Lockdown Gripes

Boris was at pains to point out that he will be led by the science and not dates - and then, inexplicably, proceeded to give us a bunch of dates! One assumes that the science led approach would be based on R number (infection rate), cases, deaths, vaccination levels and whether any new, resistant variants entered the population. There again, it could be whether new, resistant  variants enter the game, the death rate, cases and R number. 

Why could he not simply give us the determinant figures? That goes for Sturgeon too. Are we too thick perhaps? No - he gave us a bunch of dates, which people will now consider to be written in stone, regardless of any data which may come out to suggest the gaps between tranches have to be lengthened. Holidays will be booked and taken - no matter what - and before we know it, we'll be back to square one because he gave us dates.

To be fair, he was probably cornered into doing that by his rebellious back benchers, who don't give a fig about people dying, so long as their business interests are looked after, like capitalists of the 19th century. Yes, people may be made redundant, but it's better than being dead, which is a somewhat more long-term inconvenience.

A close friend, who is a leading member of a local, non-league football club, was inundated by WhatsApp messages yesterday suggesting the members all go for a kick-around on Saturday as training for when the block comes off. That is the kind of attitude that will ensure we don't even progress to that stage. Morons are already demanding June 21st is made a public holiday.

Foreign holiday bookings are up 500%, according to travel agents. That's hordes of people going to countries where they will be totally ignorant of local rules or infections levels and possibly brining new variants into the UK on their return. 

I'm sick and tired of hearing people on the news saying; "If cases are coming down, why can't we open up earlier?" They don't seem to realise that it's predominantly the lockdown that's causing the decline in infections and it won't continue coming down without restrictions being in place. It's as if they haven't learned from the Christmas fiasco. Additionally, cases are still eight and a half times higher than at the first lockdown.

We're about to do what no other country in the world is doing - sending 8.5 million kids back to school on a single day, where they will mix and could potentially convey any virus at home to the unvaccinated parents of other kids. That's a massive risk and could derail the much-wanted 21st June holiday at the first hurdle.

I know someone who only went out of the house to go into the garden, or to get essential shopping once in a while - say 3 times a week, having to carry it all home on the bus as she had no car.

She spent most of every day in the house cleaning - every normal day was like a spring clean for most people - or cooking.

Holidays? Only when her husband, who worked abroad for 9 months of the year, was home - and even then, only while her kids were of school age. After that, neither she nor her husband ever wanted or took a holiday.

The TV was only capable of receiving two channels. 

Socialising with friends? The only friends she had were her mother, brothers and sisters, and she didn't see them that often.

Going out to exercise? Housework and carrying shopping. 

Visiting garden centres? There weren't any; you got a catalogue of seeds and chose from that. 

I'm not talking about someone who has been in lockdown for the last year, but my mother in the early 1960s, for whom what people are moaning about now was very close to normal, everyday life. We weren't poor either.

That's not to say some aren't suffering during lockdown, especially those with lots of kids at home, but most of us don't know we're born these days and have a meltdown because we can't go to the pub with our mates, especially those who are lucky enough to still be working. How times have changed.

If I'm brutally honest, I'll miss lockdown - I've actually enjoyed the slower pace of life and doing without the luxuries I thought nothing about previously having access to.

Talking of garden centres, have you noticed how no-one in them knows the first thing about the plants they sell? Garden centres are shops selling garden related stuff, but detailed knowledge about the plants they sell is limited to the information on the pots.