How much worse can it get ...??

[teamsaint]

Simple answer. No! What do you need to go for?

If you don't need the car, go by train, or bus if you can figure out how to do that. If you're a long way south or west, you could drive to somewhere like Leatherhead or Guildford, and take a train from there - but not necesszrily going to give you a significant advantage over taking the train from your starting point.

Just thinking about avoiding all public transport , if that becomes necessary or desireable for a while.I usually train it in from Andover or Basingstoke, or sometimes drive to Richmond and tube it from there. I do the trip about once a week for work.
( Ticket splitting works from some stations on my route)

[Serial_Apologist]

Just thinking about avoiding all public transport , if that becomes necessary or desireable for a while.I usually train it in from Andover or Basingstoke, or sometimes drive to Richmond and tube it from there. I do the trip about once a week for work.
( Ticket splitting works from some stations on my route)

There's parking space aplenty around here (shhh - big secret!); you'd still be using SE Trains - every 20 mins to and from Sydenham Hill, 15 mins to Victoria, but check beforehand of course) - but you'd be using the tube or omnibus from Oval surely?

[teamsaint]

There's parking space aplenty around here (shhh - big secret!); you'd still be using SE Trains - every 20 mins to and from Sydenham Hill, 15 mins to Victoria, but check beforehand of course) - but you'd be using the tube or omnibus from Oval surely?

I could walk it from the Oval. Its really a thoretical question I suppose. Good tip on the parking. Kew is my preferred optikn for free parking, but you can only use it from 10.00 am. Can be useful thpugh, esp weekends or evenings.
I’m in London next week for a few appointments rearranged from the cancelled London Book Fair. Some from the provinces are nervous.....

Not a toilet roll or a bag of pasta to be had round these parts, sad to say. Very silly.

[Serial_Apologist]

I could walk it from the Oval. Its really a thoretical question I suppose. Good tip on the parking. Kew is my preferred optikn for free parking, but you can only use it from 10.00 am. Can be useful thpugh, esp weekends or evenings.
I’m in London next week for a few appointments rearranged from the cancelled London Book Fair. Some from the provinces are nervous.....

Not a toilet roll or a bag of pasta to be had round these parts, sad to say. Very silly.

Shelves in one of the 2 big St Sprees branches near me looked as if they'd been hit by a human locust swarm this afternoon - all my regular biscuit choices sold out and not a small tin of baked beans. There should be enough methane release to overheat the planet in no time! Plenty of toilet rolls available, surprisingly, until a woman said she wasn't touching any of them Chinese imports! The only face masks on sale were the ones used for women having their faces "done" in beauty salons - lilac-scented, etc etc!

[kernelbogey]

And since we are on the subject, anybody know good parking spaces at reasonably sensible prices withing walking distance of the West End , and a sensible drive from the direction of Hants/Surrey ? I was thinking Lambeth/Elephant and Castle might work, but I think street parking is mostly up to 4 hours, and I might need a little more than that.
Edit: ideally outside the congestion charge zone . What about round the Oval ?

Apparently there are AirBnB-style sites offering parking at private houses - possibly one called something like 'park in my garden'. A friend has used this. I haven't investigated as I have no need - but hope this may be helpful, TS.

[Frances_iom]

Judging from my local Waitrose it is the thinking middle class who are panic buying - all Waitrose Muesli sold as also all the large bags of rolled oats, likewise rice - the Kellogs junk still occupies full shelves (is it still true that it would be better for ones health to consume the packaging and throw away the over priced sugar inside?)

[Dave2002]

Just thinking about avoiding all public transport , if that becomes necessary or desireable for a while.I usually train it in from Andover or Basingstoke, or sometimes drive to Richmond and tube it from there. I do the trip about once a week for work.
( Ticket splitting works from some stations on my route)

Ah - avoiding public transport. That's something we're thinking of too. Might have to ditch some concerts too if we get really concerned.

A recent conversation went something like this: there's only a 2-3% death rate estimated. Unfortunately for people in the over 80s and/or with other health issues, the rate goes up to 20%. I think that concern applied to the person who said that.

That doesn't apply to me, but I might be in the 10% band.

When you get to London are you sure you'll either be able to reasonably avoid people, and also not use public transport? You could use those public bikes I suppose, or even buy your own folding bike and take it with you in the car. Using the public bikes might not be a great idea, though I don't know, as allegedly the virus can linger on surfaces for a long while.

If really concerned might be better not to go there at all.

[LHC]

Judging from my local Waitrose it is the thinking middle class who are panic buying - all Waitrose Muesli sold as also all the large bags of rolled oats, likewise rice - the Kellogs junk still occupies full shelves (is it still true that it would be better for ones health to consume the packaging and throw away the over priced sugar inside?)

I’m surprised they need to panic buy; I would have thought most will still have a year’s supply of pasta and rice left after they stockpiled supplies for their Brexit survival kits.

[Old Grumpy]

London certainly best avoided, if at all possible...

OG

[Pulcinella]

I’m surprised they need to panic buy; I would have thought most will still have a year’s supply of pasta and rice left after they stockpiled supplies for their Brexit survival kits.

I'm not panic buying, but keeping the Brexit survival kit well stocked by replacing items as they are used.
Partner due to return from Italy on Wednesday (flight still happening, according to BA) and just might self-isolate, though he has no real reason to, as there have been no outbreaks reported in Florence.
City deserted though, he says: shops and restaurants closed as well as theatres etc.
He's perhaps going to be more vulnerable on the train back from London than being there!

[Bryn]

London certainly best avoided, if at all possible...

OG

Moreso than Reading or Milton Keynes? I am keeping off the tube but that's as much due to the dust problem as anything.

[Old Grumpy]

Moreso than Reading or Milton Keynes? I am keeping off the tube but that's as much due to the dust problem as anything.

At any time IMV, COVID or no COVID.

OG

[alywin]

There's parking space aplenty around here (shhh - big secret!); you'd still be using SE Trains - every 20 mins to and from Sydenham Hill, 15 mins to Victoria, but check beforehand of course)

Better still, Sydenham: change at London Bridge for Charing X.

[Serial_Apologist]

Better still, Sydenham: change at London Bridge for Charing X.

W....ell - possibly not so good for available street parking, mind.

[Dave2002]

Some suggestions here - https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/eu-la...ampaign-early/

The B word resurfaces, but why is the Yorkshire press following this up? Perhaps because the national papers are too much under the control (though not directly ....) of the government which doesn't want these issues raised! Ah well, we might be in Arizona ....