Still Clapping?

Maddyone, as I said, I do (of course!) support and am grateful for the NHS staff who are risking their lives to care for the rest of us.

If people think that clapping helps doctors and nurses, there’s nothing stopping them from doing so, but I don’t think that it helps at all, and neither do I think that clapping entitles the clappers to any moral high ground.

What would help is pushing for decent pay for nurses and care workers, and for better funding and resources all round. I don’t think that we are disagreeing at all.

I'm at work in a supermarket on Thursday evenings, we clapped in store for three weeks, with a customer announcement a few minutes beforehand, but didn't clap last week or this evening. I think if it had any value at the beginning, it's a bit silly now.

To me it now has a kind of contrived feel to it, so we have stopped.

Rightly or wrongly I couldn’t help feeling right from the start that there was a strong virtue signalling aspect going on.

We have a medic in the family and she knows how much we worry about her and appreciate what she is doing.

Doodledog
I think many people clap because they think it’s the only way to show their appreciation for the NHS, but it’s not the only way, they can email their MP and voice their opposition to a pay freeze for NHS workers. However some people are unfortunately hypocritical because they clap but don’t follow social distancing or other guidelines. Actually I think Gransnetters are a pretty rule following group of people, maybe it’s our generation, but nonetheless I know my two NHS medics don’t like it, and others have said on here that they’re NHS relatives don’t like it.
Thank you janipat for agreeing to email your MP and everyone who has said they will email their MPs.
I didn’t start this thread, but lots of you have spoken to me directly and I thank you for that. Yes, I have a vested interest, because of my daughter and her husband, and I also have a nephew who’s a doctor, but I know first hand how difficult this time has been for my daughter and family. With two key worker parents and very young children in the family, and all their usual support structures having been removed (that’s us and the other grandparents, but as Gransnetters yourselves, you’ll know all about that) and with the extra hours worked, sometimes twelve hour shifts, the worry about their health, inadequate PPE, contact with Covid19 patients etc etc. Then they juggle getting children to different childcare settings, and the usual running of the home. That’s why we do much of their laundry for them. You will appreciate why I feel so strongly, but so do many of you.
Let’s hope the government listen to us.

No, never have done. There's an article written by a doctor in the Guardian today who thought that it was enough.

I did it the first twice, but not since.

The first time I think it had some value, although I had mixed feelings even then. The second time I could see people looking up and down the street to see who was there (and more importantly, who wasn't), and had read the comments on social media about who had and hadn't clapped, whether or not they were deemed to have observed the 'rules', and how far the Lockdown Police felt that they had a 'right' to be seen clapping. That put the lid on it for me, as did knowing that many of the people clapping would have voted Conservative, which was basically a vote to dismantle the NHS (this is a very Tory town).

As others have said, if there is an announced 'final time', I will think about it, although a lot depends on who has hijacked it and why. It is not at all because I don't support the NHS and other key workers, and not because I can't be bothered, or am bored, or any of the motives that get attributed to non-clappers by others. I stopped doing it because I find it hypocritical.

I'm not saying that everyone who does do it is a hypocrite, but I dislike virtue-signalling, social pressure and emotional blackmail, and will not knowingly participate in anything that can be used for any of those things.

You are absolutely right maddyone. I have been thinking for some time that the clapping, although a sign of our appreciation, is worthless if we are not prepared to see that nhs and care workers get a decent rise when this is over. If they don't morale will be terrible if this happens again and once again the nhs and care workers are called upon to risk their lives to care for us.

I will continue to clap but I will also email my MP as this is the most sensible way to make my feelings on this issue known to the powers that be.

I have felt for some time before this crisis that. as a country, we quite rightly want a Rolls Royce NHS but on a Ford Fiesta budget. I for one wouldn't mind a small rise in taxation if the revenue from this was directly earmarked for the NHS.

I don’t clap , not because I’m bored, but because I think it’s not enough. I’m showing I care by sewing scrubs, raising money for charity and campaigning for better pay for the NHS and care workers.

I don’t do participation so never have.
My dog barks hysterically all the time neighbours are clapping and carries on for 10 minutes afterwards. I hope the NHS appreciates her, my midwife daughter says it’s bollocks.

I went out the first week or two, but my neighbours in the flats where I live congregate in a group, inches away from one another. I think they would show more respect for NHS workers by observing social distance and yes, I have told them so.

I will certainly write to my MP maddyone, and have to agree my NHS family members also do not like the clapping. I have been out once or twice ( shamed into it by neighbours' comments, coward that I am!) but am doing my bit by sewing laundry bags and ear savers for my local hospital, which have been very much appreciated. I feel practical appreciation is more worthwhile.

Thank you Lucca so much.
I hope you will all email or write to your MP. I know there will be suffering when/if this all ends. Many in the private sector will very sadly lose their jobs, people in the public sector may well have a pay freeze inflicted upon them, it will undoubtedly be a difficult time, with a deep recession. However it is not the time to tell NHS staff, from doctors to porters, that they deserve a pay freeze, after everything they have done for the people of this country. It is quite simply not the right time.

I think these things are nice when they're spontaneous, but nothing seems to stay that way now..

I was wondering when it will end, I guess at the end of quarantine?

Yes, most of our estate do every Thursday, all obeying the correct guidelines to self distance, not having anyone round only at windows,

A pay freeze will sound like a luxury to the thousands who will have no jobs at all . Here in the North East will be particularly hard hit . There are many people in the private sector who have put their lives on the line as well as and in some case more than, many nurses and doctors . Thinking of bus drivers, the food sector, delivery drivers, factory workers and many other key workers working on or around minimum wage .

Haven’t some people got short memories?
There are still doctors, nurses, care workers, porters, key staff in the transport industry and many others, some working 12 hour shifts and many putting their lives on the line.
It’s far from over and if NHS workers deserved our admiration 8 weeks ago why not now?
So the “novelty” has worn off? Are people bored?
I keep thinking back to what our parents and grandparents faced in World Wars I and II - they’d have given their right arm to be “bored” after 8 weeks.
Disgusted, frankly.

Yes, I go out. Apart from showing that I admire the work of the NHS (that isn't hypocrisy, BTW, it is appreciation) I see my neighbours, and listen to one of them giving us a solo concert. Over the weeks we have had some beautiful music. "It's a wonderful world" was my favourite.

Maddyone. I have just written to our (Conservative) MP expressing my .....outrage? ....disbelief? That a public sector pay freeze may be on the cards.

I have clapped every week without fail, there is a lot of 'noise' in our small village

AGAA4
You are absolutely correct. The people who clap and then ignore the guidelines annoy me, and I know my daughter and her husband don’t like the clapping at all. I understand that many people want to express their support and feel this is the way to do it. I would ask them to take a few minutes to email their MP instead, or as well as clapping, and to express their disgust at a possible pay freeze for NHS staff, who have worked so hard throughout all of this. Where would we be without their hard work and dedication? They are at the front line and are putting their lives on the line for everyone. Clapping isn’t enough. They don’t deserve a pay freeze.

Flexible Friend, I like your honesty, me neither it’s not my thing. Others have here and a lovely dog goes out and enjoys himself barking with the owner.

Maddy. I too think it is time that we did something of benefit to NHS staff and other carers than just clapping.

Some of my family work in the NHS and I believe they would prefer a pay rise than the endless clapping.

It loses it's value when it happens every week and some are clapping when they have been ignoring the lockdown putting the people they applaud at yet more risk

No, I never have, I do not believe in it. Once maybe but this length of time is ridiculous.

There was a hilarious spoof video of a 'lady' at the Thursday night clapping. It was actually a young man but he did it so well. I'd attach it if I could.