Boris's 4.00 broadcast today 19 December 2020

[antiquesam]

The average age of those dying from Covid is 82.4. and to be honest there are so many things that can kill you off at that age, covid being just one. I'll be seventy in march and I can't help wondering whether I want to stay locked away for the precious time before the Grim Reaper calls, for whatever reason. Now that was a happy Christmas message wasn't it?

[mazi]

Our daughters assure us that our grandchildren (all boys) are delighted that they don’t have to visit us

Mike

[louisa maud]

I didn't see this coming cancelling off any celebrations at Christmas or being Tier 4 , I had planned a  3 family get together for Christmas lunch with my daughter and family, who you might say has been in our bubble, not a support bubble as we manage on our own, but then a third couple were to join us who was not in our bubble, I was a bit worried about it to be honest, so now we can't, and no Christmas hasn't  been cancelled, think of what Christmas is really about!

Churches can't celebrate Christmas as we normally do, my own church will open on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, that is all, we had to book in advance otherwise  it  is to late, had booked Christmas Eve but when I checked Christmas day I wasn't  booked in,  to late by the end of this mornings service the the churchwarden has said I am not allowed to go, not best pleased as I have been to every service the church was open during  this pandemic.

So, we have to keep our spirits up for  the sake of our family, we can have our Christmas lunch some other time hopefully

LM

[Jebber]

Louisa Maud is quite right, Christmas has not been cancelled, it will just be different for many people this year. It’s not all about eating and drinking as much as possible, or splashing out on lavish gifts. It is a Christian festival that can be celebrated anywhere, even on ones own,  without all the hype.

As Skoosh says Pheno, nobody is being punished, it just being sensible. I don’t agree that it’s the few people who slightly break the rules who are responsible. It is caused by those who flagrantly ignore all the rules and gather in large numbers.

I have already mentioned the crowd of demonstrators in Bournemouth yesterday. We only have to have observed the people crowding into the railway stations yesterday, to beat the new restrictions. There  was no thought to social distancing in the stations, let alone the crowding it caused on the trains.

A  good example of selfishness, a twenty  one year old student at Bournemouth University organised three big parties, having ignored warnings from the police. I applaud the actions of the police who given him a £10,000 fine, the first such fine imposed in Dorset. I hope other crowd organisers and police forces take note.

[LizzieL]

We've just been "upgraded" from Tier 3 to Tier 4. We live in the corner of a county which is badly affected at its other side - about 40 miles from where I live. The border with one tier 2 county is 400 yards north of my house and the border with a second tier 2 county is a mile east of my house (less as the crow flies).
The rate per 100,000 in our Local Authority is 175, whereas the rate in our eastern neighbour is 226 and in our northern neighbour is 150, so we are between the two. As far as I can see the rate of increase is similar in all three. I wouldn't expect the demographic to be much different between the three areas either. We are all served by the same hospital which had 29 Covid admissions in the last 7 days.
So it makes no sense whatsoever to me that we are in tier 4 and the county I can see across the field at the end of my garden, with a higher per capita rate, is only in tier 2.

 

[dowdstree]

We will be having Christmas Dinner on our own this year.  A collective family decision made some weeks ago to try and keep everyone safe and well.

Can we all spare a thought for the millions in this world who have neither a roof over their heads nor a meal of any kind to feed themselves with or their children. We are all so lucky really if you pause for a moment to think about it so why grumble about one day of the year when all we are asked to do is stay at home and not mix with family and friends.

Stay safe and a Merry Christmas to you all 

Dorrie

[Rena]

Hello to all of you beautiful, patient, kind and unselfish people from South Australia.
🥰
I read your posts, all doing the right thing.....we have to stay alive, right?

Why are people so selfish?

Re Boris...I did wonder why he did not shut everything down earlier.

We've already had one little Hitler trying to run our lives.  Boris is a libertarian and that type of person hopes (s)he can carry other people with them.

[Rishile]

We will be having Christmas Dinner on our own this year.  A collective family decision made some weeks ago to try and keep everyone safe and well.

Can we all spare a thought for the millions in this world who have neither a roof over their heads nor a meal of any kind to feed themselves with or their children. We are all so lucky really if you pause for a moment to think about it so why grumble about one day of the year when all we are asked to do is stay at home and not mix with family and friends.

Stay safe and a Merry Christmas to you all 

Dorrie

I agree - most people don't know how lucky they are.  They have food, shelter, loved ones even if they are not able to be with them, most people have technology to be able to be in contact with them.  I count my blessings every day.  Although the pandemic and lockdowns have been difficult, we are still here, still healthy and still surviving. 

Merry Christmas to you too Dorrie and all RootsChatters and your families.

Rishile

[ThrelfallYorky]

Interesting responses ... mostly very much as anticipated. The whole point is: making one's mind up would seem to be a desirable thing to be able to do. Most of us seem to have seen this coming, but with it all being dropped on the people who had planned to foregather in groups, at the last moment, then their resentment is obviously going to be there.
Thanks, everyone.