask, ignore. If establishment insists that you must wear a mask to enter, avoid establishment.
Caveat: I'll humour the NHS. But shops can do one.
So don't shop there.
I think you're a complete clown, but others might agree with you.
Regarding the first point, that's what I just said.
Regarding the second, why be rude?
Sorry. You're quite right. I didn't intend to be rude, was more of an "I disagree" thing, but I clearly was. I beg your forgiveness.
Macron seems to br staking quite a lot on the opposite, today, with all this talk on a ceasefire and new summit. Either he or the UK/US are going to emerge with their credibility damaged in some way, from all this.
I disagree with this. Macron has been playing one role, other leaders another. He couldn't play that role without someone else talking up a harder line. Given how mercurial Putin is I don't think leaders taking diffferent approaches would mean they automatically would lose credibility.
I think any assessment afterwards which says 'This person suggested an invasion could be avoided and it wasn't, they are a fool' or 'This person said it looked like an invasion would happen and it didn't' will be very misplaced.
The differences are greater than that, though. The UK/US are now saying an invasion is *certain*, in the last few days ; Macron is talking about a new security architecture and possible ceasefire. Those are too definiitvely different to be part of a broader western strategy, I would say.
I don't think it is coordinated strategy, it doesn't need to be. Just that if everyone had taken the Macron line from the start it'd have been ineffective, but that if everyone had taken the opposite line then it'd be too late for someone to try the Macron approach now.
I don't really agree there. I think both the French/EU and US/UK stances come across as so definitive, on an issue of such global importance, that there's bound to some fallout in terms of reputation either way.
If there is I personally think it would be very dumb.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
Ah yes, I'd forgotten that some of the shops had kept asking people to use them, possibly because my usual choice of grocer is M&S and they haven't. My own attitude to gags, now the legal requirement is gone, is as follows: if establishment suggests that you may wish to wear a mask, ignore. If establishment insists that you must wear a mask to enter, avoid establishment.
Caveat: I'll humour the NHS. But shops can do one.
My workplace is still strongly recommending masks in corridors etc. As a safety officer as part of my job I (a) don’t agree but (b) need to comply. It’s shit, and I hope that the National changes will lead to an end, but I’m unconvinced. The message has come from outside the university, so until that changes I’m stuck.
Mr. Tubbs, the buggering up of the lore to change the Doctor from someone who's good because they do good to Space Jesus was also not a very clever piece of writing.
Macron seems to br staking quite a lot on the opposite, today, with all this talk on a ceasefire and new summit. Either he or the UK/US are going to emerge with their credibility damaged in some way, from all this.
I disagree with this. Macron has been playing one role, other leaders another. He couldn't play that role without someone else talking up a harder line. Given how mercurial Putin is I don't think leaders taking diffferent approaches would mean they automatically would lose credibility.
I think any assessment afterwards which says 'This person suggested an invasion could be avoided and it wasn't, they are a fool' or 'This person said it looked like an invasion would happen and it didn't' will be very misplaced.
The differences are greater than that, though. The UK/US are now saying an invasion is *certain*, in the last few days ; Macron is talking about a new security architecture and possible ceasefire. Those are too definiitvely different to be part of a broader western strategy, I would say.
I don't think it is coordinated strategy, it doesn't need to be. Just that if everyone had taken the Macron line from the start it'd have been ineffective, but that if everyone had taken the opposite line then it'd be too late for someone to try the Macron approach now.
I don't really agree there. I think both the French/EU and US/UK stances come across as so definitive, on an issue of such global importance, that there's bound to some fallout in terms of reputation either way.
If there is I personally think it would be very dumb.
Well that would be a different issue, certainly, but I do think global political perceptions would be affected, whichever way it turns out, ofcourse.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
That's not going to endear the Royal family to a lot of the country. Way over the top, though many will enjoy a free day off.
It won't endear them to republicans but who cares, they are not royal fans anyway
I thought right wing "Conservative" Party MPs were against lockdowns?
The death of her Majesty would need to be marked by a memorial of sufficient stature, it would also be temporary not months long Covid lockdown but a few weeks at most
How many of you here now remember what happened when the King died? Not a lot, I dom't think....
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Dear me, you have lost it
HY is right on this one, it’s not just for us monarchists to be upset and respectful, everyone has to show respect in National morning. The clues in the title: it’s “National” morning.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Brilliant. I don't suppose you'd be one of the 'monarchist volunteers' to which you refer, would you?
I can just see it: "I'm fining you £50 for the offence of enjoying yourself and laughing in Epping Forest on the day of HMQ's funeral. Count yourself lucky I'm not sending you to the Tower."
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Part habit, part terror I should imagine. The habit wearers will eventually get out of it, as they notice more and more other people stopping. The first spell of hot weather (in whatever century we finally get some) should help with that.
The terrified may keep using them for the rest of their lives.
Riveting to listen to you edgelords giving it large about the terror of us bedwetters.
Just to calibrate I assume you are a wingsuit flier? Stunt double? Consumer of after eights at 1950 hours?
I'm not going to bite.
Keep on using the things if you want to. We're past the point where they do any good, but I see no reason to tell people who enjoy wearing masks to stop, either.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Dear me, you have lost it
HY is right on this one, it’s not just for us monarchists to be upset and respectful, everyone has to show respect in National morning. The clues in the title: it’s “National” morning.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
That's not going to endear the Royal family to a lot of the country. Way over the top, though many will enjoy a free day off.
It won't endear them to republicans but who cares, they are not royal fans anyway
I thought right wing "Conservative" Party MPs were against lockdowns?
The death of her Majesty would need to be marked by a memorial of sufficient stature, it would also be temporary not months long Covid lockdown but a few weeks at most
How many of you here now remember what happened when the King died? Not a lot, I dom't think....
I remember Princess Elizabeth was on a safari holiday.
Wolves today is free money. I would also tip Coady or Kilman to score. Leicester are shocking at defending set pieces.
Leicester injury woes continue with Barnes and Maddison out. Absolutely foul weather.
I’m not big into football - seems to attract thuggish behaviour and be more boring than rugby to watch - so I don’t know if this question is going to be stupid, but Leicester we’re better than this, is it being in EURO and Thursday night football that’s messed em up?
No, more to do with Rogers losing the confidence of the players with his constant line up and tactical changes. Injuries haven't helped, but the frequency of them since sacking our chief physio is down to Rogers.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
That's not going to endear the Royal family to a lot of the country. Way over the top, though many will enjoy a free day off.
It won't endear them to republicans but who cares, they are not royal fans anyway
I thought right wing "Conservative" Party MPs were against lockdowns?
The death of her Majesty would need to be marked by a memorial of sufficient stature, it would also be temporary not months long Covid lockdown but a few weeks at most
How many of you here now remember what happened when the King died? Not a lot, I dom't think....
I do and of course she was in Kenya on the 6th February 1952
Her coronation did not take place until 2nd June 1953, 15 months later
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
That's not going to endear the Royal family to a lot of the country. Way over the top, though many will enjoy a free day off.
It won't endear them to republicans but who cares, they are not royal fans anyway
I thought right wing "Conservative" Party MPs were against lockdowns?
The death of her Majesty would need to be marked by a memorial of sufficient stature, it would also be temporary not months long Covid lockdown but a few weeks at most
How many of you here now remember what happened when the King died? Not a lot, I dom't think....
I remember Princess Elizabeth was on a safari holiday.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
That's not going to endear the Royal family to a lot of the country. Way over the top, though many will enjoy a free day off.
It won't endear them to republicans but who cares, they are not royal fans anyway
I thought right wing "Conservative" Party MPs were against lockdowns?
The death of her Majesty would need to be marked by a memorial of sufficient stature, it would also be temporary not months long Covid lockdown but a few weeks at most
How many of you here now remember what happened when the King died? Not a lot, I dom't think....
I do. I was in the church choir and sang "Zadok the Priest" among other things. Though Geo VI died young there wasn't much fuss about the whole thing. In fact istr people being happy to get a new young female monarch.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Dear me, you have lost it
HY is right on this one, it’s not just for us monarchists to be upset and respectful, everyone has to show respect in National morning. The clues in the title: it’s “National” morning.
Mr. Tubbs, the buggering up of the lore to change the Doctor from someone who's good because they do good to Space Jesus was also not a very clever piece of writing.
Can’t argue with you on that. The classic doctor, wandering time and space helping people, doing the right thing was a great message. The idea that he was something more first arose in the Classic Series, towards the end, with the whole Cartmell master plan.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
Ah yes, I'd forgotten that some of the shops had kept asking people to use them, possibly because my usual choice of grocer is M&S and they haven't. My own attitude to gags, now the legal requirement is gone, is as follows: if establishment suggests that you may wish to wear a mask, ignore. If establishment insists that you must wear a mask to enter, avoid establishment.
Caveat: I'll humour the NHS. But shops can do one.
My workplace is still strongly recommending masks in corridors etc. As a safety officer as part of my job I (a) don’t agree but (b) need to comply. It’s shit, and I hope that the National changes will lead to an end, but I’m unconvinced. The message has come from outside the university, so until that changes I’m stuck.
I feel your pain. My place is still mandating the wretched things in any area except the room where you normally work, along with social distancing and room capacity limits. Apart from the shielding people being allowed back, it's basically a January 2021 time warp. Lord alone knows when the management will finally let go.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Dear me, you have lost it
HY is right on this one, it’s not just for us monarchists to be upset and respectful, everyone has to show respect in National morning. The clues in the title: it’s “National” morning.
We're not in Thailand. It's part of our national heritage to give zero shits about the monarchy.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Brilliant. I don't suppose you'd be one of the 'monarchist volunteers' to which you refer, would you?
I can just see it: "I'm fining you £50 for the offence of enjoying yourself and laughing in Epping Forest on the day of HMQ's funeral. Count yourself lucky I'm not sending you to the Tower."
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
That's not going to endear the Royal family to a lot of the country. Way over the top, though many will enjoy a free day off.
It won't endear them to republicans but who cares, they are not royal fans anyway
I thought right wing "Conservative" Party MPs were against lockdowns?
The death of her Majesty would need to be marked by a memorial of sufficient stature, it would also be temporary not months long Covid lockdown but a few weeks at most
How many of you here now remember what happened when the King died? Not a lot, I dom't think....
I do. I was in the church choir and sang "Zadok the Priest" among other things. Though Geo VI died young there wasn't much fuss about the whole thing. In fact istr people being happy to get a new young female monarch.
Baker's inner conflict over whether or not to destroy the daleks (and thus become genocidal himself) was a very good piece of moral consideration (I also liked Davros' rant against democracy).
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
That's not going to endear the Royal family to a lot of the country. Way over the top, though many will enjoy a free day off.
It won't endear them to republicans but who cares, they are not royal fans anyway
I thought right wing "Conservative" Party MPs were against lockdowns?
The death of her Majesty would need to be marked by a memorial of sufficient stature, it would also be temporary not months long Covid lockdown but a few weeks at most
How many of you here now remember what happened when the King died? Not a lot, I dom't think....
I do. I was in the church choir and sang "Zadok the Priest" among other things. Though Geo VI died young there wasn't much fuss about the whole thing. In fact istr people being happy to get a new young female monarch.
I offered to go and spend a few days up there doing some serious canvassing if someone was willing to put me up, but haven't had any takers - my impression is that Labour was initially mildly nervoius because of the turbulent political environment, but are pretty confident now. Don't think it will be as good as Gary suggests, though.
Baker's inner conflict over whether or not to destroy the daleks (and thus become genocidal himself) was a very good piece of moral consideration (I also liked Davros' rant against democracy).
No way was Tom ever going through with it. For one thing having Daleks in each series keeps the rights money coming in for the Terry Nation estate... The same Terry Nation who wrote ‘Genesis of the daleks’...
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Brilliant. I don't suppose you'd be one of the 'monarchist volunteers' to which you refer, would you?
I can just see it: "I'm fining you £50 for the offence of enjoying yourself and laughing in Epping Forest on the day of HMQ's funeral. Count yourself lucky I'm not sending you to the Tower."
Wolves today is free money. I would also tip Coady or Kilman to score. Leicester are shocking at defending set pieces.
Leicester injury woes continue with Barnes and Maddison out. Absolutely foul weather.
I’m not big into football - seems to attract thuggish behaviour and be more boring than rugby to watch - so I don’t know if this question is going to be stupid, but Leicester we’re better than this, is it being in EURO and Thursday night football that’s messed em up?
No, more to do with Rogers losing the confidence of the players with his constant line up and tactical changes. Injuries haven't helped, but the frequency of them since sacking our chief physio is down to Rogers.
Sounds like you are blaming rogers then?
Yes. For most teams managers run out of steam and ideas after a couple of years and become too predictable, and accumulate dressing room grievances. There are a few teams where managers have long term longevity.
There is a strong correlation of table position and budget too. Leicester has reverted to the mean.
Winter Olympics: Finnish cross-country skier suffers frozen penis in 50km race * Remi Lindholm needs a heat pack after finishing 28th * ‘When it started to warm up, the pain was unbearable’
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
Seems reasonable as a way forward - live and let live in general, though I'd suggest extra precautions in hospitals and care homes.
I offered to go and spend a few days up there doing some serious canvassing if someone was willing to put me up, but haven't had any takers - my impression is that Labour was initially mildly nervoius because of the turbulent political environment, but are pretty confident now. Don't think it will be as good as Gary suggests, though.
LAB will be quite comfortable there but I agree I think an 8% CON to LAB swing is unlikely.
For the record I think LDs will get low single figure %, nothing more. They got 4% last time. It's a constituency and contest where there is no pressure on LDs whatsoever apart from that they would like to keep their deposit!
Winter Olympics: Finnish cross-country skier suffers frozen penis in 50km race * Remi Lindholm needs a heat pack after finishing 28th * ‘When it started to warm up, the pain was unbearable’
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because they do indeed do good.
I gave someone a piece of my mind yesterday who came near me without a mask. Thankfully 80%+ of people around here are all still wearing masks and many do so even outdoors.
Why? Because we know that this killer virus isn't done with us yet and we're not selfish.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because they do indeed do good.
I gave someone a piece of my mind yesterday who came near me without a mask. Thankfully 80%+ of people around here are all still wearing masks and many do so even outdoors.
Why? Because we know that this killer virus isn't done with us yet and we're not selfish.
In what context did you give them a piece of your mind? In hospital? Then fair enough. Almost anywhere else you are bang out of order. And rude to be honest.
So one for the lawyers please. I believe I have just established that the neighbour's trees who have fallen into my garden are my responsibility unless I have previously warned them about them. Bit taken aback by that and very surprised.
Opinions please? Ideally from lawyers.
Saw them up for firewood. Say you are exercising the right of distress damage feasant.
Hi @IshmaelZ . You obviously haven't seen my posts from this morning. We are not talking trivia here. Massive carnage.
Would still like some advice from a lawyer here. Just spoken to legal helpline from my insurer and it was as much use as a chocolate teapot.
Because shops have asked them to, such as Waitrose etc. And yes, some folk do believe they will help prevent them catching Covid. This should be the future. I have no beef with people wearing masks. I get annoyed at people being upset if I don’t.
Seems reasonable as a way forward - live and let live in general, though I'd suggest extra precautions in hospitals and care homes.
Yes, I am not expecting things to change much for me. Regular testing, masks, socially distanced outpatients, staff isolating etc.
So - and entirely hypothetically, say the Queen dies at the same time a full blown getting-close-to-WWIII Russian invasion of Ukraine begins.
How would the news channels deal with that one? Probably perhaps about the only thing that stops it being entirely wall-to-wall black-armband stuff. Unless the Prez does the "my fellow Americans" speech for the announcement of aliens being here and happy to take questions.
Putin would probably invite himself to the funeral, which could delay any NATO response, sanctions or otherwise
You cannot be serious
Of course Putin won't come, he is paranoid about close human contact, just look at his socially distanced meetings. Indeed germophobia may be a sign of a dangerously deterioration in his overall paranoia.
If we're talking about the giant table, I think too much is being read into that. He seemed quite content to dispense with it when meeting Lukashenko.
It's a tad distasteful to discuss what happens on the death of a monarch who has served this country inexhaustibly.
However ... the idea that we should all be forced into mourning is an utter joke. I think the Queen has been amazing. But has she been perfect? No. She has presided over some disastrous errors of judgement.
'If' I outlast the Queen, and I certainly do not presume on such a thing, then I will possibly watch the funeral but maybe not. Otherwise I shall go about my normal life.
And as an institution the monarchy can bog off. It's thoroughly corrupt. When the Queen goes a lot of stuff will come out and I hope it ends this stupid sycophancy and preferably the whole institution of it. It's patently bonkers in this present era.
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because they do indeed do good.
I gave someone a piece of my mind yesterday who came near me without a mask. Thankfully 80%+ of people around here are all still wearing masks and many do so even outdoors.
Why? Because we know that this killer virus isn't done with us yet and we're not selfish.
In what context did you give them a piece of your mind? In hospital? Then fair enough. Almost anywhere else you are bang out of order. And rude to be honest.
I simply don't believe there is anywhere in the UK where 80% of people are still habitually masking including many outdoors.
It's a tad distasteful to discuss what happens on the death of a monarch who has served this country inexhaustibly.
However ... the idea that we should all be forced into mourning is an utter joke. I think the Queen has been amazing. But has she been perfect? No. She has presided over some disastrous errors of judgement.
And as an institution the monarchy can bog off. It's thoroughly corrupt. When the Queen goes a lot of stuff will come out and I hope it ends this stupid sycophancy and preferably the whole institution of it. It's patently bonkers in this present era.
Respect and lots of tributes, but lives will go on no matter but the media will be unwatchable at times
I don't think she'd want huge fuss, just a dignified state funeral. People will obviously react differently (no doubt there will be idiots on Twitter trying to provoke), and it should be up to shops and individuals how they respond rather than a national mandate. But I expect most places will feel it's inappropriate to trade during the funeral itself.
It's a tad distasteful to discuss what happens on the death of a monarch who has served this country inexhaustibly.
However ... the idea that we should all be forced into mourning is an utter joke. I think the Queen has been amazing. But has she been perfect? No. She has presided over some disastrous errors of judgement.
And as an institution the monarchy can bog off. It's thoroughly corrupt. When the Queen goes a lot of stuff will come out and I hope it ends this stupid sycophancy and preferably the whole institution of it. It's patently bonkers in this present era.
Utter rubbish. The monarchy will not only outlive the Queen but outlive you too as Charles, William and George all become excellent Kings.
Constitutional monarchies from Sweden to Denmark, Japan to Jordan, the Netherlands to New Zealand and Canada and Australia and Norway and here in the UK are amongst the wealthiest and most free in the world. I for one will continue to support our monarchy to the utmost for the rest of my lifetime
In other news, Camden's night life is back. Been out there Friday last week with my friends and then again yesterday with my wife's friends. Bars and pubs are all packed, not many people milling about outdoors but everywhere had queues to get in, The Underworld has been refurbished and you can wear canvas shoes risk free and use the gents.
Londoners have got their confidence back. What I don't see as much is out of towners like people from Essex heading into Liverpool Street on Fridays for a night in one of Leicester Square's more commercial bars/clubs. Hopefully as we head into the summer this crowd will be back too, despite the fights/piss/rowdiness London needs the two sizes too small polo shirt wearing crowd.
I have seen the same. Camden Market today is RAMMED despite the lousy weather: completely back to pre-pandemic levels, indeed possibly busier than normal for a very wintry, wet Sunday. Barely possible to drive through, all the pubs full at 4.30pm
Another thing I have noticed: gentrification has sped along, up from Camden High Street, down Kentish Town Road, all the way to Tufnell Park and even tentatively as far as - yes - Archway, previously a dystopian urban Toilet.
This seems to be a post-demic thing, or at least the process has been vastly speeded up by the plague. What used to be crappy pound stores, betting shops, charity outlets, is now all trendy bars, Vietnamese pho pop-ups, organic grocers, new cafes, wine shops, fancy clothes stores.
Intriguing
Of course this leaves the Big Question: how is CENTRAL London doing?
The City was still incredibly quiet the last time I was there a couple of weeks ago. And Canary Wharf.
Yes, it's a major concern. Central London is THE motor
We need tourists back
Commuters are definitely returning
Out here in the blue wall, people are quietly having fun while remaining cautious in shops - masks almost universal in Sainsbury. A friend's funeral is getting a good turnout, but some of the elderly folk are not coming. Generally it all seems quite sensible - enjoy life as you usually would, but if you're concerned about gettting the bug, avoid unnecessary exposure that doesn't stop you having fun.
My office will reopen at the end of March, with most people planning to come in two days a week, permanently - nobody is very keen, but it 's recognised that 100% wfh has its drawbacks. An interesting side-effect has been that some people are working overtime as needed without claiming TOIL - as one said, "I'm saving two hours a day on commuting, I'm not fussed if I need to spend half an hour extra finishing a report."
Why are people still wearing masks in shops ?
Do they actually think it will do any good or has it become some sort of weird social habit ?
Because they do indeed do good.
I gave someone a piece of my mind yesterday who came near me without a mask. Thankfully 80%+ of people around here are all still wearing masks and many do so even outdoors.
Why? Because we know that this killer virus isn't done with us yet and we're not selfish.
In what context did you give them a piece of your mind? In hospital? Then fair enough. Almost anywhere else you are bang out of order. And rude to be honest.
There are far more not wearing masks and I simply do not see anyone brave or foolish enough to challenge them
It's a tad distasteful to discuss what happens on the death of a monarch who has served this country inexhaustibly.
However ... the idea that we should all be forced into mourning is an utter joke. I think the Queen has been amazing. But has she been perfect? No. She has presided over some disastrous errors of judgement.
And as an institution the monarchy can bog off. It's thoroughly corrupt. When the Queen goes a lot of stuff will come out and I hope it ends this stupid sycophancy and preferably the whole institution of it. It's patently bonkers in this present era.
It remains popular for all its flaws
Though how long that continues under King Charles, who knows?
On masks I have not worn one for over a year now. Was still glad when mask wearing did not become mandatory though and pleasantly surprised when my employer said it was a personal preference to wear them or not in any part of the work building (90% dont) - those employers who still insist staff wear them have a problem as when do they decide it is no longer required given there will be no more advice from the government.
It's a tad distasteful to discuss what happens on the death of a monarch who has served this country inexhaustibly.
However ... the idea that we should all be forced into mourning is an utter joke. I think the Queen has been amazing. But has she been perfect? No. She has presided over some disastrous errors of judgement.
And as an institution the monarchy can bog off. It's thoroughly corrupt. When the Queen goes a lot of stuff will come out and I hope it ends this stupid sycophancy and preferably the whole institution of it. It's patently bonkers in this present era.
It remains popular for all its flaws
Though how long that continues under King Charles, who knows?
William and Kate seem popular and there does not seem to be a demand to become a republic
I signed on for a two year contract with BT in December and I've just received a letter telling me that the price I agreed to is going up 9.4% this March. 3.9% annual increase and 5.5% for inflation!
I said 'that's odd considering you did a price based TV campaign at the end of last year. How were new customers supposed to guess their two year contracts would be subject to a nearly 10% rise two months after signing up?'
'How were we to know inflation would rise by 5.5%?' They replied
Despite the sharp practice by BT this is the first time I remember being given an extra charge specifically for inflation.
I'd consider getting a 4g/5g router, a £20 a month unlimited data sim from 3 (or similar PAYG sim) and saying goodbye to BT.
Too late unfortunately. I wish I could. I've signed up to two years and there's no way I can walk away without paying up the contract.
Which is 24 months at £150 a month! Don't touch BT with a bargepole.
If the price rises from what you have agreed you have 30 days to cancel without penalties.
I know this because once they forgot to tell me about a price rise - due to an administrative cock-up they wrote to my father instead - and they as a result not only had to cancel my contract at the time of my choosing but refund me the difference.
It's a tad distasteful to discuss what happens on the death of a monarch who has served this country inexhaustibly.
However ... the idea that we should all be forced into mourning is an utter joke. I think the Queen has been amazing. But has she been perfect? No. She has presided over some disastrous errors of judgement.
And as an institution the monarchy can bog off. It's thoroughly corrupt. When the Queen goes a lot of stuff will come out and I hope it ends this stupid sycophancy and preferably the whole institution of it. It's patently bonkers in this present era.
The monarchy will ... outlive
We'll see.
I think they're in big trouble. When she does eventually go an awful lot of shit is going to come out.
William seems like a decent bloke though, grounded with a nice wife. The rest can all bugger off.
I think the world is moving on, with this and so many other things. The OK, Boomer generation's constant complaining about 'woke' this and 'woke' that, which surfaces on here quite a lot (especially when Leon is on the sauce) is like Custer's last stand. Or Canute's as a better analogy.
We've seen what you did to the world and we're moving on.
It's a tad distasteful to discuss what happens on the death of a monarch who has served this country inexhaustibly.
However ... the idea that we should all be forced into mourning is an utter joke. I think the Queen has been amazing. But has she been perfect? No. She has presided over some disastrous errors of judgement.
And as an institution the monarchy can bog off. It's thoroughly corrupt. When the Queen goes a lot of stuff will come out and I hope it ends this stupid sycophancy and preferably the whole institution of it. It's patently bonkers in this present era.
It remains popular for all its flaws
Though how long that continues under King Charles, who knows?
William and Kate seem popular and there does not seem to be a demand to become a republic
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
That's not going to endear the Royal family to a lot of the country. Way over the top, though many will enjoy a free day off.
It won't endear them to republicans but who cares, they are not royal fans anyway
I thought right wing "Conservative" Party MPs were against lockdowns?
The death of her Majesty would need to be marked by a memorial of sufficient stature, it would also be temporary not months long Covid lockdown but a few weeks at most
How many of you here now remember what happened when the King died? Not a lot, I dom't think....
I remember Princess Elizabeth was on a safari holiday.
With Doctor Who as I recall.
She has appeared in a couple of stories so, you never know.
You seem to spend a lot of time on Twitter. There are quite a few there blaming Boris.
As for Nokes comment I don’t see why one very wealthy, privileged, individual catching Covid changes anything with regards to ending restrictions. It’s the right thing to do, other nations are opening up. So should we.
There is utterly no reason whatsoever to postpone Covid changes.
I hope the Queen is OK but she's mortal and her card will be marked one day, whether it be Covid or anything else, we have to trust the vaccines.
If not now, post-three doses of vaccine, then when?
Indeed, then we have a month of national mourning, then prepare for King Charles' coronation in 6 months as he finally gets the role he has waited his life for at 73.
Hopefully however Her Majesty has a few years left in her but she is 95, she has had as much protection as she can get being double vaccinated and boosted
Point of order: we get about six hours of national mourning, after which viewers start to ring up the BBC complaining about EastEnders being replaced by Nick Witchell.
Tough. I want full Iranian style national mourning when the Queen dies.
I want sombre music on every radio station and wall to wall coverage on all the main freeview channels until her funeral is over. I also want shops shut throughout the day of her funeral.
Anyone who complains gets sent to the Tower., that would also help weed out republicans. After all, what else did we elect a Tory government for?
Good japes!
It's going to be wall to wall for at least a week, and yes, people will complain about it, but it's a one off so I am sure people will manage.
Interestingly, there was a discussion about getting insurance at our recent Dart Music Festival Committee Meeting. One of the things we are having to look at is an additional sum to cover the death of HM the Queen. In the event of it happening, everything - and I mean everything - closes down for three days. Including our free Festival.
The vast majority of people in the UK, who have lived there all their lives, have never experienced the death of a monarch before. Between the death and the funeral, there won’t be a lot going on, the country will be utterly shocked in a way that’s never been experienced by anyone under 70.
I just don’t agree with this. People were shocked when Diana died because it was so unexpected. Everyone knows she will die at some point soon. Yes there will be an outpouring of love and grief, but it will be her time. I don’t see most people being that shocked. Do you expect businesses and schools to close until she is buried? I don’t. You may see sports cancelled for a weekend.
In a word, yes.
The first three days, and the day of the funeral itself (day 9), will be like Christmas Day on the High St. there will be no music in bars for the week, sports will all be off for the first three days too, schools may well close and businesses work to bank holiday hours for the week.
I’m not convinced. Will it be legally mandated to close? To not play music? I’ll crank up my car stereo then and drive up and down. People die. I’ve never met her. She’s had a good innings. I dread the thought of Charles 3rd, or George the 10th or whatever stupid name he chooses.
I am sure Priti Patel as Home Secretary will ensure there will be plenty of opportunity for the police and monarchist volunteers to hand out on the spot fines to anyone not being sufficiently sombre during the official mourning period and funeral
Dear me, you have lost it
HY is right on this one, it’s not just for us monarchists to be upset and respectful, everyone has to show respect in National morning. The clues in the title: it’s “National” morning.
We're not in Thailand. It's part of our national heritage to give zero shits about the monarchy.
Rubbish, of the top 3 most watched TV programmes ever in the UK 2 were royal connected. 1st was the 1966 World Cup final, second was the funeral of Princess Diana and third was the 1969 documentary on the Royal family
Comments
Not that it will do those people any good as everyone will still come into contact with it.
More generally, the 'reaction' issue works both ways. The question of abolition of the monarchy is going to become much more salient when the older generation (roughly, the WW2 vets and boomers) dies off; it has been suspended mroe or less by mutual consent till HMtQ departs the scene (however that happens, e.g by abdication or whatever). Those steering the monarchy will need to be veryt careful how thery handle the transition in order not to provoke an anti-monarchical reaction at a time of general reassessment: not merely in the UK (just consider how it might play out in NI for instance) but in the Commonwealth.
Caveat: I'll humour the NHS. But shops can do one.
If you are suggesting he would make a great Arthur Daly cut and shut, clocked car salesman, absolutely.
Lab 56 (+6)
Con 30 (-10)
Grn 4 (+2)
TUSC (Nellist) 3 (+2)
Reform 3
Others 4
Turnout 29%
And they hate it
I think you're a complete clown, but others might agree with you.
The Commonwealth is a bit different, in that several areas have talked about and/or have support to end the monarchy already and have for a while (Jamiaca being the main example), so if ones have not done a Barbados by then I'm sure they will openly move forward at that time.
As for the Commonwealth, most Commonwealth nations became republics or got their own monarchs during the Queen's reign anyway
I'm a big fan of the queen. But not to the point of putting life on hold for a week when she dies. I was a big fan of John Peel/Ronnie Barker/Lemmy from Motorhead and I didn't put mife on hold when they died.
The firm are in serious danger of overplaying their hand here.
Discuss.
Regarding the second, why be rude?
It will be interesting to see if the mask wearers then still keep up the covid theatre.
But if it happens in the dark months, when there aren't many alternatives to staying in watching TV...
And, of course, it is more likely to happen in the winter.
Just to calibrate I assume you are a wingsuit flier? Stunt double? Consumer of after eights at 1950 hours?
Assuming the Triple Lock is not reinstated the increase from April 2023 will be the greater of 2.5% and CPI at September 2022, the latter will reflect all CPI inflation experienced since Sept 2021 including the current conditions.
The 'missing' third element of the Triple Lock which may or may not be reinstated is something to do with the movement in average earnings.
It’s shit, and I hope that the National changes will lead to an end, but I’m unconvinced. The message has come from outside the university, so until that changes I’m stuck.
I can just see it: "I'm fining you £50 for the offence of enjoying yourself and laughing in Epping Forest on the day of HMQ's funeral. Count yourself lucky I'm not sending you to the Tower."
Keep on using the things if you want to. We're past the point where they do any good, but I see no reason to tell people who enjoy wearing masks to stop, either.
https://twitter.com/BBCSteveR/status/1495449160753070080
Her coronation did not take place until 2nd June 1953, 15 months later
I think it was smoking related?
Baker's inner conflict over whether or not to destroy the daleks (and thus become genocidal himself) was a very good piece of moral consideration (I also liked Davros' rant against democracy).
edit - yes, lung cancer.
I offered to go and spend a few days up there doing some serious canvassing if someone was willing to put me up, but haven't had any takers - my impression is that Labour was initially mildly nervoius because of the turbulent political environment, but are pretty confident now. Don't think it will be as good as Gary suggests, though.
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2022/feb/20/credit-suisse-secrets-leak-unmasks-criminals-fraudsters-corrupt-politicians
All this talk of one's demise would do one no sort of good.
There is a strong correlation of table position and budget too. Leicester has reverted to the mean.
Winter Olympics: Finnish cross-country skier suffers frozen penis in 50km race
* Remi Lindholm needs a heat pack after finishing 28th
* ‘When it started to warm up, the pain was unbearable’
https://twitter.com/guardian/status/1495443169730834442
For the record I think LDs will get low single figure %, nothing more. They got 4% last time. It's a constituency and contest where there is no pressure on LDs whatsoever apart from that they would like to keep their deposit!
I gave someone a piece of my mind yesterday who came near me without a mask. Thankfully 80%+ of people around here are all still wearing masks and many do so even outdoors.
Why? Because we know that this killer virus isn't done with us yet and we're not selfish.
Apart from them its now an affectation among the most self-righteous of the middle class.
With possibly a correlation to other lifestyle choices - organic food ? veganism ?
Would still like some advice from a lawyer here. Just spoken to legal helpline from my insurer and it was as much use as a chocolate teapot.
However ... the idea that we should all be forced into mourning is an utter joke. I think the Queen has been amazing. But has she been perfect? No. She has presided over some disastrous errors of judgement.
'If' I outlast the Queen, and I certainly do not presume on such a thing, then I will possibly watch the funeral but maybe not. Otherwise I shall go about my normal life.
And as an institution the monarchy can bog off. It's thoroughly corrupt. When the Queen goes a lot of stuff will come out and I hope it ends this stupid sycophancy and preferably the whole institution of it. It's patently bonkers in this present era.
Constitutional monarchies from Sweden to Denmark, Japan to Jordan, the Netherlands to New Zealand and Canada and Australia and Norway and here in the UK are amongst the wealthiest and most free in the world. I for one will continue to support our monarchy to the utmost for the rest of my lifetime
I know this because once they forgot to tell me about a price rise - due to an administrative cock-up they wrote to my father instead - and they as a result not only had to cancel my contract at the time of my choosing but refund me the difference.
I think they're in big trouble. When she does eventually go an awful lot of shit is going to come out.
William seems like a decent bloke though, grounded with a nice wife. The rest can all bugger off.
I think the world is moving on, with this and so many other things. The OK, Boomer generation's constant complaining about 'woke' this and 'woke' that, which surfaces on here quite a lot (especially when Leon is on the sauce) is like Custer's last stand. Or Canute's as a better analogy.
We've seen what you did to the world and we're moving on.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_watched_television_broadcasts_in_the_United_Kingdom