Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: roycv on April 17, 2020, 09:21:38 am

Title: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: roycv on April 17, 2020, 09:21:38 am
Hi all a recent .gov survey suggests that only 9 % of those polled wanted a return to the previous 'normal'.
The cleaner air and what seems the more obvious wildlife and in many places a stronger community spirit are aspects that many would like to get into their lives.

There are new problems coming up with perhaps more extreme weather etc.  A BBC research programme in the Horizon series (Cloud Lab) suggested one of the culprits of more storms over the Atlantic was the cleaner air allowing more sunlight to get to the sea's surface!

We as a club were going to have a morning regatta on Easter Sunday and the council became aware and demanded £100 for us to sail on the model boating lake!  The mind boggles. I won't repeat our response.

Apart from that it will be nice to return to seeing our friends and colleagues again and seeing all those new models constructed during lockdown.

What do you think?  Back the same old same old? 

Will social distancing result in us being less social in the future?

From the quietness of SW Herts.
regards
Roy


Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Taranis on April 17, 2020, 09:40:49 am
Hi Roy
I don't think anyone has any illusions that things will ever be the same again. The current situation just demonstrates how easy it is to affect the whole planet  ***moderated*** Conspiracy theory deleted***
This certainly makes you realise all the things we took for granted and now miss so much.

I had to walk into Leeds recently to pay cash into the bank and it was noted by me and the wife how the traffic level was reminiscent of the 70's . If only that could stay that way!

Regarding the Council charge of £100 that is a strange sum? did they give any explanation to justify it.
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: warspite on April 17, 2020, 09:53:30 am
Knowing the usual suspects, who have even in these strange times haven't changed, i.e. the police are still recording social and anti social instances such as parties and attacking those of our heros the NHS staff, like spitting at them and slashing tyres etc.


Though the majority want to keep the good spirits we currently enjoy, it won't take long for the draw of the social media on phones to taint the mood, and therefore it won't be long after that, that people go back to how it was before.




Cynicism is my middle name  %) :P
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: roycv on April 17, 2020, 10:02:23 am
Hi Taranis, the council we have at the Park have been asked to limit the number of 'events' held there.  This has been an on-going 'situation' for several years now.  There are a lot of well heeled houses surrounding the area (we are talking multi-millions) and they do not want anybody making a noise.  So the nunber of events has been limited to about 30 per year.

 I should say that on one August BH there was a children's fair and a collector's fair and us and this counted as 3 events!  All on the one day, and we were distributed around the very large area, as we never saw the other 2 events.I think the costs charged are to cover the cost of the part time council workers who administer it all.  There's logic for you.


Also for us to visit and offer train rides on our 5 inch gauge portable track plus 2 off gazebos for a small exhibition of models the initial requirement was that we had £10M insurance and pay them £150 later changed to £75, for an 'arrangement fee'.  It was going to cost us club money to hire a small lorry to transport everything as well, we reckoned at the time this would be £100.
There were some who wanted to pay!  I put my foot down and said No.  We contacted a local councillor and after some discussion the whole thing was quashed and we attended our own local park just carrying our £5M PL insurance.  We did charge £1 for the ride which almost covered the cost of being there.  Everyone had a good time and we were busy all the time.
regards
Roy

Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: tigertiger on April 17, 2020, 10:28:59 am
*** Topic tidied up***
***Corona virus and other conspiracies will be deleted***
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Colin Bishop on April 17, 2020, 11:10:38 am
Unfortunately, even before the virus situation Councils were scratching around for any possibilities to raise money to boost their depleted budgets under austerity. Given the financial hit they are now taking (all our local car parks are free for example) I suspect that their efforts will simply be redoubled in the future.

Colin
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: derekwarner on April 17, 2020, 11:32:23 am
Our Live Steamers group occupy quite a few hectares of grassed lawns........traditionally we have a team of members manning the ride on mowers on Wednesday and Saturday mornings to keep the lawns in a habitable condition...


Our Insurance underwriters [ <*< ] have taken the politically correct stance [public Liability and all forms of Insurance stated an null and void] & so we are no longer permitted to mow the grass as a breach in the emergency Federal Laws regarding all forms of non essential matters >>:-(  ...... [naturally all future monthly Public Running days have been cancelled]


So the grass behind our lock gates grows higher day by day. Yes, I will prefer to go back to normal ASAP............ Derek
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Colin Bishop on April 17, 2020, 11:47:25 am
Derek, it is these knee jerk reactions by various 'authorities' which make things much worse than they need be. A considered aproach to assess the actual risk and maybe impose conditions (just one on the mower chaps!) would be a sensible approach but no, they all take the easy way out, especially if it is to their perceived benefit. Over here they have shut down all the public waste and recycling facilities instead of say limiting the number of people in at one time (which works fine for supermarkets). The result is now fly tipping everywhere often constituting a health hazard.

Colin
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: roycv on April 17, 2020, 11:59:53 am
Hi Derek not cutting the grass seems a bit OTT!   We have had incidents like buying sweets in a supermarket and playing in your front garden as causing official alarm!  But most have been apologised for and no longer 'an offense', a bit more sensible all round.  But on the basis that every class you attended in school had an idiot then there can be some difficult people around.
Insurance, don't get me started!  This country has more insurance per capita than any other country, don't know about Oz.  My advice apart from having to have car insurance and I do have house insurance, is to regard the insurance companies as upmarket betting shops.  A premium is a bet.

Surely a safety visit to any site you probably pay rent for is a resposible thing to do otherwise it would all be a thieves paradise.  Cutting the grass while you are there a noble gesture to the environment.
regards
Roy

Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Tug Fanatic on April 17, 2020, 12:38:53 pm
I suspect that not going back to normal is going to be increasingly a problem.

We can manage most problems in the short term but eventually it becomes a problem. Take shopping as an example. We have gone over to click & collect which has solved most of the grocery shopping but that doesn't cover everything. I need to buy some plywood & I like big sheets which are unbelievably expensive to have delivered. I can manage without it in the short term but not forever.

I like to go to Wings & Wheels and pick up all those little modelling bits but it, like pretty well everything else, is cancelled.

The other issue is of course health. I would love to go back to when I could walk down the street, sit on a bench, pop out to the shops, go on holiday etc without fear of death as a result of doing so.

Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Taranis on April 17, 2020, 06:01:00 pm
Quote from: tigertiger on April 17, 2020, 10:28:59 am
*** Topic tidied up***
***Corona virus and other conspiracies will be deleted***
My apologies thank you
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Mark T on April 17, 2020, 06:25:58 pm
It needs to - I've been at home for 4 weeks now and if carries on I'll have to retake my class 1 as I'd have forgotten how to drive a truck  {-)
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: jaymac on April 17, 2020, 06:44:34 pm
Quote from: Mark T on April 17, 2020, 06:25:58 pm
It needs to - I've been at home for 4 weeks now and if carries on I'll have to retake my class 1 as I'd have forgotten how to drive a truck  {-)


How would anyone Notice :}
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Mark T on April 17, 2020, 07:29:48 pm
Quote from: jaymac on April 17, 2020, 06:44:34 pm

How would anyone Notice :}


They don’t call me crasher smasher for nothing  {-)
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: ballastanksian on April 18, 2020, 03:28:53 pm

We all need to take stock.
A lot of what you folk are describing is the same old stuff but now set in an exceptional era. Councils have under appreciated clubs and societies for a while now, and the wealthy have always tried to influence the council for their benefit from without and within. A
uthorities need to talk to each other like we are in the street or in the supermarket queue (at a social distance) and make sure they are all calm and do serious joined up thinking.


I think that it is time to revaluate 'Normal' as some 'normal' was crap whilst other normal was, and is now becoming much better. Maybe having the 'one out - one in' routine will make shopping much less cramped, maybe more working from home will give people a few extra hours a week to enjoy their family, do stuff they don't currently get to do? This needs organising so the employers don't get 'free work' from those who do choose to work from home.


Lots to think about and lots to do.
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: KitS on April 18, 2020, 03:56:01 pm
But will big business and the authorities take any notice, or will they just carry on as before in their mega-greedy and 'I'm in charge' ways?
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: roycv on April 18, 2020, 04:08:55 pm
Hi balastankian, I was really thinking bigger than some responses.  The country needs to invest in the young people with interests and clubs so they do not have to hang about etc.  I think if I were young again I might be depressed looking into the future and what it might hold for me. 

Need to look at the plight of the less privileged and bring them into society.  If done well we should see reductions in drug taking and consequently petty crime.
It is becoming clear now that the elderly are in need of more than just being parked out of sight.  Paying for it?  If more manufacturing came back into the UK then the taxes would be easier to collect and there may well be more money to spend.

I wonder if we could get the countryside back the way it was with less isecticides and using the bug banks in the fields we might get back to a green and pleasant land and find our bees and birds again.  Given a few years of this and we would have visitors wanting to come and see a UK as a nice place to live but still modern and welcoming.
Probably just a fantasy of mine but you never know!
Roy
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: malcolmfrary on April 18, 2020, 05:12:54 pm
Quote
Hi all a recent .gov survey suggests that only 9 % of those polled wanted a return to the previous 'normal'.
A great deal depends on the demographic of those asked, and on the actual set of questions, and when they were asked.  I was on the .gov list for several cheques (you get points for surveys, points make money, eventually).  I got the impression from the questions asked that it was almost entirely London-centric, with the compilers of the questions in nice warm London offices being given subjects by business and government executives in nice warm offices in London.  Anything outside of the M25 was, maybe, out there somewhere.  Eventually, being asked about my consumption of "quality coffee" on my daily commute (important for London commuters, less so for real people) became a discouragement.  After qualifying for my last £50 cheque I departed.
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: kinmel on April 18, 2020, 06:11:09 pm
My Yougov survey this week included " in the last week have you"..   Visited a cinema, been to a concert, eaten out, shopped for clothes, been to a gym.   O0
There are always plenty of "none of the above every" week


Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: jaymac on April 18, 2020, 06:48:12 pm
Quote from: malcolmfrary on April 18, 2020, 05:12:54 pm
A  I got the impression from the questions asked that it was almost entirely London-centric, with the compilers of the questions in nice warm London offices being given subjects by business and government executives in nice warm offices in London.


No surprise there  Malcolm that's always been how it is on most news or severe weather forecasts
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Colin Bishop on April 18, 2020, 07:01:22 pm
Everybody has a different 'nornal'. Some would be very happy to go back to it, others less so. It entirely depends on your personal circumstances.

Colin
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: radiojoe on April 18, 2020, 07:20:55 pm

I'm retired, staying at home, working on my models, going shopping once a week and going out for a walk when I'm told to by a higher authority , WHATS NOT NORMAL %%
 
Joe.
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: RST on May 06, 2020, 01:31:17 am
I hope we can get back to some forms of normality -sooner the better.  Fed up of going for essentials and finding folk saying "out just wandering for something to do".  I need to get back to my apartment in Versailles as it's been months now.  It's only a few mins from my office -they are talking about a phased return.  Technically I'm stuck "abroad" here in the UK but not charging expenses either, I don't want to make a fuss, but this is getting seriously frustrating now.

Rich
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: derekwarner on May 06, 2020, 04:20:38 am
Our Australian CSL [the old Commonwealth Serum Laboratories] this morning released to the media that they are using Plasma from blood donations in trails to develop a fix against COVID-19


So that's OK, I am booked in for my 95th [& plasma] this Friday the 15th.....


CSL share price on the Australian SX is constantly $300.00 + per share........2 years ago the share value was $72.00  :o


Derek
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: raflaunches on May 06, 2020, 08:56:00 am
Most of us military types probably won’t be suffering as much as the general public, the reasons are as follows:


1- we are used to having a curfew
2- we aren’t allowed to go to our favourite pub
3- we have to line up for hours to wait for essentials
4- we get told (all the time) what we can do and where we can go
5- we have to wear a mask (ok it’s a respirator!)
6- your favourite places are out of bounds until further notice
7- toilet paper is used as money
8- we play the ‘hurry up and wait’ game whilst the senior management tell you what is going to happen!


As you can tell I’m trying to lighten the mood, it would be nice to go out to a relatively normal world again as it’s certainly very much like an operational tour of duty at the moment- done plenty of those and I suppose I’m used to it but I wouldn’t wish what I have to endure on those who don’t.
Finger crossed we are back to our normal selves in a few months. :-)
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Colin Bishop on May 06, 2020, 09:55:31 am
That's a good analogy Nick, perhaps we don't know when we are well off!

And in that vein Mrs B and I are just about to set off on our route march exercise. It's about three miles so if we can get away by 10:00 I reckon we might make it back before nightfall.  O0

Colin
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: justboatonic on May 07, 2020, 02:31:33 pm
Back to normal? Yeah, bring it on asap. Does that stop people from wanting a better world with less pollution, famine and disease? Nope, certainly not.
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Charlie on May 07, 2020, 04:43:21 pm
It's being reported that Boris may slightly relax the UK lockdown from Sunday, especially with regard to outdoor activities. I wonder if sailing activities will be permitted, obviously conducted within social distancing regulations? I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Colin Bishop on May 07, 2020, 04:55:45 pm
As long as you aren't over 70 maybe. There seems to be a faction in Government that would like to see us oldies incarcerated in our bathrooms undefinitely to 'shield' us.

Colin
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: KitS on May 07, 2020, 05:43:56 pm
Quote from: Colin Bishop on May 07, 2020, 04:55:45 pm



As long as you aren't over 70 maybe. There seems to be a faction in Government that would like to see us oldies incarcerated in our bathrooms undefinitely to 'shield' us.





My feelings exactly!  <*<


It's a conspiracy to keep the cost of pensions down I reckon...……………
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Colin Bishop on May 07, 2020, 05:55:17 pm
Sorry about the 'undefinitely' typo - I have an eye problem at the moment, one of them doesn't work very well!

Colin
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: ChrisF on May 07, 2020, 07:23:38 pm
Back to normal please. I bought a sports car when I was still working in readiness for my retirement. Haven't used it much the last few years and was going to remedy that this year! Gave it a wash today though.

Chris
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: NoNuFink on May 07, 2020, 08:46:34 pm
Quote from: Colin Bishop on May 07, 2020, 04:55:45 pm
As long as you aren't over 70 maybe. There seems to be a faction in Government that would like to see us oldies incarcerated in our bathrooms undefinitely to 'shield' us.

Colin

I suggest you actually go and read the gov.uk web site instead of believing journalists.  I looked today.  There is nothing indicating that healthy over 70's should behave differently from any other adult.

NNF
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Colin Bishop on May 07, 2020, 09:46:59 pm
You've not read this then which classes 70 and over as clinically vulnerable although Matt Hancock did contradict it the other day giving rise to more confusion.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others

Leaving aside journalists, there have been statements in the press by various prominent individuals arguing for and against maintaining or even tiightening up the restrictions on over 70s to allow the less vulnerable younger part of the population to benefit from easing of restrictions. Not quite sure of the logic of that.

Vulnerability to the virus seems to depend on a number of factors, not all of which are understood and the idea of consigning the healthy over 70s to extended lockdown can be considered as discriminatory given that younger people with underlying health conditions are probably more at risk in practical terms.

I have no wish to catch the bug and make a point of steering clear of anybody else at the moment and will continue to do so. The only exception is food shopping but by going to our local village supermarkets at around 8am there are hardly any other customers and the risk must be pretty minimal. We live in a rural location and can walk for a few miles without getting within 15 feet of the handful of people we might encounter. Usually it's more like 50 feet or more.

You won't see me on a bus or a train this side of Christmas or later.

We can manage on this basis as we are quite lucky but I don't want to see the restrictions further tightened. Anyway, we will see what Mr Johnson says on Sunday. He will of course be guided by the science which seems to be different in every country so I'm not quite sure what confidence you can place in that!

Colin

Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: LJ Crew on May 07, 2020, 10:27:24 pm
Colin, you have my sympathy with your eye problem. Many people, including Don Bradman the cricketer had only the use of one eye, and succeeded in life. Think on this though. I don't know what life would be like with binocular vision, I haven't had it for 70 years! John.
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: NoNuFink on May 07, 2020, 10:44:06 pm
Quote from: Colin Bishop on May 07, 2020, 09:46:59 pm
You've not read this then which classes 70 and over as clinically vulnerable although Matt Hancock did contradict it the other day giving rise to more confusion.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others/full-guidance-on-staying-at-home-and-away-from-others)





Yes but it only advises the clinically vulnerable to take care.  It doesn't say Don't go food shopping or exercising or anything else.  As far as I can see only those with additional medical problems and told by the NHS have to stay indoors by law.

There's nothing in this
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do

It appears that some people think that 'vulnerable' means 'more likely to become infected' as opposed to  'more likely to end up in hospital' which is what it actually means.
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: RST on May 08, 2020, 12:10:29 am
Looking back to Raflaunches, I sympathise with most of his points:  I should be better as a civilan doing this, used to it working offshore: but it's not the same.  I'd take offshore anyday compared to this -even considering the stress and hassle in what I did offshore.
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: BrianB6 on May 08, 2020, 12:50:28 am
In Oz, confusion reigns supreme.  :embarrassed:
In some states one can now have gatherings of 10 and elsewhere none at all.
Some places allow certain shops to open but they are not allowed in others.
Unfortunately it has resulted in a lot of people being out when they should be in and getting $1000 fines from overzealous police.  :police:   
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Charlie on May 10, 2020, 10:14:58 pm

So the rules in England at least have been very slightly relaxed. I’m interpreting this as meaning that you won’t be breaking the rules if you take a boat to the lake. However, would it be sensible?

Quote from: Charlie on May 07, 2020, 04:43:21 pm
It's being reported that Boris may slightly relax the UK lockdown from Sunday, especially with regard to outdoor activities. I wonder if sailing activities will be permitted, obviously conducted within social distancing regulations? I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: Subculture on May 10, 2020, 10:47:57 pm
Quote from: roycv on April 17, 2020, 09:21:38 am
We as a club were going to have a morning regatta on Easter Sunday and the council became aware and demanded £100 for us to sail on the model boating lake! 

How can they do that, it's a public facility funded by council tax isn't it?
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: RST on May 10, 2020, 10:54:16 pm
Quote from: Charlie on May 10, 2020, 10:14:58 pm
So the rules in England at least have been very slightly relaxed. I’m interpreting this as meaning that you won’t be breaking the rules if you take a boat to the lake. However, would it be sensible?
No 10 rules the UK, so I'm hoping I can go out a bit more also, perhaps with a model also.  No saying you have to be there with anyone else or drive any further than during lock-down if your'e lucky to have a pond handy.  Might even be able to nip out for some modeling bits soon, BnQ or Halfords etc might have been open but can't go there for model bits now!
Title: Re: Who wants to go back to 'normal'?
Post by: SteveH on May 12, 2020, 06:43:22 pm
No problem keeping the isolation up ( we have to because my missus is classed as vulnerable ), we are into week 8 now.  I'm ploughing through  all my half finished projects and quite enjoying it, but I'm now running out of basic materials. I need some sheet MDF to make a case for my model tug, but I'm not sure if I'm allowed to buy it anywhere. Perhaps I could say that I'm building my own coffin just in case? ok2