Will you go shopping on the high street now?

[trystan]

Trystan, 2 months ago you didn't want people 70+ stepping out the door to go to a local shop, now you want them to hit the High Street.
Are markets open?

3 months ago, over 70s were told not to as they are more vulnerable to this. A person (old or young) nipping out to the local shop to just get a newspaper every day probably hadn't made the best decision they'd make that day.

No, I've not said I want over 70s to hit the high street. If they want to, they can, but are aware of the risks. It's freedom of choice. In the same way they have the freedom of choice to start smoking or eating huge mounds of cream cakes every day. Just because we're allowed to do something doesn't necessarily mean it's a great idea.

We do however need to restart civilization across this planet, and like good humans we are we have taken on risks since the days we crawled out of our caves.

Yes, some markets are open. A local one to here has a one-way system.

[Llwyd]

I'm not a shopper and I, as sure as God made little apples, would not queue to shop in any shop, anywhere at anytime. However, if I considered it necessary I would go shopping.
My wife took herself off to our local Tesco store for the first time since early March. Upon her return she pronounced all was good, sanitising equipment etc., entry and exit through different doors, no-one going the wrong way against the one way system, no-one not "social distancing"  but there were few people only in store. She was home in next to no time. I thought she would be away for hours, spent queuing mainly.
Not for me though, queue or no queue.
I started cutting the hedge for the second time this year. I'd rather do that thank you. I haven't voted because my would be choice isn't there - "only if necessary".
 
Almost forgot - our favourite local bakers opens this week. Our order for four of our favourite loaves is already in and will be collected by us on Wednesday.
 

[groom]

3 months ago, over 70s were told not to as they are more vulnerable to this.

Not quite true, they were never told to stay at home, only advised. The people who were told to stay at home were those who received letters telling them to shield for 12 weeks. These people are still told to stay in, whereas over 70s who live alone are now allowed to form a "bubble" with family or friends and don't even have to keep to social distancing with that group.  Those shielding included a lot of young people who suffer from various illnesses.

A lot of over 70s had no choice but to go out to Supermarkets as they were unable to get slots.  Unless they were on the Government's list for shielding, they were not entitled to priority slots or the food boxes.

[Roobarb]

I'd dearly love a swift visit to a garden centre for one or two little things, but I'm thinking I might well wait until everyone who has been all over the garden centres ( I've driven pastthe local ones, monitoring them) has decided to go on from them, and get all over the shopping centres ... then I might risk a short visit, in and out like a fat little flash, to get the bits to allow me to complete a few jobs in the garden.

TY

TY, have just caught up on this thread. I haven't been to any shops since before the start of the lockdown but like you I really wanted to go to the garden centre. Our local one is a nurseries rather than one of those huge places that sells lots of other stuff besides plants. I timed my visit for a day when it was cold and wet as I thought there wouldn't be people browsing like they do when the weather is nice. I was right, there were very few people there and although I was really nervous when I set off I was fine when I got there, everything in place for social distancing. Got what I wanted, paid by card and off I went. So maybe you could time your visit for when the weather is otherwise disappointing. Good luck 

[trystan]

We have been doing all our grocery shopping via Asda Click and Collect.

Early on I went into a Coop once to get essentials as Asda hadn't included milk in our click and collect that week. They had red squares marked on the floor. I went into a Tesco Express once, and an Iceland once for the same reasons. Each time there were things that I felt could have been safer so I avoided them after that.

I went to the door of a local butchers twice, and managed to get contactless service there, but the third time a customer shouted under my arm to the butcher. That was it. The butcher got the chop.

So apart from those six occasions, absolutely everything that has kept us in sustenance (even my medication) for the last three months (or however long it's been now) has been click and collect, or delivered or in the case of the newspaper - via online subscription.

[Spidermonkey]

I'd dearly love a swift visit to a garden centre for one or two little things, but I'm thinking I might well wait until everyone who has been all over the garden centres ( I've driven pastthe local ones, monitoring them) has decided to go on from them, and get all over the shopping centres ... then I might risk a short visit, in and out like a fat little flash, to get the bits to allow me to complete a few jobs in the garden.

TY

TY, have just caught up on this thread. I haven't been to any shops since before the start of the lockdown but like you I really wanted to go to the garden centre. Our local one is a nurseries rather than one of those huge places that sells lots of other stuff besides plants. I timed my visit for a day when it was cold and wet as I thought there wouldn't be people browsing like they do when the weather is nice. I was right, there were very few people there and although I was really nervous when I set off I was fine when I got there, everything in place for social distancing. Got what I wanted, paid by card and off I went. So maybe you could time your visit for when the weather is otherwise disappointing. Good luck 

My local independent garden centre has got bookable slots on their website - I believe only 3 customers are allowed within a hour long slot. that is for those who like to browse.  If you know what you want, they will put your order together for a click and collect.

[ThrelfallYorky]

I'm really looking for a new passionflower, the hardiest model possible, as mine curled up it's leaves and died in the frosts earlier this year. Oh, and a new small cast aluminium sort of trowel - I had one, single piece casting, small, slender and wonderfully useful, but it's vanished. -Oh, and I could do with something to get rid of the ghastly green gloopy hair-like stuff that seems to be infesting my big pond this year, again. I thought the barley straw "bags" I'd used in past years had eradicated ity, but - no, it's reared it 'orrible tresses again.
TY

[Roobarb]

I'm really looking for a new passionflower, the hardiest model possible, as mine curled up it's leaves and died in the frosts earlier this year.
TY

That'll be like the one that I've fought to get rid of ever since a friend gave me a cutting a few years ago. It was taking over the garden, I chopped loads off it but off it's going again, strangling everything within its reach. Be careful what you wish for TY!

[Greensleeves]

As some of you know, my daughter has been seriously ill, but had her surgery  - scheduled for 26 March - postponed.  She's been home since then, in a precarious state of health, and surviving on a diet which consists almost exclusively of rich tea biscuits.  (And here I have to say huge thanks to Jan (Groom) for sending a goodly consignment thereof as I've been having trouble sourcing them.)  Thus, my daughter is shielding and I'm not going far either, other than occasionally to venture to our local v small Co-op in the village, but with most of our groceries delivered by Asda (thank you Asda, you are life-savers.).

This morning I snuck out for the 8am geriatrics shopping experience at our Co-op, and normally it is an orderly affair, in that I'm the only one there.  But today there were - gasp - younger people in the shop paying no attention whatsoever to social distancing.  There was I clutching my list - all written down in order of appearance knowing I couldn't retrace my steps in the cramped aisles with one-way traffic.  A young man was in front of me, so I stopped and waited until he moved on.  Then a younger woman appeared behind me and went to push past.  I jumped out of the way and said "Can you keep your distance please?" to which she replied crossly,  "Well are you going to move, or are you just going to stand there?".  I pointed out that I was waiting for the customer in front to move, so I could go forward, and she started rolling her eyes and huffing and sighing deeply as though I had lost my reason.  So I turned her into a frog.  That'll teach her.