Wales in Lockdown

Beechnut

I’ve just been reading Check point Wales on Gloucestershire Live. It’s about a trip down the Wye Valley.

Thanks Beechnut

That explains my point exactly.

The Welsh windbag is on an ego trip as is Mrs Krankie up north.

How bizarre. I may have read this incorrectly but does that mean you could go into a supermarket that is open but are not allowed to buy bedding etc even if they sell it?
The only possible explanation I can think of is that they want people to be in and out of shops as quickly as possible rather than wandering around looking at homeware?
As someone who doesn't drive and live a bit of a walk from the shops I must admit online shopping is vital to me. In lock down I realised I had run out of white cotton for an item I was sewing up for my grandson who was visiting that week,it was with me in less than 24 hours from Amazon. I feel very conflicted by my use of Amazon but undeniably it is efficient and often cheaper. It's often a source of things that were difficult to find in shops. Last Christmas I wanted to buy a bath toy for my youngest grandson. Would you believe I could not find a single one in my local town? Toy shops and department stores gone. No Mothercare or ELC -theres a Starbucks and Poundland where they once stood.
I sat on a bench in my depleted shopping arcade and within minutes used my phone to order a bath toy that was made of environmentally friendly products and was very reasonable. If needed I could have had it sent straight to his address. As i left the increasingly empty shopping centre i looked up and saw the Amazon lockers!
Cards etc can be bought with your supermarket shop but there is always the risk of them not being available etc.
There are so many ways of doing it online. I have a postcard app. I installed it when i was travelling. You upload your own photo and write a message and they print and post it. It costs slightly more but still very personal. They also have a section where you can send cards which was lovely during lock down.

Sorry, I was going to reply to Bluesky but didn't.
Please ignore the Quote.

This rule in Wales is utter madness. And who is to decide what exactly is an 'essential' item. Feeling very sorry for anyone living in Wales atm.

BlueSky

Some items won’t be sold in supermarkets to be fair to the retail shops that have had to close for the two weeks lockdown. Not sure why those ‘non essential shops’ have to close though.

And apparently Gloucestershire police will be “patrolling the border” to check on offenders driving over to the Forest of Dean on clandestine shopping trips. You couldn’t make it up.

And Gwent Police waiting on the Welsh side as they did last time, questioning people who may just have exceeded the 5 mile journey limit by nipping round through England.
We have to travel out of Wales, through England and back over the border to get to the supermarket. A friend's house is in England but most of her garden and drive is in Wales.

Even in the first lockdown we could buy cards, make-up, magazines, books and even clothes if the supermarket sold them. I haven’t noticed any difference at Sainsbury’s this time, even though we’re in tier 3. I could even buy a hallowe’en mask if I wanted.

Small grocery shops are open

No it is weird ! The big supermarkets have been selling clothes/homeware etc the whole way through yet little businesses have had to close their doors ! It’s the little guys who won’t have the means to reopen again. So many dreams and livelihoods obliterated....

Cigarettes and alcohol are addictions

How come alcohol and cigarettes are ‘essential items’? Because they know they would have riots on their hands!

Yes but you don’t have to walk past a closed card shop to buy a card from a Tesco store

You can buy birthday cards from Tesco online.

No difference buying from Amazon or Tesco

Goodness me Sodapop! They love their bits of paper in Europe don’t they? We are not so bad here then, when the curfew in the UK? Won’t make any difference to me anyway.

46 million people under curfew here in France. We are not allowed out between 9pm and
6 am unless for one of a few specific reasons. We have to take a signed and dated form with us when we walk the dogs 1km from the house last thing at night.

I’ve just been reading Check point Wales on Gloucestershire Live. It’s about a trip down the Wye Valley.

Drake ford seems to have totally lost the plot! And Amazon will be laughing all the way to the bank.
From this morning’s DT

CHILDREN’S toys and clothes have been deemed “non-essential” and banned from sale in shops by the Welsh government, as the country entered a second national lockdown last night.

Hundreds of businesses have been told to shut, and those that can remain open to sell only “essential” items, in a move described by Conservatives as “control freakery gone mad”.

During the original lockdown only shops deemed “essential”, such as supermarkets and hardware stores, were allowed to open, but there was no regulation of what items could be bought. Heavy-handed shopping basket “snooping” by some police forces was criticised by the government.
However this time -
Electrical goods, clothes, toys, furniture, bedding and products for the garden have been cordoned off or removed from superstores, but groceries, batteries, rubber gloves, light bulbs and alcohol are allowed to be sold

Bedding and children’s toys or clothes? It’s nearly November - what if your child needs new wellies, has outgrown his or her warm coat, or, locked down on a wet day, you think maybe a jigsaw could be added to you shopping?
And apparently Gloucestershire police will be “patrolling the border” to check on offenders driving over to the Forest of Dean on clandestine shopping rips. You couldn’t make it up.
Honestly - how to alienate the population.
Drakeford’s intentions may be good - this will end in tears.

Some items won’t be sold in supermarkets to be fair to the retail shops that have had to close for the two weeks lockdown. Not sure why those ‘non essential shops’ have to close though.

It's crazy!

And who decided what is essential and what isn't.

As Kay Burley mentioned on Sky News, her hairdryer was an essential. The chap tried to say it wasn't. But it is!

And surely a birthday card is essential especially one for a child!

And yes, you can get anything you want from Amazon and cards from Moonpig and the like but that's not the point.

And you're taking money away from Welsh shops to line the already heavy pockets of Amazon

It's madness!

Yes, I'm sure she will and there's always Moonpig or other online cards.
It just seems quite ludicrous that parts of shops will be fenced off but we can buy non-essential food and drink.

Of course, they may have to barricade the chocolate behind a security fence.

I'm sure your DGC will be thrilled with a home made card. The world has gone mad.

At least we bought new printing inks yesterday - I could design and print a birthday card.
?

It's bonkers!

All these so called non essential goods are under the same roof as those that are deemed essential so if your kettle has conked out you have to go home and order one from Amazon.

When you need something it's essential.

I can't follow the reasoning, unless it is to protect small stationers.
However, if they are forced to close anyway, it won't protect them, will it!

As someone asked on the local news this evening - is a newspaper or a book essential or non-essential? I need a new toaster so at least I can order one from the Big River Company. Sorry - I don't need one. It's non-essential, I can live without crumpets to toast even though I'm allowed to buy them.