Coronavirus

[BOB BLACKSHAW 1Participant @bobblackshaw1]

I had a appointment with the doctors yesterday and it's a total shut down telephone call only but my hospital pre OP appointment yesterday was business as usual ,was told that my operation could go ahead. Perhaps trying to keep me optimistic but they did seem hopeful and suggested that I keep at home and semi self isolate.

The blood department was elbow to elbow and no sign of six feet apart, totally different from the doctors surgery, I was expecting some form of testing at the hospital entrance, but none, two different ways by NHS.

Bob

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[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

Just had two e-post round-robins…

The model-engineering club Committee has decided to suspend formal activities in the small, enclosed club-room; but it and the tracks are still available for members at own risk. The post also mentions the "demographic" which is a polite way of saying many of us are of the more distinguished years*

The other circular is from one of my caving-clubs, saying the pub many members frequent has closed following the Govt.'s latest advice.

(There is another pub, and a farm-shop café, in the village but they were not mentioned, so I don't know their position. The club's self-catering HQ has not closed, but as with the model-engineering society, I presume it's use at your own risk.)

====

+ "distinguished years…

I overheard this dialogue at an Exhibition –

"That chap over there. Him with the grey hair."

"Which one? They've all got grey hair!"

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

We were getting pretty hedonistic anyway IMO, huge quantities of wasted scarce resources on stuff we didn't need

Coronavirus: Bad for man but good for the planet

[WindyParticipant @windy30762]

A small group of car and motorcycle speed enthusiasts are at Elvington today I normally attend but have decided to give it a miss.

The following I posted on the Elvington Top Speed sight as some my friends are competing.

Wish I was there but this old fogys taking no risks with this esculating virus risk. The good of Humanity is being brought to the fore to help vulnerable people. Apart from months of a sniffle and a slight cough am feeling fine. Am fortunate to have a computer and home workshop to keep me busy. There are many older generation that do not have a PC and some that do not have a phone so help them if possible..

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Just an insight into how helpful government departments are during this crisis, my daughters husband and our 21 year old grandson are in Mexico, having been there on holiday. They travelled using independent flights via United Airlines, unfortunately not a package holiday, the airline have cancelled their return flights with no alternatives offered, they are now effectively stranded in Mexico with no prospects of a flight home. Daughter decided to contact the Foreign and Commonwealth office to see if there was any way they could help; she phoned last night and was kept on the line in a queue for a considerable period of time and finally managed to speak with someone and they said there was nothing that could be done to help. She checked her phone to see how much the call had cost and was amazed to find that she was charged £57.00 . I think it’s outrageous that government departments charge helplines at premium rates, I was under the impression that they had been shamed into abolishing premium rates for helplines but obviously not. We all have to pull together in this crisis, my daughter has distributed leaflets in our village volunteering to do shopping, walk dogs collect prescriptions for those who are required to isolate themselves, a bit of a kick in the teeth from the government who encourage her to be public spirited to then charge an obscene amount for seeking advice.
Dave W

[VicParticipant @vic]

Posted by Ady1 on 17/03/2020 10:35:18:

We were getting pretty hedonistic anyway IMO, huge quantities of wasted scarce resources on stuff we didn't need

Coronavirus: Bad for man but good for the planet

Apparently pollution has already dropped considerably in some places.

[Ady1Participant @ady1]

Posted by Samsaranda on 17/03/2020 10:42:48:

she was charged £57.00 . I think it’s outrageous that government departments charge helplines at premium rates
Dave W

The council is the same

Wait for ages and get charged a premium rate

[SamsarandaParticipant @samsaranda]

Is it a reflection of our country’s forward planning that we find ourselves now short of face masks, ventilators and protective clothing etc. I know that Italy are now struggling under the weight of patients but they have considerably more of these resources than we do; we are supposedly the fifth richest economy in the world and in terms of wealth far ahead of Italy, where has our so called wealth been spent, certainly not on forward planning or even our roads which equal those of third world countries, we must have the biggest black hole ever for swallowing wealth !
Dave W

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

They must be a little sensitive in the USA, I tried to mention the panic buying of guns on the Home Shop Machinist forum and three attempts at posting were mysteriously deleted.

[Cornish JackParticipant @cornishjack]

Experience, even long distant, is a useful tool. For the few of us who lived through the 14 or so years of wartime and post-war rationing, the supply availability side of the present mess is, probably, less concerning. The differences in the State services between then and now are so extreme as to boggle the mind. Population resilience is such as to deal (ultimately) with whatever is thrown at it. In the meantime we just have to deal with the spivs, profiteers and general slime-ball profit chasers who will make the most of other people's difficulties. They were as present in the 40s/50s as today and, short of shooting each and everyone of them, we can only offer general loathing. The rest of us, as ever, will keep on going and 'muddle through' … nothing precision required there!

rgds

Bill

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Saw a clip of senior NHS staff giving evidence to MPs today.

I was stuck by how many positive actions they were already putting into place – simple things like sending people in A&E direct to specialist wards for fractures etc. to allow them to concentrate on coronavirus, streamlining payment processes and registration with GPS.

Looks like the NHS isn't waiting for new policy but just rolling up its collective sleeves.

[Bryan Cedar 1Participant @bryancedar1]

I was almost amused when it was reported that JCB and Honda had been approached to ask if they could produce ventilators! I think that we individual model engineers had a better chance of producing one.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I made myself Welsh Cakes today.

Can't help thinking I should be eating the fresh food first… but a good (or in this case slightly better than mediocre) Welsh Cake always cheers me up.

Neil

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

The Missis is a nurse for a private health clinic. The company thinks it will close & the nurses will be seconded to the NHS. I suppose that puts my chances of getting it up quite a lot. If it wasn't already.

Steve.

[old martParticipant @oldmart]

I attended physiotherapy at Weston General (W-S-M, North Somerset) with about 8 other knee replacement people and was told that things would be normal for us as long as possible before classes were cancelled. There were about 50 empty spaces in the car park which was overflowing the same time last week.

[SteviegtrParticipant @steviegtr]

Posted by Steviegtr on 17/03/2020 17:31:17:

The Missis is a nurse for a private health clinic. The company thinks it will close & the nurses will be seconded to the NHS. I suppose that puts my chances of getting it up quite a lot. If it wasn't already.

Steve.

Well when she came home tonight she has said.

The NHS hospitals have given us the cystoscopy appointments so the NHS nurses can go to deal with the Covid19.

Steve.

[Ray LyonsParticipant @raylyons29267]

I think Boris and Lord Hall should get together, perhaps over a pint to sort something out. If I have to be isolated for several months, and Lord Hall insists that all who do not pay the TV licence fee should be jailed, is it possible to offset my isolation against my time in prison.

Just thinking, with prison providing free TV and all meals perhaps that could be a better way to serve my isolation time.

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Well at least if you are in the Crowbar Lodge Ray you won;t have to contend with food shortages at the grocery stores – and HM Prisons probably have 28 years of TP stored all over the country in nuke proof bunkers!

[Ray LyonsParticipant @raylyons29267]

On a more serious note, many of us thought that National Service was a waste of time but one good thing it thought us the importance of personal hygiene where it was once quoted that dirty hands could do more harm to a squadron than the enemy.

As I get older, its the quite life for my wife and myself. We usually take a walk around town when the weather permits and one of our favourite treats was to walk to our Tesco store where we enjoyed a treat of toasted sandwich and coffee. It was our habit to visit the toilet first to get comfortable and wash our hands before the meal. Anyway, despite our precautions, I caught a bug and was quite ill for days. Trying to trace back on how it could have happened, we considered the visit to the café but dismissed it since we both use a tissue to open the toilet door. Some tine later, I visited the toilet in store which is one of the best in the area with automatic taps dryers etc. As I was washing my hands a big fellow came in and left without washing his hands. As I followed him out, using a tissue to open the door, I found that he had parked a shopping trolley outside. We have now given up one of our treats because I still think about how many people handle all sorts of goods within the store without washing

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Posted by Ray Lyons on 17/03/2020 19:26:45:

I think Boris and Lord Hall should get together, perhaps over a pint to sort something out. If I have to be isolated for several months, and Lord Hall insists that all who do not pay the TV licence fee should be jailed, is it possible to offset my isolation against my time in prison.

Just thinking, with prison providing free TV and all meals perhaps that could be a better way to serve my isolation time.

You do know the plan to charge over 75s for a TV licence have been withdrawn for the duration?

Neil

[Tea drinkerParticipant @teadrinker]

Neil,it actually says the charge has been put back to Aug 1st.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

If a little levity is allowed, I found this hilarious…

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

I plan to self isolate to the middle of Lake Hume with my fishing rod. Plenty of fuel for the boat, plead guilty to panic buying hooks and lures. Neighbours might appreciate a bit of fresh fish.

Also have plenty of ammo. Neighbours also like fresh rabbit and venison. Hardest to obtain was black powder for the .44 muzzle loader but have plenty of lead for casting the balls (which also make good fishing sinkers when drilled).

Workshop full of unfinished machining projects and models for when the weather turns nasty.

Tomorrow I plan to raid the local hobby shop and stock up on balsa and glue.

On a more serious note; I have informed the secretary of our Day Club that tomorrow's (19th) meeting shall be our last until further notice due to the vulnerable age of our members. We shall update their contact details and ascertain whether they have support from family/friends for basic necessities. Otherwise I feel that it is our duty to organise some help for the most vulnerable members.

* Danny M *

[HacksawParticipant @hacksaw]

Wild bat meat !

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I wonder if bat is off the menu now, the government have banned its sale but will it have lost its attraction?

Mike

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