You can read so much about tiers and new rules; I believe many people are confused as to what and what they can’t do.
We are in tier two; pubs can open as long as they serve substantial meals. Can I start by saying in this day and age, what is a substantial meal to one is not to another, so who decides.
Let’s not forget the fantastic work that Marcus Rashford has done recently to allow children to eat during schools holidays, so what is a substantial meal is to these families, may differ slightly from others. My wife and I went for dinner last night, and some may say what we ate was piggery, but it is what the restaurant served as portions. We shared a starter and sweet, and I had chicken and leek pies as the main course, my wife had steak, one of our favourite eateries, and again it didn’t let us down.
For some people, you could have split our food into two and made four meals. I hope I do not sound big-headed here? I don’t mean to; it’s the portions we are served, not my doing. But it would show what is and isn’t a substantial meal, do I need to say anything about a scotch egg?
Add to this I spoke with my local landlord and asked what he was doing as they 
normally don’t sell food in the evening, and he is a switched on guy, but in the end, he admitted he didn’t know the rules, and that’s concerning. But we booked a table, and he was happy to serve me chips and curry sauce, and happy if I was still eating them two hours later, meaning we want to sit and have a beer, and he is happy for us to do just that. So what are the rules, does anyone really know?
I don’t think we do and I don’t believe the authorities care now, especially with the life-saving vaccine on the horizon, I really think they’re not too bothered. But let’s look at the strange things we find.
I watched BBC news this week and saw the fans being allowed into Shrewsbury Town football match. There was a sign at the entrance stating something like ‘social distancing is in place’, and there was a group of about 7/8 people standing around the sign, not socially distancing!
It showed fans seated all nice and neat, again doubtful they were 2m apart and all 
in the same row, so what happens if a spectator at one end needs to pass everyone else to go to the loo or buy a pie. Do they all need to get up, walk away into space, socially distance and let the person pass? Of course, they won’t, and so then social distancing goes out the window. They showed fans in other grounds, and there was no social distancing taking place, and in my world all wrong.
Yet here’s the best bit an internet search tells us that the Shrewsbury town stadium has a seated capacity of 9,875, and of course the rules state ‘up to 50 per cent of capacity or 2,000 people – whichever is lower.’ So Shrewsbury can have 2,000 fans at their home games, and as I see it Manchester united can have 2,000 fans too – in a stadium that holds 76,000 and again in my world that can’t be right! Why can stadiums holding less than 10,000 fans have 2,000 in to watch and a stadium holding more than 75,000 have the same amount? Surely it should be done on a 
percentage of the stadium capacity that allows for social distancing to take place; I don’t understand. Maybe the Government are worried about crowds outside, but let’s look at the photos of people out shopping! They give us the freedom to roam the streets in groups, so they should provide us with the same space out roam outside football grounds – surely? But remember, at least football is outdoor, where we know there is less chance of catching the virus.
And here I am twenty-four hours after posting this, adding a few words and a picture taken at Sandown Racecourse, where it seems to me that social distancing is not taking place, not from this evidence anyway, and I just want to ask who is responsible for ensuring it happens and who controls the ‘duty of care’ the racecourse will have to look after the safety of its customers. They were responsible before the pandemic, and are responsible during it. If you had walked into the racecourse, slipped and broken a leg before the pandemic, you would have received a hefty amount in compensation. What would happen if you could prove you caught the Coronavirus whilst visiting the course and seeing these pictures. What is the difference – none?
Now then let’s go inside to theatres, the same thing applies. They must run at fifty per cent capacity, meaning a theatre like the London Palladium which is the largest theatre, with a capacity of 2286 seats, can, again if I am reading it right, have 1146 people inside, where we are told that the virus spreads easier. That is only 854 people less than the 76,000 that could be seated outside at Old Trafford!
I then read that people going to the theatre cannot drink in the bar, but they can
have seat service, please see the snip from an internet search showing The Nottingham Playhouse systems. Now how can that be safe, how do people sitting in their seats get their drinks served without having the bar staff pass close to people and get within that two-metre space – it can’t happen, not in my world? But then why are the Government allowing so many people to meet inside where germs breed and spread, and not allowing more to meet outside where they are telling us people are safer.
Need I mention gyms, and other shops and establishments? I don’t think I do as these photos show, it is just a free for all. But from the pictures, why do people think it is okay to take young children and electric scooters into crowded shops. Just look at how many people are trying to get into one shop with scooters. And what about the woman with the infant in her arms and the young child behind her and no face covering on, trying to get into the crowded shop. Is that somewhere that she should be taking young children? But hey as long as she gets her new fashion item, why worry?
I sometimes despair with today’s society when I see photos like this, it doesn’t quite make sense to me bearing in mind the generation where I was brought up, but we’ve been through that although there could be more to come on that subject.
Okay so let’s go to work, not the best thing to hear on a Friday night as I write this, but I had to go to a factory to work on Thursday, and these are my observations and experiences.
As soon as I walked into reception, I had hand sanitiser and one of those big yellow signs that tell us to keep our distance at all times, all very positive. I was met in reception by a young lady wearing a face covering, and I was quite impressed. That was until I had to wait in reception for my contact, from where I could see their smoking shelter, and the 5/6 employee’s all crowded in the shelter having a smoke with no face coverings, a case of priorities and nicotine intake won hands down.
I then went to meet my contact, and although I was wearing a face covering, I was given a face shield to wear too, so suddenly my optimism went up a level. Unfortunately, it must have been one of the cheapest on the market or designed not to be worn with face coverings because as soon as I started to breathe, the mask clouded over. I couldn’t see what I was doing, as I struggled to try to adjust all this to walk into the production area, I was then told I didn’t need both – one or the other would suffice, and yet again I ask why. Why was I given both when I didn’t need them? Strange one that, but there was more.
I asked about eating and breaks and was told there were two canteens, but I had to follow the guidelines in place, which of course wouldn’t be an issue. And once again I felt more optimistic when I went into the production area, and everyone was wearing face coverings, then it kind of went downhill – again!
People were soon working and talking shoulder to shoulder, and at break time people were sitting in the canteens, no more than a metre apart and of course because they were eating, no coverings were required and so pretty much all social guidelines went out the window. We can’t be perfect, I can’t and you can’t, there is no such person, however small the imperfections are!
My reason for writing this is I simply don’t understand all of these scenarios, they
don’t make sense in my logical world, and I don’t understand why we can just go and sit in a pub, socially distance and have a couple of beers? Instead, I’ll go to the pub, have a couple of beers with my plate of cold chips and curry sauce!
I’m still open to that position of Minister for Common Sense if you need me Boris 07825 ……
And again here I am twenty-four hours later having to add a photo showing our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson visiting the Public Health England laboratory at Porton Down, and I ask where their social distancing and face coverings are? And I have added this because I firmly believe if they can’t do it right – who can? But that’s me.
Thanks for reading and stay safe