mercurydancer
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Posts posted by mercurydancer
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I would measure this carefully. If the pub did not have social distancing I would just walk out. On the day before the lockdown I was in the Lady Chatterley and they did a decent job of social distancing certainly close to what they are doing in supermarkets, so I would trust Wetherspoons to keep that standard. Wise move to state that they have firm plans in place. It is much more reassuring than a pub that is just going to throw its doors open. I have some doubts that other pubs will do the same. Some of my favourite pubs are tiny, like Dixies at Bagthorpe, so much as I love the place, and however well it is run, it may not actually be physically possible to do much social distancing unless there are only about 10 people in the pub. I can imagine the Trip would have similar issues.
On nights I finish about 10am so I am sitting on the doorstep of my local pub like a soaked puppy, waiting for them to open. That would be a easily manageable environment as there are very few in there. Later on in the day, I would go nowhere near it. They have an active pool league and I cannot see that starting.
There is a huge elephant in the pub, and that is the probability of a second wave. Despite Boris being populist in trying to open shops, the national R rate is published every day and its hovering just below danger levels. Remember please that is an average, and regional rates may be just about ready to escalate. The rate drop in London brings the average down, and we now know Boris doesnt care at all about anything outside the M25.
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Nottingham pubs I really miss - All of them!
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Thanks Jill, I look forward to it. There was a site called Nottscops which is now defunct which had many photos, including Gerry and Major, and also me in my traffic jam sandwich Ford Granada! Also may have been useful to others.
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As an ex soldier I was never really happy with the honorary colonel. Captain, which was my rank, is earned and I dont think that Capt Tom ever thought any differently. His knighthood, now he has earned that.
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I do remember Major's kennel. Used to see it every day from my bedroom window. I recall one thing about major. Jill, do you recall the entries between the houses in Bobbers Mill road? I used to play with Major with balls. I would throw them down the entry and he would bring them back. If I did not throw them but held them in my hand he would push his nose under my arm to persuade me to throw the ball.
Major, on duty, got to be something of a legend having burnt paws after chasing a burglar over a bakery roof.
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On 5/18/2020 at 2:19 PM, Jill Sparrow said:
Of interest to @mercurydancer may be the obituary I recently discovered for Gerry Machin who passed on 27 August 2015, aged 79. I think he lived in the Underwood/Eastwood area. The funeral was at Mansfield Crematorium.
He was, apparently, in the Royal Navy prior to joining Nottingham Police.
I was at Berridge with his eldest daughter, Kim and I know mercurydancer was friends with his younger daughter, Gaye. Gaye had left a tribute to her father, so we have the right person.
It is definitely Gerry Machin. I am very sad to hear of his passing. He lived two doors down from me, and was a dog handler. 84 and 82 Bobbers Mill Road were police houses so they lived there for nothing. Perk of the time. I do recall the dog, Major, a beast of a thing. I recall Major with an egg. Gerry would give me a raw egg to put in Major's mouth. major would then go through some exercises, like jumping over the walls and he would at the command of give, would put the egg in my hand. Unbroken.
I last saw Gerry at Epperstone Manor at a police do. I can recall his gap-toothed smile even now. He did not know I had joined the police. We talked, as you do, and I asked about Gaye. It was somewhat embarrassing that he recalled me and Gaye playing with her dolls. The other officers fell about laughing. Policemen being policemen (think Gene Hunt style) I got ribbed for weeks. My nickname was then Dolly, not just because of that, but for other reasons which I will leave to another time. It even was used on the radio... instead of PC252 it was Dolly, where are you?
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17 minutes ago, Beekay said:
The thing that tears me apart is that there is nothing I can do. Been following NonnaBs dilemma as well and it makes you feel so bloody useless. Can only offer moral support and a silent prayer.
Nowt to do with Nottingham, I know.
We are from Nottingham, it is our home city, and no matter where we find ourselves, we are Nottinghamians. Beekay, just being there is doing something, and more important than you realise at this moment.
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6 minutes ago, Beekay said:
Wishing you all the very best of luck MD., have been reading your posts, both with interest and concern.
Let's hope it won't be long mate. Stay safe....Beekay.
Thank you from my heart. In these rather crappy times, I deeply appreciate the support given.It is hugely important. It keeps me going. I will not forget it either. It brings us closer.
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Been on to the Home Office today about asking for a visa extension for my wife. As usual I got the routine stuff about each case is evaluated individually. This is a big difference from just a big NO. I sent every document I could think of in support of this.
British Airways are being decent too. Airmiles (Avios) accepted now. Believe it or not, with avios, it will cost 55 pounds to get her on a flight from Moscow. They are asking for proof of a quarantine address. No problem there.
I will get her back.
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1 hour ago, DJ360 said:
Again Jonab, I wonder who is the source of this? I've seen several versions of this usually emanating from some or other group or body sympathetic to the Conservatives, to Brexit or whatever.
I've refuted other versions of this by making a few simple points:
1. It is the job of the press to question and challenge Govt. Once you try to go down the road of silencing the press.. you are on VERY dangerous ground.
2. I didn't hear anyone criticising Kuenssberg and others when they mounted a sustained and vicious campaign of lies and smears against Labour, Remain, and Corbyn.
3. This stuff is full of 'We don't want' 'We need' etc. Just who is 'We'?.. because it doesn't include me. Who claims to speak on my behalf?
4. I'll admit I'd like to know how many in hospital have recovered.. or at least for it to be spelled out more clearly. However, the info is not hidden, because we are given figures for numbers of cases, numbers in ICU, Numbers of Deaths etc.. so it should be fairly simple to work out recovery rates.
The recovery rate dramatically changes due to age. Up to 40, almost all recover, even with underlying health issues. I have said before that the illness is not just a bad case of flu, its far worse than that. The Nightingale hospitals basically have one function - to keep a person breathing whilst the virus passes. After 40 years of age, 40 to 50 it starts increasing, after that, the risk becomes astronomical, to the point where if the virus gets into a nursing home I cannot see many getting out alive. To give a simple recovery rate would be misleading, Many have said that it is like the flu, it isnt. CV19 is ten times as lethal as any flu we have known.
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Boris has got it wrong this time, not necessarily because of what he said but how he said it. People should go back to work.... But who? I work in a hotel where the risk of coronavirus is high. Should I go back to work? I cannot socially distance at the hotel.
At this time, when we are all looking to some kind of normality, firm rules are to be issued and adhered to. A list of people who can go back to work and who cannot would be a good idea.
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9 minutes ago, DJ360 said:
OK. I accept I didn't think that through to meet situations like yours MD, which you already know I sympathise with. Maybe in the case of people with family reasons.. we should be looking for 'verified quarantine'. However.. with anyone else I'd still advocate enfoced quarantine. I'm not talking prison, but something like we did with the cruise ship folk early on.
However well intentioned and sensible people are, I think it's nearly impossible to avoid spread of CV on planes, even with social distancing. We have to remember that we started with just two cases in York. We have now lost 30000 + people and much of our economy. We could very easily do it again.
Quarantine is quarantine. Maybe best not to have lots of people in commandeered hotels round Heathrow. That would lead to a modern day plague pit. Mandatory 14 day quarantine for anyone coming into the country is fine by me. Its a bit of a result that this is making it more likely for my wife to get back rather than an impediment. The rules are 14 days in a private residence. She has a lot of cleaning to do!
And on reflection, taking examples from history, the 1918/9 and 1957 outbreaks, it was not the first wave that was the most destructive, it was the second wave. If Boris and the Govt are trying to prevent that, its very very sensible. There are signs that the second wave has started in Germany and S Korea.
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DJ360
You said this - We still have thousands of people flying into the UK unchecked. I'm sorry but my view is that whoever they are and wherever they come from they should be aware. 'Land in the UK and expect to be FORCIBLY QUARANTINED for a minimum of 14 days. If you don't like that. Stay away.'
Actually the number of people flying into UK is now very small. Many are on transit flights.
As you know, my wife is in Russia, and I want her back as soon as possible. We wont know the actual rules until Boris speaks tonight but as I understand it, the rules are, only people from low risk areas are going to be considered. Russia is a low risk area. No problem with that. 14 days quarantine at a private residence.... I can do that easily for her. Easily provable too. Border control wont have any issue with my proof of address, our relationship, or her previous history in visiting the UK. No use of public transport? I pick her up in the car at Heathrow. 700 mile drive but I am cool with that. No point in staying in London as there is bog all to do anyway. So for me this is good news, in fact the best I have heard. It means that I can focus on the plans to get her home at last.
Actually quarantining her for 14 days will be a relief - she wont go down the shops and buy crap we dont need.
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День Победы!
That is Den Pobedy - Victory Day for the Russians. Its a day later than VE day because Keitel couldnt sign the surrender documents fast enough and Field Marshal Zhukov took the surrender the next day. The Russians often treat 9 May as more significant than any other day than New Years Day. 75 Years was going to be special but was cancelled, apart from a fly past. The celebration will take place in September if possible. The Russians are on special holiday for 12 days, provided that they keep quarantine. That is like 12 bank holidays in a row.
I have been to the 9 Mai celebrations in Moscow but it is ticket only for Red Square, and they cannot be bought. I was on the tin roof of a portable cafe in Alexandrovsky Park. The vibration from the tanks nearly shook us off.
The most memorable was when I did a battlefield tour for a friend. We carried 9 Mai Russian flags to the Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate in Ypres. Many people were talking to us, and the atmosphere, as ever, was superb. After the ceremony, we retired to a local bar. The band members usually go there after the ceremony. They saw me with the flags and immediately went outside and played the Russian national anthem in front of the bar. I just couldn't just sit there, so I got on my hind legs and belted it out as loud as possible. To my amazement, two other lads, not together, also stood up and started singing. When I sat down I had three glasses of vodka waiting for me and a tasting board of Belgian ales.
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A special day. I, amongst others, stood in silence for two minutes today.
I recall my mother speaking about the war, when she was living at Hedsor Grove, which I recall from my childhood. She did recall a bombing raid and she went to a shelter with a cushion on her head. She fondly recalled the VE celebrations. My grandfather was a miner so did not go to war. Babbington pit as I recall. There was a street party in Hedsor Grove. My mother would have been 11 years old. She did recall that she was one of the older girls at the street party. It intrigues me that she was making bunting many days before the VE day party, and that the cakes were baked some time before, which indicates that the VE Day celebrations were not a surprise. I would love to see any photos from that party. She did recall that my grandfather went to the Green and got very drunk. His local was the Radford Arms, and towards the end of his life I took him there and picked him up later. Often in a state. I did adore him. I still have a photo of him between two mountainous NCOs at my passing out parade at Sandhurst, My mother loved John West tinned salmon, and often said that it was VE day when she first tasted it, and adored it ever since.
My father did not recall any parties in Birkin Avenue at all.
Many of us may have heard stories of that day from parents or grandparents, now is the time so tell those stories.
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I was in a queue in the supermarket today, and thought that more people should wear masks. There are some bloody ugly people in Billingham
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48 minutes ago, nonnaB said:
MD. On our news yesterday they said Russia had 5,800 deaths in 24 hrs. Truth or fake? We don't know who to believe anymore.
The most reliable news is from the Russian newspapers I read, across whole spetrum of political views, and also Johns Hopkins from the USA. As of this morning, there were 1700 confirmed deaths, another 1000 suspected (probably community based rather than hospital)
Just 88 people died yesterday in Russia. It has however tested 4.5 million people.
This is what I think is reliable.
Interesting that the Putin has now the lowest approval rating since he became President.
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Thank you all for kind comments. I could probably tell you more about Russia and coronavirus than the BBC! The death rate is low, and genuinely so. about 2500. Most in Moscow.
One problem is that it is a national holiday in Russia. 9 Mai... one day after our VE day. We have forgotten that anniversary, for the Russians, its big. Once saw the tanks going into Red Square (from the roof of a cafe in Alexandrovsky Park, me and my step son just climbed up there!) What has happened is that the big parade is cancelled, and many Muscovites have headed south to their villas, sanatoria and in general the warmer climate of the south, where my wife is. 28C in Pyatigorsk today. My wife's father died in 1993. He served in the Great Patriotic War (WW2 to us) and would have been 100 years old yesterday. He was a tank sergeant against the Germans. Not an easy job.
Each day I call her on Skype for an hour. At the end of the call, I quote Capt Tom... the clouds will go away. Tomorrow will be a good day. She did ask who said those words, and I showed her. She said something that I am going to take a while to fully understand. She said it is a very English thing to make a hero of a 100 year old man.
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I hope that you are all OK, and especially for Nonnab, who I feel for. Hope all the relatives are OK. I know how tight the Italians see family.
As many of you know, my wife is Russian and is currently stranded in Russia. Her visa expires at the end of June and we will have the palaver of getting another one, instead of renewing it in London. It is likely that I will not see her until September at least.
I am somewhat used to being parted from a loved one as I was in the army and I am treating this like a tour. She is not doing so well, her mental health is suffering. She is terrified that I am going to die alone. She hears the news from Moscow (not good) and worries for her son, my beloved step son, who has recently been to work in Moscow. Moscow can be compared to London in that it has a very packed underground system and very busy, with many poor areas, with cramped apartments. The peak is yet to hit Moscow. The Russian Prime Minister (not Putin who is President) has become ill with the virus. Because the country is vast, the virus is taking a while to get to the outlying areas, but it will. She is safe at the moment, infection rate is slow, but they live in fear of this virus, and Marina being of a nervous disposition, is frightened. It is warm in southern Russia, and many people from Moscow have villas there, so the infection is getting there. It seems that the people in her town are not really obeying lockdown at all, seems like business as usual. It wont last.
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Yes Browns..Indeed... Other delights from Browns.. Lemon Meringue pie.
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Jill Sparrow
It was Mr Anderson's class room. I certainly remember Mr Williams and most of all, Miss Stockhill. On my first day at school I was terrified, but her gentle and easy manner was very welcome. She understood that we knew nothing and gave very clear guidance on very simple matters. I remember her with great kindness.
If I can get to it, I will certainly take a bag of marbles and play a game there, in exactly the same spot I played there 50 years ago.
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Now I am off work due to this horrible virus I have time to go through things that I am too busy to normally do. I am one of the school photos and due to not being able to get to a barbers, I now have the same hairstyle!
Jill, I would dearly love to do a visit to Berridge if there is one in the offing. The room I recall most fondly was the one on the top floor, door in the right corner. My desk was facing the windows and I would look at the trees and houses on Berridge Road. I would dearly love to see that view again.
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John S
I can place that exactly. I made a reference to that part of Bobbers Mill Road in a post called World of Wonder and you would have been very close to Dogger Bank chippy and Nix's newsagent.
I too recall the Owd G in Santa outfit, and it was not Christmas until I saw it. I fondly recall the shops at the top on Radford Road. A bakery which made the most fantastic cream horns (Birds?) Raithbys butchers, Lloyds Bank on the corner of Beaconsfield Street where I opened my first bank account. A camera shop which had orange translucent sheets in the window, a little like Lucozade wrappers. A shop where you could buy the best potted meat ever (Potted dog!) which was my Tuesday sandwich filling. The roast beef there was astounding, and I plagued my mother for it, but we didnt have enough money for that. On the side of the Owd G there was a hardware shop, very much like one in the famous Four Candles Two Ronnies sketch.
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I dont remember the Amos at all. Which Victorian villas? I can only recall the terraces stretching from Radford Road to Alfreton Road, and Bobbers Mill Road, (and Chadwick Road and other places with similar building style) but villas? No. Please reactivate the memory cells as you have successfully done before.
Nottingham pubs you really miss
in General Chat about Nottingham
Posted
My sympathies Phil.