5 day break...

I know of a few Christmas bubbles planned locally where the Children have been attending a schools where Corona virus cases have been fairly high amongst staff and pupils alike recently, and they have still allowed children from the same class to continue to attend as usual. These children will then go on to mix over Christmas with elderly Grandparents, aunts and uncles, some of whom would be otherwise sheilding, and no doubt then will be hugging and kissing everyone in their 'Bubble', simply because it feels like they now have Government permission that it is safe to do so! How misguided they are, and also many people have taken on the attitude of 'it won't happen to us' until it's too late and it has!
My youngest DD and S-in-L are both keyworkers,coming to contact with hundreds of people per day between them, and have decided to protect others by refusing to join in a bubble with anyone this Christmas, so as not to potentially carry the virus onto anyone themselves. They are staying home with their children, and it will be a FaceTime session to see them on Christmas morning with all their excitement and Presents! it is fairly sad though for younger children who simply do not understand the reasons why their normal trips to Grandparents homes for hugs and treats from the 'goody box' have now stopped, my own Dgds, who live nearby are really angry with me at the moment, and think that it's my fault that they are not allowed to visit us like they used to do.

Unfortunately very careful people will end up in same lockdown after Christmas has people who have a very mixed family ,friend Christmas so going anywhere in January will be very risky .

It's up to families to take personal responsibility and follow the hygiene procedure, wearing masks indoors and making the gatherings as brief as possible. Better still, cancel Christmas gatherings until safe to do so. We must use our common sense and realise we get guidelines from scientists and governments but its up to us how we interpret these. We need to stop blaming the government as the actions we take will result in positive or negative consequences.

Ah, I see quizqueen has arrived to wind everyone up.

My thoughts on ‘they would do it anyway’ are that rape and murder still happens so, let’s not bother to make it illegal!

I think that if people understand how to take precautions properly, it would work. I think there has been far too little education about wearing masks properly, sanitising before and after touching the mask, only wearing mask once before laundering or disposing etc. The public information videos on television and radio are too soft and too few.

We have all seen the masks under noses, touching masks, shoving mask in pocket and then putting it on again (politicians seem to be the worst offenders).

Our local shopping centre has huge arrows on the ground for one way pedestrian traffic. There are a lot of shoppers who need white sticks.

As for Christmas, it has put pressure on families to host people when they don’t feel safe to do so. Just read MamaCaz’s post
Cambia Sadly, common sense seems to be in short supply. Look at the people being fined £10,000 for holding parties of over 200 recently.

Anyway, after all that whingeing, I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas however you choose to spend it. Stay safe and well.

Nope not at all, sheer utter madness!!!! N.Ireland infection rate has soared, it's frightening, so we are having a 6 week lockdown after Xmas Day. Bring it on I say as our hospitals are over capacity now, come Jan I don't know what will happen. I was in Tesco at 6am this morning, then home and I'm glad I did as I took the dog a walk along the sea front and on way home their carpark was packed at 8.30am. That's me done, no more shopping for me as I think people here will panic too because we know we are getting shutdown again like the 1st lockdown, well kids are still for school..... My sister and our dogs for Xmas Day, alone for Boxing Day and I'm thankful for that. If we are very careful for just this one year, it's one Xmas, we will be well to see the next one.

Candelle

I agree with Fairview.

What is the point of not seeing our family indoors all year to undo everything for one day?

We are currently in a Corona hot spot so will not be seeing our family. Our children have decided not to see each other - we will all be separate.

We hope to meet up outside on a clement day and suitably masked and socially distanced, go for a (hopefully not too long!) country yomp. We will throw presents at each other!

'Crismouse' day itself will be celebrated in June with a Barbie, complete with crackers, Brussels sprouts and Crismouse pudding.

I will be doing the same. I live alone and have been shielding since 11th March. I long to have hugs with my family but will celebrate in the Spring or Summer next year.

NanaPat Best to to stop accusing others of stupidity, selfishness etcetera, do your own risk assessment and take it from there.

That's all very well, but the "others" are the ones who are making it worse for everyone. Hands up who wants a 6 week lockdown in the New Year due to the selfishness and stupidity of others.

I will be spending Christmas Day with my daughter and her family. They will be isolating until then with days being taken as holiday to cover. I lost my husband last year and could not bare Christmas alone. Our Christmas is usually spent with all the family spending time together but we all decided this was not happening this year. Boris should have vetoed Christmas but he doesn’t want to be unpopular however he’s only satisfying the minority because the majority of us are sensible and will apply our own safe plans. The rest will do what they like because that’s what they think he’s allowing. Some people need to be told as in by law because they don’t stop to think or care that come January full lockdown will be a certainty, then we’ll have the minority moaning again.

The government have 2 choices - enforce a proper lockdown where no one can go out, or what they have done. Those who don’t care or don’t believe in the virus will do what they like anyway, and those of us who are sensible are planning a quiet Christmas. If the government ban Xmas they’ll have the rebels defying it anyway. And yes I think it will be horrendous in January. I hope January sales are banned or shops are shut at least. My DH has ignored most of the rules throughout, he went out for a curry with his mate this week, despite high Covid rates, it is ridiculous.

I’ll be at home alone, I lost my DH 2 yrs ago and miss him dreadfully but I’m not going to see anyone except one daughter who I’m in a bubble with but it will be a quick drop my GDs presents and then back home to my own Christmas
dinner. I think anyone who thinks they’ve been careful are kidding themselves I’m sorry but is it really worth risking your life for this one day.

My most disliked expression recently is ‘it is what it is’, usually said by people who won’t follow the advice sensibly and protect everybody else.
As Boris Johnson said ‘3 households and 5 days is the limit, not a target’. Nobody has said we have to have 3 households together for the full 5 days.
Whatever happened to common sense- oh, there it goes!!!

I agree Hulahoop, yet some will have no choice but to return to work and mix with these people after being so careful themselves, spreading the virus even further, it's rather like the baby boom used to be with a high increase in the birthrate during April and September from the previous year's annual Holidays and Christmas!

When you see the thousands of new cases EVERY DAY and the hundreds of deaths EVERY DAY - it is totally beyond me that anyone would voluntarily mix with their dear family!!! NOW is when we need to show some grit.

I'd rather be alone at Christmas or anytime than dead!

I really don't understsnd why Christmas has to be over 5 days in the UK. Yes I know if Boxing day falls at the weekend it becomes a public holiday on the Monday etc. But surely Boris could have said just two days although personally I think it would be safer to not meet up this year.
Here in Portugal Christmas will just be the 24th and 25th and people will be allowed to travel on those days but not the rest of the time. Over new year we will be in lockdown from 11pm on New Years Eve to 5am on the 4th January. We will not be allowed to move out of our council area during that time except for work or other special reason. Between 1pm and 5am each day all shops and restaurants will be shut and we shouldnt be on the road except for exceptional reasons. That's what you call a shut down.
People talk about grandchildren crying about not seeing family but as my best friend here said better to spend one Christmas alone and not seeing family than spend every Christmas not seeing them.
People dont need the government yo tell them what is the best thing to do they should know what they should be doing. My daughter loves having all her children and grandchildren with her for Christmas but this year she will just be at home with her husband and youngest child. She doesnt like it but just wants to keep everyone safe.

Where I live in the south east the virus is out of control . So mixing this Christmas is like playing russian roulette , but there is still people who don't see the seriousness . There is going to be people mixing for the hell it , with not taking any safety precautions . Those of us who have comonsense will paying for it . Come the beginning of January's our hospitals will be closing there doors because they can not cope . Hoping everyone has a safe and happy Christmas .

I also agree with Cambia. Matt Hancock has several times emphasised that people need to take personal responsibility, but this is something that people seem unwilling or unable to do. It would be impossible to outlaw getting together at Xmas and even more impossible to enforce this.
People want to be able to blame someone or something else and then do what they want. Look at all the politicians that have broken rules and I'm sure you have neighbours that you know have. They are also the same people that to your face will criticise others or the government for not being strict enough.

Christmas cancelled for us this year, not looking forward to another lockdown in January!!!

Mamacaz I’m sorry you’re so stressed by all this.
Obviously I don’t know your family situation, but would your mother pose a threat to you if she came to your house on Christmas Day? Probably not, unless she’s been out all the time gadding with her friends.
I’m guessing that you’re worried that you might pose a risk to her.
That’s more of a possibility, but it depends on how many other people are going to be in your house on Christmas Day and how much they have been exposed to other people. But in the end, isn’t it it her decision whether to take the risk or not?
I hope you can come to some agreement.

My most disliked expression recently is ‘it is what it is’, usually said by people who won’t follow the advice sensibly and protect everybody else.
I would like to clarify that despite my using your most disliked expression Aepgirl on page 1, I am following the advice/rules sensibly.

To add to my previous post about not really knowing how serious things are but being cautious anyway, it’s interesting how some people feel that ‘isolating for a few days’ resolves things.....’behaving properly’ ...not mixing too many generations....’popping into people’ ...’not stopping long’...and so on, makes things ok. I think we at least know that any social contact, increases transmission risk...so in that vein, cancelling Christmas is the only answer, sadly.

I think it's irresponsible of the Government to not be more firm given that the figures are so high again. It has been proven that the virus spreads most in homes. The virus doesn't know its Christmas! I've thought long and hard about going to my daughter and we've both wavered but when I thought about how it would actually be I realised it would be quite stressful for us all. What's the point in that just to uphold a tradition? My granddaughter is 7 (and there are cases of Covid in her school) and will be all excited and want to share what presents she has got with me. I don't want to have to stop her coming near me and have my daughter constantly be on edge and saying, 'Don't go near Grandma'. I've decided not to go to my daughters but am having them come over later to the gazebo I bought for winter lockdown.( I supply blankets and hot water bottles and its quite good fun) They will bring me a Christmas meal and we will open presents together. I'll also make a fire out there and put fairly lights on a tree. Not the Christmas I might choose but it'll do! Really it's only another day. The vaccine will be here soon and hopefully next Christmas will be a better time.

Candelle The Country will blame Boris whatever he does,he should put on his big boy pants and make it a complete lockdown,it will make him unpopular but so what ? if it saves lives and stops the 4th wave of massive infections the NHS will have to deal with and lives lost in January.

If they banned it people would anyway.. fact of life. I posted on my Facebook page....JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD. Many friends have said they have cancelled family get togethers but one said he would meet up with whoever's he wanted. A lock down will happen after Christmas into the new year. Be sensible and stay safe xxx

TanaMa

Has anyonè wondered how people managed during the war!!?? They didn't have an option of having husbands, brothers, fathers and sons with them. For goodness sake put safety and health first and have get togethers when it is safe to do so.

My thoughts exactly TanaMa. DM and MIL never knew where their husbands were or if they were alive a great deal of the time. Don't recall older relatives talking about being depressed or complaining it had ruined their future.