Vocal Voices

We are descending into the same lockdown that we had in April last year. For the first time since the start of last summer non essential shops will be shut. Schools are going back to distance learning.

It seems the ICU units are being overwhelmed. Glad I got out of hospital over 2 weeks ago. At least that is one bed they don't need to worry about.

Meanwhile the local vaccination centre is now taking 50 - 74 year olds. Mrs S will call up and see what is available but I looked online and there are no slots for the next week. Once more unto the breach. Fortunately my spare time is in the morning these days so I can help Mrs S with the shopping. We still have the 7pm curfew and Mrs S has damaged her ribs with a bit of cack handed use of a rake.

At least our travel is limited to 10km which means we can go to the local woods to walk the dogs. Something we couldn't do last year as the limit was 1km.

Do you again have to carry "paperwork" for the Gendarmerie to inspect when you leave the house, Suff, as you had to do last year?

I think I read somewhere that the Parisians were complaining that it had become a necessity again? I wasn't sure if it just referred to the capital.

Hope you both get your jabs soon. Do you get any priority because of your ULH?

Ossie, they scrapped the forms and changed it to proof of address so you can prove you are within 10km. A form is only needed for work outside 10km or out of curfew hours. One would also have been needed for Mrs S to visit me in hospital. But I'm out now.

for the vaccine, I probably would get priority but I won't take it. We are in the 50-74 group now so Mrs S and I both fit in, we'll take our turn and I won't push anyone out of the queue. I rarely go to the shops, work from home, don't mix with others, so am at very low risk. Mrs S has also reduced shopping by meal planning and moving to a weekly shop.

The main PITA is that any DIY I was intending to do will now be constrained to the materials I have on hand as the DIY shops will now close. I can see some digging in the garden happening. Good therapeutic exercise if I didn't dislike it so much.

I see that Macron aka Jupiter is blaming "the British variant" for all his troubles.
Go on, blame us.
I hope you get your jabs sorted soon Suff.
Apparently Germany and France are trying to buy the Sputnik vaccine from Russia. All of a sudden Putin isn't such a bad guy after all.

"Ah well, never mind" said the Gammon. "You's France and you's in the EU and we're out coz we "Got Brexit Done" and we are brill and you're crap...." "Suck it up Froggies and Krauts, we got the vaccines and you ain't" he mumbled as he took another swig of his full strength Dambuster bitter.

Not me Frank. If I was like that I'd be blaming the Kent variant on the boat people from northern France.
It's in everyone's interest for the EU to get their vaccination programs going; it just cheeses me off with Macron having a go at us all the time.
Plus I've never understood why the Russians are always the bad guys.
Look at them, look at China. Which is worse?
No matter what China does we'll look the other way because they are now the workshop of the world.
So the Russians are always the bad guys until they can be useful, like now.

My skit is truthful of how the Gammons and Brexiteers would be slapping their backs with it if Wetherspoons' pubs were open right now. Try not to pretend that they are concerned.... They have been preaching for months how world beating we are and how third rate and pathetic the EU and it's members are - vaccines innit?.

It's not how we Remainers view things, but we lost 52 - 48, The Gammons should now take ownership as they won - no sympathy for outsiders, wasn't it?

As things stand Russia and China need to be brought onside whether they or some in the West like it or not. Without a coming together we are lost.

Back on topic, Suff, would you expect to see increasing unrest now - the return of the Gilets Jaunes over Easter, perhaps?
What's the feeling like in your more rural area - que sera, sera?

Ossie, the Gilets Jeaunes are all on board about the virus, they won't cause trouble that way outside of the cities. We are all in this together.

However, come the day that the vaccinations are finished and the lock downs are done?

God help Macron because few others will. Fuel costs are higher than when the GJ started and the feeling has not gone.

The only thing keeping civil unrest down is the reality that this kind of unrest will spread the virus.

WM, I take no pleasure in what France is going through.

That being said, it is patently obvious that the risk taking approach of the UK, plus the attitude that lives are worth more than a few £ in the overspend, have been extremely effective.

For the government of the UK it was also fortuitous that the UK was mid process in bringing vaccine manufacturing back to the UK and only had to give it a boost to get a disproportionate result.

The commission, on the other hand, took a risk averse and cost averse approach to vaccines as did the EMA. It might have sounded good at the time, but, in action, it was too slow and too limited to avoid a third wave.

I'm not going to crow about that like the UK press, especially as some of this will have been driven by a political wish to be distinct from the UK.

It was a bad time to rally round an incompetent body just because the relationship with the UK was sore and estranged.

There will be a price to pay at the polls and EU unity will suffer as a result. That is not a good thing with a rampant China, a resurgent Russia and a US which has just changed to a more dovish stance in the world.

The outcome of this will be decided, initially, in the EU parliament, then in the member state elections and, finally, at the EU parliamentary elections.

Right now it may look fairly coherent, but 1 year from now it is going to be a very different story and that situation will be driven by this third wave and the absolute lack of need for it to have happened in the first place.

People are dying because of this and that is far more important than politicking, crowing or scrimping on money.

It will not be forgotten. The fact that the UK press is going to rub noses in it for some time to come is not going to help one little bit.

Then again some of the eletist statements which have come out of press on this side of the water have hardened those attitudes of the UK crowing press and they have to own that.

But, still, in the final analysis, this new lockdown is to save lives until enough vaccine can be delivered to release it.

Saving lives, that is the goal. All the wrangling and name calling can wait and the GJ have not forgotten.