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excerpt from a letter to Canada..

.. just sent to a Cousin (safe in the mountains of British Columbia) asking what it's like here in London.....  Just me musin' in case anyone's vaguely interested...Hi there Sheila....Like most people across Europe, we’re in virtual lockdown.  Shop shelves empty courtesy of hoarders.  Streets slowly emptying except for massive queues at supermarkets.   Far less tube trains and buses running.   Lots of folk wearing masks.   Weird.  It’s like waking to another world, one we’ve never known before.  Maybe it was a bit like this in 1914 and 1939.   But instead of listening out for distant guns or the drone of aeroplanes raining bombs on our city, we can’t see this enemy.   Where’s it hiding?   Whose shoulder is it on?   Is it at the front door?   Is it already in the house?  In some corner somewhere?   Lurking?  Waiting to pounce in the middle of the night?All we can do is stay away.  Stay put at home.  Wash our hands again and again.  Don’t touch your own face.  No handshaking.  No hugs.  Keep two metres away from all human contact.   Maybe those thousands of our ancestors who huddled up all night on underground platforms in fear of the Luftwaffe had it better than us.  Maybe they didn’t.  Who knows.  I don’t  think any of us do yet awhile.Maybe we’ll all get used to this new way of living?   Maybe in a few weeks it’ll all seem normal.  Maybe we’ll all soon embrace this odd new world with the kind of stoicism humans have displayed down the ages.  Who knows.  We might all end up playing monopoly by candlelight.  Digging up our gardens and growing our own vegetables.   Listening to Vera Lynn on the wireless.   Waiting for another Prime Minister to comfort us and tell us this could yet become our finest hour.Meanwhile all we can do is wait.   And hope....

Stuart Kerr ● 2421d1 Comments ● 2421d

Gas Engineers, Heating Engineers, Plumbers, Electricians

The Government statement on whether these trades are classed as key workers is a bit ambiguous, we're looking for clarity, we should know more by the end of the day.But it looks like they are. That doesn't mean that must attend your property if you're self isolating and showing symptoms, it'll be their decision at the end of the day. If they do come to your home to carry out repair works, then please stay out of the room they're working in, clean surfaces in advance with alcohol wipes/disinfection, they'll likely wear gloves and a face mask to protect themselves and their families, so don't be alarmed.Here's the Gov boompf on key workers."Utilities, communication and financial servicesThis includes staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure), the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage), information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the COVID-19 response, as well as key staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 critical services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors.If workers think they fall within the critical categories above they should confirm with their employer that, based on their business continuity arrangements, their specific role is necessary for the continuation of this essential public service."Here's a link to a trade magazine on the above. https://www.installeronline.co.uk/government-classifies-plumbing-heating-workers-key-workers-response-covid-19-pandemic/

Gary Mellor ● 2421d0 Comments ● 2421d

Time to Postpone Trade Talks with the EU?

It perplexes me that more people are not raising the obvious question of why we are intending to persist with reshaping our relationship with the EU, a path which will involve a huge amount of dislocation for our economy when the coronavirus is already causing this to happen. This doesn't mean rejoining the EU but postponing the trade talks and remaining aligned with the single market until we are clear of the current crisis. The massive demands that the talks will place on an already overstretched civil service are bound to create a range of difficulties.Our PM is not known for his work ethic but even a more conscientous leader would struggle to cope with the workload that will be placed on them.If we leave the EU during a pandemic we reduce the ability of our universities to work with other institutions in Europe to develop a cure.It has already been reported that outside EU institutions we will not have the same access to EU developed vaccines that hopefully will become available.We have over the past few days had ample demonstration how even minor disruptions to supply chains can lead to hoarding and shortages. If the pandemic is still an issue and any new trading arrangement interrupt the free low of goods, there will be far worse scenes in our local shops and many people will have to go without basic essentials.The notion that freedom of movement presents an extra risk during a pandemic has been thoroughly disproven with EU countries closing their borders to each other for health reasons.If you don't agree that trade talks should be put on hold could you explain to me what are the benefits which outweigh all the negatives detailed above?

Mark Evans ● 2425d21 Comments ● 2421d