state of emergency

[ms_canuck]

One last thought. If they start rationing food, which they are already talking about, how will those who are shopping for the weak and infirm, manage to purchase goods for them?
(No, I cannot sell you that. You purchased the same items yesterday. You are hoarding.)

Malky

In WW2, I believe all family members had their own cards.  My gran was diabetic, and so her card allowed her additional / greater quantities of certain goods.  My mum said this was a big help for the family (they were 5 in all) at the time.  Rationing was still happening when I was born in 1953. 

But then of course there was the 'black market', which nowadays is those trying to sell hand wipes on eBay or Amazon for extortionate prices... Ah what times we are now in! 

#WashYourHands

Cheers all

Ms_C - in an equally crazy Toronto, Canada

[jillruss]

One last thought. If they start rationing food, which they are already talking about, how will those who are shopping for the weak and infirm, manage to purchase goods for them?
(No, I cannot sell you that. You purchased the same items yesterday. You are hoarding.)

Malky

Everything I've heard them say on tv is that there is plenty of food and pleading with people not to panic buy.

There was a chap vox popped whilst loading up his car in a supermarket car park on the news last night and when asked why he was buying so much, actually said 'because everyone else is"!! Not a shred of embarrassment either!

Have we turned into a nation of sheep? Baa! 

[louisa maud]

I think it is the thought we might not be allowed out,  no choice, if we choose of our own volition to stay in that is our own choice , to be told we can't is a different feeling altogther,  but in all honesty I am all for NOT  spreading  germs about, if I have a sore throat or a very bad cold I do stay in and tell my family to stay away as well,  I am all for containing germs, it is a matter of choice which might be taken away from us soon

Louisa Maud

[KGarrad]

I was asked, by a mate in the pub, to consider joining a community scheme doing the shopping for vulnerable people.

A worthy cause

But, hang on a minute!
I'm 66 - and therefore in the "vulnerable" group!
I'm diabetic - and therefore in the "vulnerable" group!

Not sure it would be sensible for me to get involved?

[louisa maud]

Jillruss, pure selfishness I think and they are getting away with it, I might just buy a tin or two extra but I am certainly not panick buying, some must be getting into huge debt.

What we haven't got we will make do with an alternative, we wont starve, might do us good infact

Louisa Maud

[louisa maud]

I am 77 Garrard and apart from a hip replacement I think I am almost as good as a younger person, even my butcher told me I was sprightly,  cheeky man!   we are as old as we feel, all this lark about keeping the over 70' s is a load of rubbish, there are a lot of over 70's still working and voluntarily

Louisa Maud

[BumbleB]

I went to Aldi this afternoon - near empty shelves.  Talking to the assistant, she told me that yesterday was terrible, car park full an hour before opening, then everyone grabbing whatever they could, the queues were VERY long and the abuse was horrendous.  However, as the company had issued a notice of "no more than 4 of the same item", staff were relieving trolleys of excesses and then offering them to the elderly and other customers.  And finally she suggested if I needed help I could telephone her and she would deliver to me.   

[louisa maud]

See Bumble B  there are nice people about and thank God for them

Louisa Maud

[Skoosh]

An excellent article in today's National by actor Bill Paterson. The subject is Peterhead man Dr James Niven who was Medical Officer of Health in Manchester during the Spanish Flu epidemic. Thanks to Niven's locking-down of that city, Manchester never suffered the death-toll experienced in the other industrial centres in the north of England. The municipality delivered food, fuel & medicines to the poor throughout the crisis.
 Niven & his team he writes, were exactly the kind of "experts!" that Michael Gove told us he had "had enough of!" Bill Paterson confesses an interest in the good doctor as he played him in a BBC drama "The Spanish Flu; the Forgotten Fallen!" back in 2009 during the Swine Flu epidemic of that year. Niven & his inspiring story, he says, has remained with him to this day.

Skoosh.