My long-deceased accountant freemason brother's task in life was to help fellow freemasons to pay less tax. Perhaps the Revenue could take a special look at freemasons too, who knows what set-ups they might use to get their hands on taxpayer's money?
That has crossed my mind too.
Last night we had duck, parsnips and baby corn. Not quite what was intended but was all we could get!
Curious dispartity between the shelf gaps in Tesco. Aldi and Witrose in Hexham yesterday aftrenoon. Tesco had gaps all over the place some for for strange items like cat litter. Waitrose had a fair few, no fresh veg. Aldi was pretty much stocked, even bread that was missing in the local Co-op, Spar as well as Tesco/Waitrose in Hexham.
I think the wording they are using to try and stop people buying is bad. "Only buy what you need". Joe Public - I'm probably going to have to spend up to 14 days in isolation therefore I "need" 14 days worth of food. The lack of community in many places means that the thought of asking a neighbour or friend to go and collect/get stuff whilst isolated hasn't entered their tiny little minds.
The "only buy what you need" should be to be changed to "only buy what you normally do. If you are in self-isolation beacause a household member has Covid-19 ask a local support group for assistance or friends/neighbors to get what you require and deliver it to your door step."
Up here if I know if I put a shoutout in one of the local FB groups for assistance I'd get loads of people offering to help. During the day within minutes. There is also a semi-offical FB group and the PC/County council are working up a more official scheme to offer a similar service to those not on the internet by phone and also to keep an eye on those living alone, the elderly etc.
When was the earlist available slot? Up here earlier in the week the next slots for any of the supermarkets that deliver (only Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's) where towards the end of the first week of April. Should image now they are well into the second week.
Several of the lonear by catering supply companies up here have started offering "click and collect" to the general public. Most are semi-manual systems, you apply for account, which needs to be aprroved, once approved you order online, then a sales person calls you to take card only payment over the phone and arranges a delivery date.
Hopefully that tearfull clip shown by all the media outlets yesterday will have an effect.
[Snip] Last weekend the Guildford Sainsburys had no tonic water !
I've had three close neighbours call and leave their details - in case I need to isolate. Plus a circular giving phone numbers of others in this street willing to help the elderly with shopping etc.
Now that is serious. ;-)
In message snipped-for-privacy@candehope.me.uk>, at 12:16:31 on Sat, 21 Mar 2020, charles snipped-for-privacy@candehope.me.uk> remarked:
But how many bottles of gin?
Anecdotally, own-brand mixers in Tesco/Sainsburys always have been very hit and miss when it comes to having the whole range actually on the shelves.
It seems to work pretty well in the ones I visit regularly. The mega Tescos was the exception although a large Sainsbury wasn't far behind.
Most people behave reasonably but en-masse they behave like a hoard of locusts stripping everything bare in a self reinforcing panic buy.
How do you know? Did you follow a statistically significant sample of shoppers out of the car park to see if they went to Morrisons next, then Tesco, then Asda?
Except if you can't go to restaurants you need to eat in more often. If you are working from home, you need to organise lunch. If you have children off school, they will need fed.
You have not thought this through. There is no 'normal' at the moment.
well scott to please you have now put this post into the Panic buying thread. Reading through it I notice that you are very critical, I guess you cannot cope with yourself very well/
Just for today ... not so much critical as sceptical.
In the media in general we seem to be getting a lot of assertions that are not sufficiently challenged.
In message snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, at 14:20:38 on Sat, 21 Mar 2020, Scott snipped-for-privacy@gefion.myzen.co.uk> remarked:
I've never really had a restaurant that I "needed to eat in", unless at a conference at a resort where there are no local shops.
Which raises the question, are hotels closing too, and what about heir bars and restaurants?
That will increase demand in dormitory suburbs.
Interestingly, a friend asked a couple of hours ago: does this mean bed and breakfast can no longer be offered? Does it have to be room service?
What happens at motorway services? It would be positively dangerous to advise motorists not to 'Take a break'. Do you have to buy coffee take-away and drink it in the carpark?
In message snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com, at 16:38:36 on Sat, 21 Mar 2020, Scott snipped-for-privacy@gefion.myzen.co.uk> remarked:
It might almost scale for a typical 4-bed B&B, but I can't see a Travelodge or Premier Inn doing room service. No least because I don't think the rooms have landline phones any more.
Good question. I think that fast food outlets in other locations are withdrawing the "eat in" tables. So perhaps Motorway services are doing the same. Eat in the car.
No, we did our panic buying long since. We are trend setters you see.
but your room card (in Premier Inn) gives the phone number for reception. You haven't forgotten your mobile, Have you?
I'm shopping for more than just my own household so I hit different stores in different places (and did before this started). The ones which are holding to strict rationing are basically civilised and the ones which were late in putting in limits are like something out of Mad Max.
The checkout girls were almost in tears at one place and my experience there was so bad that I will not be going back again. It was like the worst excesses of Black Friday but over loo rolls rather than big TVs.
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