THE BIG CLAP!

Whitewave
I agree with you that all our services should be celebrated and appreciated, particularly in this difficult time. The two nurses next door to you may just have been tired, or self conscious and that’s possibly why they didn’t go out.

I went outside my front door in our quiet village at what I thought was 8 pm, clapped on my own a bit tentatively then went in. A couple of minutes later heard sounds of clapping and cheering all up and down th Ed land sad o went out again and clapped. My clock must be fast! But it was very moving. Very little brings me to tears but this made me well up! And so patently it was the same in every street in the village, in other local villages and the nearby town according to local Facebook group!

‘Up and down the Lane, so I’ - Don’t know where ‘the end d lad sad o ‘ came from!
And patently should be apparently.

pollyperkins that made me laugh! I think my street were a little earlier because we could hear other people over the estate about a minute into our clapping! It was nice to see and hear though. I was in two minds not thinking anyone else would bother but they did! (Well apart from the idiot up the road who only thinks this is ordinary flu and will be all over in two weeks and thinks it caused by social media!) Another one for the Darwin Awards!

Do those who say that "It would be better to do . . . this or that" really think that you have to do one or the other? Most of uon here have spent weeks doing all those things, probably all on our own without speaking face-to-face to a living soul.

Do you really have to lecture us on our duties, and grudge us five minutes standing on our doorstep joining with our neighbours (at a distance of course!) expressing our appreciation of those who don't have the luxury of being locked away safe from infection? Someone spoke about virtue signalling - well, clapping the NHS workers and making a lot of noise is not virtue signalling, but saying those who did that are childish and silly IS.

I wonder if as well as a clap for the NHS you'd think about never voting tory again after this fiasco.

@Grandma70s - I have 3 health and care workers in my family and know they appreciated the gesture - a dietitia, a doctor and a social worker. We went out in the dark and clapped alone for our children and brother in law as our house is on a country lane facing the backs of the houses along the shore. We could hear no-one else clapping but I took a photo of DH, who is not keen on "silliness" clapping enthusiastically, and posted it on Facebook. Many people have liked and loved the picture including our family members. They particularly appreciated the Armed Forces clapping their appreciation which I also shared. Please do not underestimated the power of a small kind gesture that only took moments of our time but meant so much to the NHS and their care colleagues. BTW my neighbors were all out on the shore side of the village clapping enthusiastically.

Rats. He was the right way up when I posted him!

My 87 year old mum bless her clapped in the house on her own!!

Stupid idea. What was the point of it? What difference did it make?

Afe you new to GN, Cratchat
If so, welcome

Minshy ? for you

Our NHS neighbour did not come out to join in because she is not feeling well but her DH said she appreciated the gesture.

Crechat39

IF you bothered to read some of the previous posts, apart from showing appreciation and support, in some places it gave people the chance to speak to and check on neighbours (from the suggested distance of course)

As someone in enforced lockdown, this event have me an opportunity to safely engage with my neighbours. Without it it probably wouldn't have happened.

I was on the phone to my daughter (front line nurse), and I said I'm just going out side to clap. So when all the street starting clapping and banging saucepans she heard it and was completely taken aback. I was very moved as I thought about the 7 front line NHS staff we have in our family. All putting their lives on the line for us.
We can never thank them enough!

I hope they have another big clap.it will be louder Im sure

Difference to what, Crechat39 ?

To the progress of the virus? - none. It wasn't done to make any difference to the virus.

To the NHS workers and others who are knocking their pans out to look after patients or do ther things for the population? Maybe it made them aware that a very large number of people appreciated their work and the risks they take, and perhaps being appreciated made them feel that it was worth being exhausted, hungry, and more likely to catch it than those who were staying two metres apart.

To the rest of us? It made us feel that we had thanked them. It reminded us that we were connected to our neighbours in this act, although we can't chat freely at close quarters any more, or give them a hug.

To you? If you didn't join in, then it made no difference to you at all. That is a pity.

Are yu aged 39, by the way, Crechat39 ? Or was that your year of birth?

I got ready to go outside, not sure whether I'd be the only one - then I opened my door and a wall of noise hit me
Every house was out cheering, whistling and banging saucepans with wooden spoons...
DD is a nurse, and I hadn't realised just how worried I was about her until I came indoors, sat down - and burst into tears that seemed as though they would never stop...
It did release the tension that's been building up, and I was SO happy to see the pictures of communities everywhere showing their appreciation for our wonderful NHS ♥️

I think you said on another thread that you live in France, Crachet39 when you wondered why we were being so strict here.

Could you hear us all over there too?
It was a good turnout but I didn't think the clapping and cheering had reached across the Channel.

Are you a troll, Cratchet?

It will be quite exciting to have a post deleted, it may relieve the boredom of self-isolating.

SueDoku
? for your DD. Thank you

I too live in a very small cul de sac but was out there too on the basis somebody in healthcare may hear us.
It was a wonderful sound to hear the swooping and clapping
Well done all you health care workers????????

Crechat39
Shame on you!

Being in the middle of nowhere, I didn't join in but I do wonder, if , as said by some previous MP (possibly a prime minister) about the difference in salaries between the top earners and the lowest paid, pay should be relevant to the usefulness and value of the person being paid (or something like that), so why are MPs being paid so well and healthcare workers, carers and childcare personnel being paid so little?
MPs, bankers etc are not doing anything but without the others, and volunteers, we would be completely stuffed.
Time for a rethink on who gets paid what?
Makes you think.

What a brilliant idea whoever thought it up. I liv e in a long bendy road but there were quite a few neighbours out as far as I could see giving their thanks to our wonderful NHS staff.