So, who is going out in the run up to the 25th. ?

Elvis58

Not cancelled anything.Off tonight to a concert.Yee gods its the flu not the black death!

Sounding desperate Elvis you protest too much.

So sorry GrannyHaggis my sincere condolences

GrannyHaggis a sad Christmas for you all.

@ Elvis58 I think you may have temporarily slipped into an alternate universe.
We are most certainly not talking about the flu. It isn’t anything like the flu.
You are clearly living in a cloud cuckoo land.
Anyone on here who has had Covid, has lost a loved one to COVID and witnessed their awful death or is hopelessly watching a loved one suffer with long Covid will be gasping at you silly, thoughtless comment.
All of the above applies to me and I’m constantly speechless at the lack of understanding displayed. From people who still think once fully vaccinated they can’t catch Covid, to people who whine about not living their life fully, to the monsters who try to persuade others not to be vaccinated.
I have been feeling despair about my fellow humans for some time now.

I’m outing Elvis58 who is obviously Donald Trump. Just a cold. Yeah, right. Well perhaps you’ll catch it at your concert and find out just how wrong you are.

I went out for lunch with my crafty ladies yesterday, and the restaurant was very busy. I was given a lift and wore my mask in the car. I had to trail down to the Italian Consulate in central London today for a long-awaited appointment, so was travelling on public transport, then we had lunch in a pub, which was very quiet. Next week have arranged to meet friends individually in a pub for a drink and possibly a meal, but we are playing it by ear with regards to closure of venues and infection rates, as two of my friends are extremely vulnerable healthwise, and the decision will be theirs. Christmas will be spent with my daughter and her family. She only lives a couple of miles away, but I will stay overnight and come back home on Boxing Day.

I'm not changing any of my plans, travelling up to Yorkshire to visit my DM (now permanently in a Care Home) with my DD, we're both double jabbed & boosted. LFC to be done before we go to Care Home.

I have been attending Hospital Appointment 2/3 times a week for months, my life won't change, I avoid shopping in busy supermarkets, preferring to use local shops.

I visit my family, DD & DGSs have had Covid so obviously I stayed away. I also visit my gentleman friend, we both do regular LFCs.

Christmas Day I will go to DDs in the morning & leave about 3pm as normal.

My neighbour has broken her pelvis so I pick up bits of shopping for her & go into her house (she's 76 & had all her jabs)

We must learn to live with Covid, I refuse to be frightened into becoming a hermit. I take all the precautions, mask in shops, wash hands regularly & use sanitiser. I'm 66 & have health & mobility issues so I refuse to miss out on seeing my family & friends whilst I am able

Yes just a cold. Nothing to worry about.?!

This picture tells a different story.

Friends for lunch here on Monday, all agreed to test before coming. 3 of us going for a meal on Christmas Eve, all fully jabbed so will go, only small! Avoiding big places and crowds. Only 3 of us on Christmas Day. Son, Daughter in law and one grand daughter positive this week. We are keeping well away but leaving supplies etc on the doorstep. Nightmare!

Not cancelled anything.Off tonight to a concert.Yee gods its the flu not the black death!

So sorry GrannyHaggis. How truly awful for you. Many of us have little to complain about.?

I never have much planned for Christmas, other than seeing my family and going on a few little jaunts with them. This year will be the same unless one of us tests positive for Covid. We have all been triple jabbed and according to the government’s endless pronouncements therefore have a good level of protection. Mind you, they may well change their minds tomorrow but I for one feel perfectly ok with my limited celebrations.

I don’t have too much planned but certainly going to what there is a lunch out today with some friends another on Monday with a best friend and a works meal on Tuesday
I ll do a test at home wear my mask to and from and hope for the best
I have heard of people (not rumours, known people) swapping tests at airports I know of people getting into clubs using each other’s passes It’s never going to work with so many frequent changes and woolly a b and cs We can only do what we feel is right if we test (if we can get the test boxes !!!) before going anywhere then we won’t put others in jeopardy

I have DH's funeral on 23rd, so am only going out if I need to! Don't really care what happens after that!

You’re very brave getting your online food shop delivered on Xmas Eve Nannina. I wouldn’t risk things being unavailable so late. My Tesco driver has told me awful stories of people getting their deliveries that late only to find the turkeys had run out …

Granddaughter tested positive this morning so my Christmas Day family get together is falling apart already. I think I'll just retreat to the back of my cave again!!!

I can't really believe that I'm reading all this. I don't know why people persist in thinking it's going away or that it's only for, "another few months". We have to learn to live with Covid, accept masking in crowded areas, take our shots and just get on with life. Covid is here to stay and it will continue to mutate. The medics will continue to come up with boosters designed to counter the latest strains. In short, it will become like 'flu. It will continue to kill the weak and vulnerable and the rest of us will have to put up with the occasional bout of feeling thoroughly rotten while we fight off an attack.
Have we learned nothing from New Zealand? Everyone thought in summer 2020 that they were doing such a good job and their PM was feted all over the media. Then they unlocked and got it like the rest of the world. Viruses do not go away. They are amongst the most successful life forms on the planet.
Lighten up folks and have a good Christmas, see your loved ones, protect your vulnerable ones but, most importantly, live your lives.

My last Christmas jolly was last Saturday, pub packed and no sign of social distancing. Luckily taxis late picking us up so a swift half in heated garden was enough. Restaurant also busy but tables well spaced. Hospital appointment Monday but no other outings. Have been buying non perishables and freezer good for a few weeks, presents bought and wrapped so just online shop for delivery Xmas Eve. Just 6 of us at mine on Xmas Day- all jabbed and doing lateral flow tests before coming. Just a quick daily trot round block for me in the coming week.

I am struggling to understand why I have had 2 vaccinations and a (diabolical) booster to give me the freedom to be around other people, to have all the scaremongering about mixing that is worse than last year. I have no intention of changing any plans as I haven’t any and am probably going to book to go out for a meal next week, it’s important to support the hospitality industry. I am also quite a responsible person and don’t mix if I’m ill in any way. If you are worried about the Omicron variant please watch Prof Tim Spector (of the Zoe app) and Dr John Campbell - 2 voices of reason. We have to learn to live with this virus endemically. As one elderly friend said - she would rather die than live like a hermit.

Quiet Christmas for us too. No run up events planned as we are being on the safe side. Going to DD on boxing Day, all being well, but we will play that by ear too.

I’ve been confined with a terrible cough for the last fortnight so no I worn’t be out and about before Christmas!

Hermit here too.
Why would I risk my family’s future.
Still saying home. Essential shopping and still having garden visits only. Christmas will have garden visits and Zoom lunch.
Don’t understand why some are reliant on ‘If they do it so can I’ Why all this stupidity,
I hear some saying “but I miss the family so I see them” This is being totally selfish and risking their future.
Sorry if this hurts it’s been a long long couple of years keeping my family safe with no family in my home. Garden visits and distant cuddles is our future. It’s not what I want but we have to be the grown ups.

We’ve been in Edinburgh for the last few days. Restaurants have been full but the manager in our hotel said they were getting lots of cancellations. I do think when you’re double jabbed and boosted you just need to get on with things otherwise what’s the point?

We are having a quiet Xmas at home - no mixing at all. The Omicron variant is very obviously highly infectious and will overwhelm the NHS so why add to the problem along with the unvaccinated?

No more Christmas events planned for this year - my couple were last week, but tbh I am struggling to have much heart for Christmas so quite happy to just stop in. I have bought the turkey and stuff but would be quite happy not to even bother with that, don't this DH could care less either.
I feel for the hospitality industry as they are really suffering due to the volume of cancellations but they can't claim the financial recompense from the govt that would be available in the event of an official lockdown; many won't survive and I think that there will be numerous closures of pubs, cafes, hotels, B&Bs etc. Let's face it, we have to accept that there will be no end to Covid (once this mutation dies out there will be another waiting in the wings, doubtless as or more transmissable/deadly etc) and that our lives for the forseeable future will be governed totally by it. China have a lot to answer for!