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On a similar note have seen pictures of some streets where people are less than 2m apart during the clapping. Seems a bit silly to do that, although it's a nice idea to thank the NHS workers.
I’m all for the weekly clap on Thursday to show our appreciation of the NHS, indeed my whole family are stood on our doorstep clapping and banging saucepans (I really wish the local idiots would stop letting off fireworks though) to show our appreciation.
But the scenes on Westminster Bridge last night were shocking. So is social distancing a must, but not on a Thursday night so that we can show our appreciation?
While I’m sure they appreciate it, NHS staff must be cursing the idiots who are gathering on the bridge.
Last edited by jaytip; 17th April 2020 at 11:06.
On a similar note have seen pictures of some streets where people are less than 2m apart during the clapping. Seems a bit silly to do that, although it's a nice idea to thank the NHS workers.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Around here, and more noticeable last night and the week before due to the still evenings, people have taken to firing shotguns into the air by way of support. Not fireworks, I know the difference in sound, definitely guns. Not sure that’s appropriate, but hey!
I’ve also noticed there’s a bit of shaming going on if you’re not seen out enthusiastically clapping/banging/shooting...
It’s the police who started the Westminster bridge gathering and they are there in large numbers and not stopping it
or standing 2 metres apart themselves, someone should have a word.
Didnt want to be a party pooper (we Have been clapping in our back garden every week) but from the start have seen lots of news reports where people are standing out at the front of their houses and not 2 metres apart, does seem to be a bit of let’s make a video and photos so we can post how good our clapping is and thought perhaps someone
in government should just say ‘great idea keep doing it but make sure you all comply with social distancing or you are making it potentially worse for those you are applauding’
As to fireworks have seen various message from the NHS asking people not to, our dog now hates Thursdays.
Am I the only one at all uncomfortable with the North Korean-ness of all this?Originally Posted by Tooks
I'd cheerfully give a round of applause to doctors and nurses. God knows they deserve it. But "clap for the NHS"?
Most of the neighbours down my road are out in their front gardens and doorsteps on a Thursday evening.
At the end quite a few people call out 'goodnight all, take care' etc
I quite like it
I do however keep a low profile and clap from indoors next to a window as a number of the neighbours know I'm a Nurse - I would hate to become the center of attention. Especially as I don't work for the NHS - I am employed by a Borough Council.
^^^No, i am the same.
I`ll show my appreciation in my own way and in a manner i deem appropriate, not due to social pressure or any sense of guilt if i don`t participate.
It`s akin to that bloody dreadful `ice bucket challenge` - you`ve got to be seen doing it and taking part in the latest fad.
Herd mentality. I`m an individual.
Poor people and their small houses...
It’s not compulsory
And it’s not just the doctors and nurses, there are a lot more people involved in keeping hospitals running and it might have started as clap for the NHS but it’s now for a lot more people involved in essential work.
I do get what you’re saying, it should of course be entirely voluntary, but that’s not how a lot of people see it...
You can clap from your windows, reason we do it in the back garden is that we don’t have one at the front
and are very close to our neighbours.
I was a bit shocked when i saw the footage from outside a couple of hospitals last week on the news. Hundreds of Dr's, Nurses, Auxiliaries, Paramedics, all mixed together, shoulder to shoulder. Then a few m away the other side of the road, another huge gathering of police, fire and mountain rescue workers, again all huddled together in a big mass
i thought the same thing myself when i saw this (ppl gathering for mass clapping inc NHS staff mingling with them) , im also starting to get peed off that i cant go for a drive in my car away from the city (totally self isolated) yet we still have rolling plague wagons (buses) running as well as seeing a traffic warden doing his job this morning.
I'm all for the NHS and am so appreciative of everyone in the NHS (I have family who are front-line NHS workers). But, as above, I don't need to stand outside when told to show this. But, appreciate that it's a more transparent show of our support to those on the front-line (and those I know appreciate it).
I don’t get this told to do it thing, nobody has been told to do it. If you want to do it but within the social distancing rules
then fine, if you don’t want to don’t.
That is a interesting viewpoint Citizen, your papers please.
It’s impossible for most of these people working within their departments to social distance hence they aren’t doing it although police would mainly just be pairs and think they should set an example when in public.
I agree it must be impossible to social distance in a ward/dept, but all gathering together, multiple depts, including paramedics, just for the cameras seems a bit careless.
My guess is it’s probably A+E departments you see hence includes the paramedics.
There is a chap about to turn 100 shuffling along on his zimmer frame every day showing his genuine support and appreciation.
By comparison, standing on your doorstep making a noise for a couple of minutes is nothing to be proud of.
I'm all for it.
(Absolutely agreed re: respecting distance though).
My son (Billy)'s fella (Lyndon) is an NHS nurse.
Lyndon had Covid-19 was sent home from a shift at the hospital when he "felt a bit sweaty and had a bit of a cough".
He was tested positive and so when Billy was rough too it's a logical assumption that he also had it.
Luckily they're both young, fit and healthy and only had mild cases and they're absolutely fine now.
(Both of them described it as "just felt a bit s--t for a few days").
Lyndon has returned to work at the hospital and Billy is working at Asda while his Uni' remains closed.
Anyone that knows me will know that I'm a bit 'Essex', I work in Construction & Waste Management and it's fair to say that I'm a 'Man's Man'.
In short I'm "no pussy" but some days I struggle with all this and the sacrifices that people are making, and the risks that they're taking, to keep us all safe and healthy.
I live on quite a nice housing estate in Essex.
Very 'middle class' and one where people generally keep themselves to themselves, take the odd parcel in for a neighbour and nod a good morning if you happen to make eye contact, but hardly Albert Square and the front doors are very much more than two metres apart.
The first week of this clapping there was my wife and I out the front clapping, and one elderly neighbour.
I'll freely admit that this irked me somewhat so the second week I was out there shouting "COME ONNNNNNNN!!!!" and banging a saucepan with a rolling pin.
The third week they all came out, and now when they do, the kids bang their saucepans and their drums and afterwards the adults generally wave and shout 'stay safe', 'take care' and what have you.
To me it wasn't (and isn't) about "shaming anyone" but it was just about trying to get some kind of 'community spirit' going and it's a teeny eeny weeny thing but I honestly think that my 'square' is better for it, and I know that the couple of neighbours whose phone numbers I have agree too.
Anyway, it's not just about the NHS (and other front line key workers) is my point, and I apologise for the somewhat off-at-a-tangent 'waffle'.
(although I do feel better for it, thank you!!)
That's how we spend our whole working lives. Up close and personal. 2m rule goes out the window the minute you enter a care environment.
So why can't we stand shoulder to shoulder to clap and support each other?
We put ourselves at risk all day every day. Give the bashing a rest. You may need us before this is over.
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I wonder how many of those outside clapping have been voting for the degradation of the NHS for the last ten years?
If I'd been doing that I'd be keeping a low profile rather than standing on my doorstep demonstrating my virtue for all to see.
Some people have no shame.
Well, I don’t think his heroics should be used to belittle others who are just trying to show appreciation for something.
Was anybody else a bit uncomfortable about the guard of honour formed for him, I don’t mean the idea which is great, but exposing him to whatever they might have been carrying seemed a bit thoughtless?
Pretty much all of the above, instead of people putting themselves at risk I'd be much happier if those on the front lines were getting the recognition they deserve in the form of equipment and wages, clapping for the NHS seems like a cynical cop-out by,,,,,,,,
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
People make mistakes mate, hopefully we'll all come out of this more socially aware and less materialistic.
I don't think there's any need to 'shame' the masses for their historical political views, just so long as they learn from this.
Agreed.
I'm honestly surprised and somewhat saddened that people can see anything negative in the General Public doing this, I understand why they might have objections to politicians and what have you but (the matter of social distancing apart) I don't see a down-side.
Oh dear here we go again, another thread to leave alone.
Well said and totally get where you are coming from, hopefully we all come through this and be better for it which means appreciating what we have.
I'm all for showing our appreciation for the NHS as an entity and or individual doctors, nurses, porters etc. and I know that some have tried to extend this appreciation to other 'essential' workers.
However, from a purely personal point of view, I can't help feeling that many people are being taken for granted. Such is the service provided by the 'invisible' workforce that the lockdown, social distancing etc. really aren't that much of a hardship to me; after all, we have had uninterrupted utilities (electricity, gas, water), along with TV, radio, telephone and broadband, food supply chains maintained, refuse collections and so on...without everyone doing their bit behind and up front of all these services our lives would look and feel very different, and for that they all get my gratitude.
Last edited by Stanford; 18th April 2020 at 17:08.
I was a bit ‘meh’ about it to start with, especially when it was seemingly endorsed by politicians. However my family clap on Thursdays for all
Key workers and it has helped our daughter feel a sense of community rather than feel its just us.
Each to their own though.
Virtue-signalling writ large.
Wasn't bashing, just stating it shocked me a bit. From my isolated, working from home for 5 weeks, venturing out a couple of times a week to the 2m rule supermarket perspective, i was a bit shocked to see it. To be honest it was more the mixed huddle of police, firefighters and mountain rescue than the NHS staff.
Carry on the good work, it is very much appreciated. I'm 80% sure i've already had it, so hopefully won't require your services any time soon, but am grateful you're there, stay safe.
Last edited by Brighty; 17th April 2020 at 12:51.
My wife is a key worker. She is rather embarrassed and bemused by it all. She notes that it is rather un-British from one POV, rather like the outpourings of public emotion when Diana died, more an American or European thing perhaps. Its great to show some support for the NHS, and it's something for kids to look forward to in otherwise mind numbingly tedious times but as already noted, it is dangerous when people ignore the distancing rules to do it and to shame people for not doing it is pretty daft.
I shouldn't be shocked that some on here find it a negative thing and are using it to score their bitter political points, way to go guys.
My wife, a recently retired nurse knows of ex colleagues who find it extremely heartening. One of them who I know also, David, said he was crying as he walked home from a 14+ hour shift and he could hear clapping and cheering all around.
We also clap for the binmen and the girls in our local Spar, who are also very much on the frontline and in their own way are making our day to day lives much easier.
It is also nice to see the neighbours and have a five minute natter afterwards (whilst observing social distancing of course).
I always believed nurses should be valued and paid far far more than they are before this, and now it seems most other people who hadn't really had to think about it before now also do. I hope this turns into practical measures, pay rises for a start when this is over, and especially so if it is never truly over.
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Round our way we have people banging drums and pots, cheering, fireworks (including a few gunshots lol) even some lunatic blowing a bugle (me actually). It's all good fun and the old 'Dunkirk Spirit', what we Brits do best. Whilst showing we care for those doing our best for us.
Virtue Signalling? Really Holsterman? You are a piece of work and no mistake.
Amen.
Surprised and saddened that anyone could put a negative/political spin on this, genuinely disappointed....
Right on.Round our way we have people banging drums and pots, cheering, fireworks (including a few gunshots lol) even some lunatic blowing a bugle (me actually
Virtue Signalling? Really Holsterman? You are a piece of work and no mistake.
If I agreed with this any more 'my head would fall off'.
(Or something like that?!)
My wife comes in to me at 7.55pm every Thursday and brings me my saucepan and wooden spoon and out we go to the front.
There are eight detached houses where I live and everybody is out even my 90 year old neighbour.
Great community spirit, we all smile at each other and I actually enjoy it when I go out there.
Last edited by Neil.C; 17th April 2020 at 13:41.
Cheers,
Neil.
You do yours an hour after everyone else? Interesting!
Good on you mate!!
LOL!!!!
Almost everyone is out in our village applauding, I see nothing political about it at all and I think it's a wholly decent way of showing support for all those who are doing such a good job for for all of us.
R
Ignorance breeds Fear. Fear breeds Hatred. Hatred breeds Ignorance. Break the chain.
Just edited the time.
I probably would turn up an hour late if the Mrs didn't push me out of the door!
I was watching a particularly enthralling film too.
Cheers,
Neil.
Hear Hear!!
Agree, there’s far too much politically-motivated spiteful negativity getting posted by a small number of sad individuals. One of the chief protagonists has finally admitted that it’s a cathartic act to make himself feel better, unfortunately it doesn't help the rest of us. Coming on here and venting their angst is probably the only outlet they have, I imagine their families tell them to shut up.
I could say a lot more, I could share my own concerns, I could be wise in hindsight, I could even play the pseudo- expert like tweedle dum and tweedle dee are doing on the Bear Put thread, but it’s pointless and inappropriate. I’ll stick to reading news from reliable sources, drawing my own conclusions, taking long walks and fixing watches.
The situation us a shitstorm, moaning on a watch forum might help the moaner but it does no good for those of us who read the crap. I think some folks are suffering from being cooped up and are losing their bottle. We all have concerns, many of us are in the vulnerable age groups and many have adverse medical history, I’m in that category, but I’m not bloody panicking or posting crap......suggest a few more take the same approach.
I work for the NHS and like the Thursday night clap as it allows me to wheel my glass recycling bin out without being judged
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Lolz
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Lolz again and all the best to you. Can't count the times my wife would come home from the ward drained and only a strong brandy would revive her.
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