Lewis Goodall on NN cut through all the bullshit.

If his wife had COVID symptoms they should not have travelled.

If she did not have COVID symptoms there were no exceptional circumstances.

I think it easy to get very tribal about stuff like this especially as this is Cummings.

I can see the logical of protecting the welfare of a 4 year old child. Given the guidance does give everyone the leeway to deal with that situation, I think the isolation in Durham is actually reasonable. Everyone does have the option to do what Cummings did - it just happens we dont tend to have an empty property on our parents estate to use (but that’s just his good fortune).

It’s the trip to Barnard Castle which is the bit that looks irresponsible. That’s the killer for him along with the negative PR for his Government and the damage to the lockdown.

The combination of those last points is why he should resign for me.  

Who is getting tribal? Polling shows the view that what he did was wrong is held by the majority of the population, inc Tory and leave voters. Even right wing newspapers are running headlines criticising and ridiculing the whole thing.

Instead of giving leeway the guidance explicitly stated to not isolate in second homes. I don't know how that could be clearer. Having a child is not an exceptional circumstance. Millions of families have children. Were they all exempt from the rules too? Will they be going forward? Of course not. Hence the government have avoided saying so whilst still contorting to try and somehow say what he did was ok.

As for it being logic and within the spirit of the rules this is clearly not the case. He took his infected family from an area with a high infection rate to an area with a low infection rate. They then ended up in a hospital there and helped (or at the very least risked) spread the virus to an area with a low infection rate. One of the entire points, if not the main point, of the lockdown is to prevent this. If the millions of families with children did the same as may as well have not had a lockdown at all.

Morning all

The final paragraph nails it. From a contain the disease point of view, it’s hard to imagine what you could do, that was worse, than taking the disease to a hospital in a part of the country with low incidence of Covid at the time.

Moving elderly patients from hospitals to care homes where they then contract covid and die. It really wasn't that hard to imagine tbh.

Geo

Disclaimer - I cant win my own award.


How does this work?

Three players left in a PLO Home game. It's Empire casino players & staff.

Player A has all the chips 90 k, Player B and me have 20k ish each. A & B know each other, neither know me

Player A says Want to deal ?  ( only 2 places paid ) we both say well hell yeah. Ive raised, so say okay yes fine by me , Player B & I get it in, he wins, I'm out, no problem, we already said yes to a deal.

Player A then says

" I'm okay actually "


Player B says that's sorted then


I then lose my shit and kick holes in a plasterboard wall, with my usual restraint and ladylike behaviour.


So my question is


How long will it take me to drive to the Empire Casino from Cheshire once lockdown ends ?

Depends how much ammo you're  carrying.

Good to hear from you

Geo

Help please, I took this pic this morning and I have no idea what this wee beauty is. Google image suggests a goldfinch but I can't find an image of a goldfinch that looks like this. The yellow breast with the distinct black line down the front I can't seem to match. Closest I've found with similar facial markings seems to be a black capped chickadee but doesn't match the body colouring:

Click to see full-size image.

Geo

Isn't it just a great tit?  I am not sure why it wouldn't be anyway.

Yes spot on Doobs, first I've seen one. Google image not that great then lol

Geo

As we finished our walk, this fella was sitting singing his heart out atop a tree beside the main road:

Click to see full-size image.

I took a video of him also


https://youtu.be/ZPR7Zst2ITI

Geo

We met our early morning song thrush and managed to capture a better pic

Click to see full-size image.

shortly after we found this wee beauty, still can't get a good match on google images.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

I also got some video:

https://youtu.be/FR7LT__ScH4

I decided to video the Blue Tit

https://youtu.be/GVlp7uBJRfM

(still can't get these to embed, advice please anyone?)

Quite a productive morning, Bramley decided 4:39am was a good time to get me up so along with my youngest son, we were up and out for about 5:10

Bramley himself continues to fill out and is becoming quite the handsome chap:

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

I was trying to capture a pic of a blue tit but it flew off before I could focus, as I was cursing, my son said he was sure he had flown into a hole in the tree, so I waited a wee bit

Click to see full-size image.

Help please, I took this pic this morning and I have no idea what this wee beauty is. Google image suggests a goldfinch but I can't find an image of a goldfinch that looks like this. The yellow breast with the distinct black line down the front I can't seem to match. Closest I've found with similar facial markings seems to be a black capped chickadee but doesn't match the body colouring:

Click to see full-size image.

Geo

Another fox video, just the cubs playing


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd3lYcaaFng

Geo

One of the downsides of moving is that we had built a good rapport with a Vixen who visited our old back yard for the last 3 years or so, she became quite tame and we could hand feed her. She also introduced us to her partner and cubs at times:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuskLATmlzU&t=115s

apologies as I've tried to embed (dropping the s etc but won't work for me)

Geo

You've a patience I don't Geo, getting video like that. Well played!

I don't usually worry too much about naming flowers etc, but where I saw the bugle flowers had me thinking they were wild orchids, so I investigated & found I was completely wrong

I do like to know about edible and useful plants/fungi though.

Currently got a lot of ransoms growing, light garlic flavour & don't repeat on you like real garlic does.


Also like to spot wood sorrel, a few of these leaves chewed gives a nice sweet/sour flavour which is refreshing.

Click to see full-size image.

Thanks Rod

We have masses of "wild garlic" around here, never knew they had the name Ransoms. My son uses it quite a bit, and he had mentioned that he doesn't have trouble with it repeating on him like real garlic.

Will look out for the wood sorrel too

Geo

I've never really considered what the different types of flowers are even though I've taken loads of flower pictures over the years, especially when visiting gardens at stately homes and the like.

Took a wee video of the Song Thrush this morning:

https://youtu.be/g2pcCJ7rBMs

Geo

edit: can't seem to embed using the youtube icon for some reason

[Anyone with furloughed with a mortgage probably doesn't need 80% of their wage if they have taken the 3 month mortgage holiday.]

The government is now paying 6.5m people's wages in this country.   As a pro punter who doesn't get this pay out ( i don't care and don't want it - the pay out) i am interested in people's views on my views.  There are probably 1-2m people in the country out of those 6m who are sitting on huge property equity and other share/savings wealth from the previous 2 decades of successive governments looking afterr them as house owners.  Is there a moral obligation to refuse governement hand outs as a worker who has a few quid when you don't need it to get by for a few months and save the government building up debts for the next geneation to have to pay off?   I have spoke to numerous people who are sitting at home on a fully paid extended holiday doing zero work and loving life whilst the nhs, government and business is bang under it?   What are people's views?

Morning

I think your 1-2 million sitting on huge property equity is massively overstated.
If you think everyone in hospitality, retail, tourism are furloughed, they are going to make up a large chunk of that 6m, and they aren't going to be in there 50's.
Your right though, I am sure there are some people who are furloughed who could get through without it.

Anyone with furloughed with a mortgage probably doesn't need 80% of their wage if they have taken the 3 month mortgage holiday.
 
I would suggest that for 90% of those currently furloughed, the chance of redundancy in the next 12 months has increased greatly. So whether they are roflling around at home or doing some good financial planning, receiving the furlough monies is probably the right thing for them to do.

Another point worth making is that it is the employers choice not the employees. They would have just received a letter stating they are being furloughed. Employees arent claiming at such, they are just getting paid as usual.

My thinking is also along these lines, however one of my sons has been furloughed and he asked me about taking the 3 month holiday on mortgage. I told him that probably best he doesn't take the 3 month holiday at this time as he can get by comfortably enough on the 80% (he isn't a high earner by any means) and as you relate to, we don't know that further down the line redundancy may happen. If it should, then would be an ideal time to take it if he had no income and had to look for another job.

Geo

Hi Geo, hope you're well mate.

My personal; thoughts on the payment holiday are that everybody who has the option available to them should take it unless they are 100% certain their job is secure after all this blows over.

People should be taking the money but sticking it in a separate account that's only there as mortgage money. Pi**ing it up the wall or blowing it on a holiday would be ridiculous but keeping it to one side for future mortgage payments if needed would be really smart.

If someone is sensible enough to save it then they should take the holiday, they can always pay it back as an over payment once they know their job is secure.

In your sons case as long as he sits in the 'sensible' camp then I'd say he should take the payment holiday now whilst they're easy to get. If redundancy comes it could be in 6 months time and by then payment holidays may not be a forgone conclusion and could come with a much tougher application process.

Better to have the cash now to make future mortgage payments than risk not getting the holiday in future if/when needed.

Again there is a caveat..... If he's going to blow the mortgage savings on boats and hoes then do not take the payment break. If it's going in to a savings account until needed then take it now.

Just my two cents worth....

Matt

Hi Matt,

all well here thanks. Unfortunately like most youngsters he's more likely to just use up the money (as his Dad would have done at his age BTW.) On 80% he can make the cutbacks he needs to.

Geo

[Anyone with furloughed with a mortgage probably doesn't need 80% of their wage if they have taken the 3 month mortgage holiday.]

The government is now paying 6.5m people's wages in this country.   As a pro punter who doesn't get this pay out ( i don't care and don't want it - the pay out) i am interested in people's views on my views.  There are probably 1-2m people in the country out of those 6m who are sitting on huge property equity and other share/savings wealth from the previous 2 decades of successive governments looking afterr them as house owners.  Is there a moral obligation to refuse governement hand outs as a worker who has a few quid when you don't need it to get by for a few months and save the government building up debts for the next geneation to have to pay off?   I have spoke to numerous people who are sitting at home on a fully paid extended holiday doing zero work and loving life whilst the nhs, government and business is bang under it?   What are people's views?

Morning

I think your 1-2 million sitting on huge property equity is massively overstated.
If you think everyone in hospitality, retail, tourism are furloughed, they are going to make up a large chunk of that 6m, and they aren't going to be in there 50's.
Your right though, I am sure there are some people who are furloughed who could get through without it.

Anyone with furloughed with a mortgage probably doesn't need 80% of their wage if they have taken the 3 month mortgage holiday.
 
I would suggest that for 90% of those currently furloughed, the chance of redundancy in the next 12 months has increased greatly. So whether they are roflling around at home or doing some good financial planning, receiving the furlough monies is probably the right thing for them to do.

Another point worth making is that it is the employers choice not the employees. They would have just received a letter stating they are being furloughed. Employees arent claiming at such, they are just getting paid as usual.

My thinking is also along these lines, however one of my sons has been furloughed and he asked me about taking the 3 month holiday on mortgage. I told him that probably best he doesn't take the 3 month holiday at this time as he can get by comfortably enough on the 80% (he isn't a high earner by any means) and as you relate to, we don't know that further down the line redundancy may happen. If it should, then would be an ideal time to take it if he had no income and had to look for another job.

Geo

Every morning around the same area I also hear the fantastic song of the Mistle/song Thrush, you may remember in the early days of my photographic jaunts I captured a video of one which I posted (maybe in the Camera Club thread)

Yesterday I located, by accident, where his stage was. He sits high atop a large fir and unfortunately my camera isn't equipped well enough to get a real close up of him. I did take a video of him singing his wonderful notes which I'll stick up at some point once I've loaded it to youtube.

I'll leave these here for you though

Geo

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

What a braw dug Bramley is Geo.

Love your pics, the wren is a favourite of mine see plenty but not up to getting pics, they move too quickly and too often , love the bullfinch as well, amazing colour, get them round here but don't see them often. I'm like you, only ever seen one treecreeper. One we're getting regularly here so must be moving further north is the nuthatch, beautiful wee birds:



The RSPB page on them had them not present in Scotland a couple of years back, but has now got them up to about my area in the west, and Edinburgh in the east so they're one to keep a lookout for.

The thrush looks like a song thrush to me (we call them mavis here, not sure how far that nickname spreads) the mistle thrush is bigger with darker more round spots.

Hi Rod,

good to hear from you, hope you're well.

I thought it was a song thrush myself but the app kept telling me it was the mistle. I have a couple of pics of one on the ground which are a bit clearer.

The wren pics I was chuffed with, not the greatest pics but took me a bit of waiting to get what I did.

Just looked for info on the Nuthatch, as you say a lovely wee thing. Apparently they have been sighted in Roslin, which is the area I've recently moved to. Will have to do one of my recce's lol

Keep safe buddy

Geo