Coronavirus: social, economic and other changes as a result of the pandemic

[Serial_Apologist]

I'm sure that if spoken to nicely the Chinese could sell BJ a guaranteed working system - they might also be happy to undercut BJ's favourite tory party affiliate and run it for him.

Safety in... numbers.

[french frank]

I don't go in for any of these "loyalty cards": for one thing I don't want to save up for two weeks' cruisin' the Caribbean; for another I don't need 5 years' supply of reduced price baked beans; and for a third it's against my religion, as I tell checkout staff.

I don't mind being a Coop member and getting a free bottle of wine every so often. I don't actually care very much if I can get 'better' at Tesco or Sainsbury's or 'cheaper' at Lidl. I pick the Coop items I really like and the rest is same old same old wherever you go. I don't care about 5p off a bag a flour that will last me a couple of months.

Getting back to team's Freedom Pass, I suppose one aspect is that not everyone (not many?) can get tested on demand twice a week. Who can, I wonder? Ministers and their SPADs, who are then able to travel to visit their elderly parents/take their children to safety whenever they feel they want to?

[gradus]

I don't mind being a Coop member and getting a free bottle of wine every so often. I don't actually care very much if I can get 'better' at Tesco or Sainsbury's or 'cheaper' at Lidl. I pick the Coop items I really like and the rest is same old same old wherever you go. I don't care about 5p off a bag a flour that will last me a couple of months.

Getting back to team's Freedom Pass, I suppose one aspect is that not everyone (not many?) can get tested on demand twice a week. Who can, I wonder? Ministers and their SPADs, who are then able to travel to visit their elderly parents/take their children to safety whenever they feel they want to?

Not on demand but we're tested once a week for 4 weeks and then monthly for 11 months, all without asking, courtesy of a joint Oxford University/NHS random sample study. In addition £50 for the first test and £25 for each subsequent one, paid in e vouchers exchangeable for vouchers valid at a wide range of retailers.

[french frank]

Not on demand but we're tested once a week for 4 weeks and then monthly for 11 months, all without asking, courtesy of a joint Oxford University/NHS random sample study.

I think that makes you one of an "elite"!

In addition £50 for the first test and £25 for each subsequent one, paid in e vouchers exchangeable for vouchers valid at a wide range of retailers.

So <cautiously>, they pay you or you pay them? …

If the former, how do we all get on the scheme?

[Leinster Lass]

But why would you want to approve "official policies that don't happen to meet with [your] approval?" Unless you're being ironic, of course!

I don't go in for any of these "loyalty cards": for one thing I don't want to save up for two weeks' cruisin' the Caribbean; for another I don't need 5 years' supply of reduced price baked beans; and for a third it's against my religion, as I tell checkout staff.

Ironic - moi? We Irish realise that our unique sense of humour is rarely if ever understood by other nations, especially the British (have you ever watched 'The Irish R.M.'?), but we battle bravely on and don't take offence.

[Bryn]

Ironic - moi? We Irish realise that our unique sense of humour is rarely if ever understood by other nations, especially the British (have you ever watched 'The Irish R.M.'?), but we battle bravely on and don't take offence.

Watched? This is the Radio 3 Forum. Surely you mean "read"?

[Frances_iom]

A sense of humour is needed though once thru the worst there is a huge accounting due the country by a demonstrably incompetent Tory party - 1st is the 20,000+ extrajuridicial executions in carehomes by in so many cases the export, in some cases knowingly, of covid cases with no PPE protection. The previous Tory government had done all it could to cut local government to the smallest possible that could still be used a fig-leaf to hide its own responsibility for the mess that was social care + especially given that a simulation had demonstrated that PPE was short even for an expected flu pandemic.

[Leinster Lass]

Watched? This is the Radio 3 Forum. Surely you mean "read"?

I would say that nobody has ever bettered, or even equalled, Peter Bowles's depiction of a befuddled Englishman who has been cruelly torn from his natural surroundings - witness his difficulty in pronouncing the name of his housekeeper.

[Bryn]

I would say that nobody has ever bettered, or even equalled, Peter Bowles's depiction of a befuddled Englishman playing away from home - witness his difficulty in pronouncing the name of his cook.

Well, actually I have to agree. It was his depiction, and that by Anna Manahan of Mrs. Cadogan, which led me to read the Somerville and Ross stories on which the series was based.

[Globaltruth]

Ironic - moi? We Irish realise that our unique sense of humour is rarely if ever understood by other nations, especially the British (have you ever watched 'The Irish R.M.'?), but we battle bravely on and don't take offence.

[Leinster Lass]

Well, actually I have to agree. It was his depiction, and that by Anna Manahan of Mrs. Cadogan, which led me to read the Somerville and Ross stories on which the series was based.

I think it would be fair to say that, in common with some other folk, he found transition from his previous post more than a little challenging.

[Bryn]

I think it would be fair to say that, in common with some other folk, he found transition from his previous post more than a little challenging.

By the way, noting that the first six episodes were directed by Robert Chetwyn. Another fine series he directed was Private Schulz, with Michael Elphick as Schulz.

[french frank]

No, I know we really don't need this at the moment, but a very good article by Richard Morrison (I think it's a shareable link):

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/what-a-tangled-web-brexit-is-weaving-for-british-performers-return-to-europe-lnrbtkv98?shareToken=97223417d5a60af8a6535e31b27a2843

A tenuous link with this thread because the pandemic has slowed up an already probably hopeless process, but it clearly doesn't belong on the Good News thread .

[Serial_Apologist]

No, I know we really don't need this at the moment, but a very good article by Richard Morrison (I think it's a shareable link):

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/what-a-tangled-web-brexit-is-weaving-for-british-performers-return-to-europe-lnrbtkv98?shareToken=97223417d5a60af8a6535e31b27a2843

A tenuous link with this thread because the pandemic has slowed up an already probably hopeless process, but it clearly doesn't belong on the Good News thread .

Mr GG offered us frequent reminders on this very subject.

[french frank]

Mr GG offered us frequent reminders on this very subject.

Indeed he did. But the actual details are now suggesting HOME > CHICKENS > ROOST. Latest news: no progress. But to get this off the Big B and back on to the Big C, we can at least support those organisations that have been streaming performances by buying tickets as often as possible.