If we close up for a bit...

[AlexGold]

That's Pen Ponds Cafe, right in the middle of Richmond Park.....which was apparently full of people of all types walking, running, cycling and driving like it was a summer bank holiday. Which I'm sure was nice for them.....

[Jurassic]

I just saw this post from the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber.
<iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.p ... &width=500" width="500" height="268" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowTransparency="true" allow="encrypted-media"></iframe>

[whitestone]

Just been talking to sister-in-law and her husband. The car park at Dove Stone reservoir near Saddleworth http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=401337 ... &A=Y&Z=120 was rammed yesterday with people also parking all the way along the double yellow lines leading to the area.

Also rammed today when I drove past was the car park here - http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=398347 ... &A=Y&Z=120, normally you are lucky to see three cars there.

Simon - I think that situations like this amplify our underlying nature especially if events and/or consequences happen close to you. The level of seriousness or otherwise of such events doesn't matter, they are just more prods/reminders that the situation affects us all and we tend not to want to be told negative news.

It doesn't help that most people aren't used to being "alone" for any length of time and also that they equate "alone" with "lonely" so the recommendations about social distancing and self isolation immediately become "a problem" (apologies for the masses of quotations). I don't mind being alone, I'll head off to do some walling and might not even see, let alone (sic) talk to, anyone all day and I'm fine with that.

I wouldn't say "I'm crapping it", I'm concerned yes but I'm not really a panicker by nature. I think that we are in this situation for the long haul, those who believe the "12 weeks and we can beat this" BS will struggle.

[tobasco]

I reckon the folk not taking it serious will start paying attention when someone they know either dies or is critical and can’t get into ICU. unfortunately their current behaviour brings that day closer for everyone.

[FLV]

Peak district rammed full today. Burger vans really busy, even saw a pub doing take out beer by the plastic pint glass which was being consumed enthusiastically by the folk in the rather busy beer garden

I mean, i was out cycling but at least id gone on my own had no intention of stopping anywhere

[pistonbroke]

Compare and contrast.
Bojo's seeming astonishment at a questioner at today's press conference who asked when the police would be enforcing his wishy-washy plea for conformance to the social distancing advice.
The Spanish approach https://www.thelocal.es/20200320/zero-t ... n-lockdown (watch the video, so sad)

The man is a menace.

[In Reverse]

saw a pub doing take out beer by the plastic pint glass which was being consumed enthusiastically by the folk in the rather busy beer garden

This is an outrage! Which pub was this Dave?

[PaulB2]

Cannock Chase had announced earlier in the week that car parks were going to be free for a while and the cafe would just be doing takeaway. Today they announced that people were taking the pIss with social distancing so they were shutting all car parks (slight paraphrasing) until future notice

[FLV]

Ha, Not that hard to guess from my strava route (no i didnt stop). Not the ladybower.

(Yes, i know youre kidding)

[In Reverse]

I already checked your Strava.

Duly noted.

[pistonbroke]

MrsPB and I have been watching today's press conference with Robert Jenrick waffling on about vulnerable people being sent food parcels to avoid having to go out. We were musing about the implications of something similar happening here, trouble is we'd probably starve as the likely parcel would contain a live lobster, artichokes, pig's ears, rabbit, sundry cow's entrails and a live goat tethered to the car wing mirror.

[fatbikephil]

Oh dear, I'm really enjoying avoiding people, not speaking to them the odd time I do meet someone (I just wave) and going totally off the beaten track (or off any track) to minimise the chances of meeting anyone. Social distancing = situation normal.

I wonder if one of my jobs next week will be to close every public car park in Fife....

[Jamesh]

Saw so many large family groups of walkers and folk on bikes in my neck of the woods today. One particular group decided to climb some gates and stroll across a field full of lambs with a dog off a lead, suffice to say I gave them a stark reality check coupled with a wtf are you playing at. Some people are just totally clueless and right now simply dangerous
Clearly this affects us all, but I get a strong indication in my local area (semi rural, pretty affluent, super Tory) that there seems a more laissez faire attitude. I guess the very rich who don't need to work, engage in normal life, etc look after themselves and thats that

[voodoo_simon]

Cheers chaps It’s good to have a moan

I’m all for social distancing, in fact apart from work, that’s my life but when it’s associated with C-19, then it’s slightly different. Did mange a couple of hours in the woods today den building, all good fun and no one came within 10-15m of us

Which brings me into the Forestry commission closing the forests down, I think it’s just the facilities that the offer rather than all of the forest (which obviously would be almost impossible to manage). Can’t blame them

[Richard G]

Compare and contrast.
Bojo's seeming astonishment at a questioner at today's press conference who asked when the police would be enforcing his wishy-washy plea for conformance to the social distancing advice.
The Spanish approach https://www.thelocal.es/20200320/zero-t ... n-lockdown (watch the video, so sad)

The man is a menace.

Yeah, that was astonishing to me. The concept of the police helping enforce this seemed completely alien to him.

[Jamesh]

Which brings me into the Forestry commission closing the forests down, I think it’s just the facilities that the offer rather than all of the forest (which obviously would be almost impossible to manage). Can’t blame them

Swinley Forest run by Crown estates has shut near me too. Folk were implored to take it easy on the trails, yet Saturday saw the need for ambulances on site (just what the nhs needs right now!)

Sadly I increasingly think leaving grey areas and relying on the general publics common sense doesn't work so well

[Escape Goat]

Are we really this stupid? (London, yesterday)



Also...

Snowdonia National Park Authority said its area "experienced its busiest ever visitor day in living memory" on Saturday.

Sure, most of us are healthy (not that I am at the moment), but that's completely irrelevant. How would you feel if you killed someone because you passed them the virus, just so you could have a ride with your buddies?

FFS.

Complete tossers!!!!!!!!!

[Boab]

Clearly this affects us all, but I get a strong indication in my local area (semi rural, pretty affluent, super Tory) that there seems a more laissez faire attitude. I guess the very rich who don't need to work, engage in normal life, etc look after themselves and thats that

My son has being doing his DoE, helping with litter picking and general village maintenance (cutting hedges, scrubbing signs etc). He's under the wing of one of the villages elder statesmen, who should be at home isolating for the next 12 weeks in case he and his wife pop their clogs. Nope, wanted the boy out this morning to cut some hedges and deliver leaflets with another couple of kids, one from the pub, the other from the next village. One of the local GPs even sent round a strongly worded eMail about no odd jobs round the village, will he listen? Nope.

It's just as well my boy didn't go, as one of my team at work, who sits right behind me, has come down with COVID-19 symptoms.

[lune ranger]

I’ve spent the last two weeks thrashing out increasingly lavish and imaginative capacity escalation plans for my ICU. We’ve begged, borrowed and repurposed as much kit as we can and scrambled to upskill a bunch of wide eyed ‘helpers’
This weekend has been eerily quiet... bed occupancy well below normal... it’s like waiting on a beach as the water recedes and wondering when the tsunami is going to hit.

[Richard G]

Swinley Forest run by Crown estates has shut near me too. Folk were implored to take it easy on the trails, yet Saturday saw the need for ambulances on site (just what the nhs needs right now!)

Given my propensity for post ride hospital visits... I'll definitely not be doing any trail riding for the foreseeable future!

[redefined_cycles]

I’ve spent the last two weeks thrashing out increasingly lavish and imaginative capacity escalation plans for my ICU. We’ve begged, borrowed and repurposed as much kit as we can and scrambled to upskill a bunch of wide eyed ‘helpers’
This weekend has been eerily quiet... bed occupancy well below normal... it’s like waiting on a beach as the water recedes and wondering when the tsunami is going to hit.

1 nurse (with upskilled helpers) to 2 patients in 1 bedspace??

Well done Luke. The band7 that does our training and has been doing the bit of upskilling the helpers has earned a pen from one of the staff members with 1 years supply of ink refills. Rather nice (OHTO Horizon if anyone knows their pens) pen it is too...

[Escape Goat]

Swinley Forest run by Crown estates has shut near me too. Folk were implored to take it easy on the trails, yet Saturday saw the need for ambulances on site (just what the nhs needs right now!)

Given my propensity for post ride hospital visits... I'll definitely not be doing any trail riding for the foreseeable future!

My mountain bikes are now in storage.
I don't know when I'll see them again.

[Bearbonesnorm]

I think I shall be making full use of the 999 acres of forest that I generally take to be my back garden. Maybe even some overnighters.

[Escape Goat]

I think I shall be making full use of the 999 acres of forest that I generally take to be my back garden. Maybe even some overnighters.

Good on you mate. Would love to have the same.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Good on you mate. Would love to have the same.

Aye, very fortunate Allen ... I'll try not to squander it.