Abog standard video.

Usually a quiet area but standing outside today is "eerie" quiet. How is your area?

DO NOT OPEN IT!
https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2020/03/23/whatsapp-martinelli-hoax-is-back-warning-about-dance-of-the-pope/

I received this from my theatre ticket supplier the other day and think it's about time I passed the message on to you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It goes without saying how hard everyone employed by the NHS is working - and in the most challenging situations. Today we became aware that some hospitals are now asking for donations as they struggle to deal with all the demands they face.
It feels bleak but we want to do what we can so we are launching a new project today, "The BIG NHS Thank You", and would like your help in sharing these details with your friends and colleagues so we can be as impactful as possible.

★ ★ ★ - "The BIG NHS Thank You" - Treat a NHS Worker to a pair of West End Theatre Tickets

So how will it work?

Firstly, you purchase one or more "BIG NHS Thank You" vouchesr. Each voucher costs £100.00 which can be paid to GREAT TICKETS LTD by a Bank Transfer or by Credit Card or Debit Card.

The BIG NHS Thank You invites you to nominate an NHS worker who will then receive two tickets to a top West End Show later in the year as a surprise thank-you. You can either nominate someone you know or has treated you or you can simply nominate an anonymous worker and we will work with our colleagues in the NHS to distribute your generous gift.

Once you have purchased your voucher you have the two options below to choose from;

1. You can nominate a specific worker and provide us with their contact details if you have (Full name and e-mail address and Mobile if you have) . We will then contact them as soon as theatres are open again with the surprise of two top price tickets to a London show which will have a normal face value much higher that the cost of the voucher. Once they have been to the show, we will e-mail them to make sure they had a good time and if we have your permission, let them know who donated the tickets. If you only know where they work we will be able to track them down if you give us the hospital and their name.

2. If you do not have a specific person you would like to nominate then your voucher will go into a pool of tickets that will then be distributed across Hospital staff. Or you can if you prefer just nominate the particular hospital you would like to benefit from your voucher and we will work with our colleagues at the NHS in that hospital to make that happen.

But there’s more - for each £100.00 voucher bought, GREAT TICKETS will donate £10.00 from each voucher to the London hospitals who are asking for donations right now.

For more info on that please see https://www.cwplus.org.uk/news/2020/03/18/covid-19-rapid-response-fund

Don’t forget, if you don’t know someone to nominate but would still like to buy tickets to treat our wonderful NHS staff, we will ensure tickets get to the deserving NHS staff as outlined above.

(*** To start the ball rolling, Graham stated at this point what he has personally bought on behalf of him and his family. I have deleted those details as I don't think it relevant for you all to see. ***)

We have over 5500 companies and individuals on our database so really hope between us all, we can give lots of NHS workers this special treat.

Regards

Graham Roberts

GREAT TICKETS LTD
07919 550054
grahamroberts@fastmail.co.uk

Continue sharing your thoughts and support for each other now we’re in lockdown...

I need to move to using Zoom or Skype to work remotely from home I have been told.

I've never used either so would value advice on how to go about setting it up and using it.

I have a temperamental laptop but which appears to have a camera function which I've also never used.

Any advice or links would be greatly appreciated.

Something to smile at.

As we are Going into self isolation I thought over the weeks we should put up some games to keep people occupied:
First game songs that are appropriate for the prospect of self isolating for 12 weeks..
Eg I want to break free-queen

You can slightly alter a song title to make it humorous if you like.

Click to enlarge

I wish firms would stop sending me all this stuff now, i am upstairs and have to go down for it - then go out to put it in the recycle bin. Come in, disinfect door handle [ got a bottle of vinegar [all i could get]down there] go up and wash hands - again.

... Not sure by how much but think 4 months should do it!

Cancel the Olympics you fools!

I just noticed I am paying an extortionate amount for my BT telephone line and I have broadband separately with Sky, combined they are costing me a fortune.
Telephone - £35.33 a month
Broadband - £19.50 a month
Is there a more efficient and cheaper way to do this?
I was thinking of just getting rid of it altogether as I have a mobile phone but it is likely to get more complicated with regards to downloading files and watching my CCTV on my PC.

It's easy to do from home to the High Street. I'm walking down instead of jumping on a bus. Even quite easy once I'm in the High Street. Just have to walk at a pace so you don't catch up with the person in front.
But when you get into the supermarket, social distancing is virtually impossible. At the checkout queue if you leave a 2 metre gap someone will think you are not queueing, so you move forward. And usually the person behind if they have a basket if right behind you.

Time to move to here everyone... let’s keep sharing about our lives and observations etc now coronavirus is here and is only going to get worse over the next few weeks sadly.
Continue supporting each other as the days go till we come out the other end.

Whilst there is discussion about dementia on another thread, I thought I would just create a post here so that people can leave messages about the various forms of dementia they come across.
Here's a poem I wrote after my Mother-In-Law died of Alzheimer's some time ago:
You’ve gone

You’ve gone,
You’ve gone and you’ve left me alone,
Very much alone,
I’m not the same person I was,
And I’m no longer in my home,
Since you’ve gone, they’ve taken me away.

They’ve taken me somewhere else,
They’ve taken me to a home,
And, I’m home alone,
Very much alone,
There are lots of others who are alone as well,
We’re all here together,
A bunch of lonely people.

Since you’ve been gone,
They try to feed me,
They give me what food they can,
But I don’t get enough obviously,
And they talk to me,
I don’t know what they are saying,
They are all foreigners.

They stand here in front of me,
And they say things,
And I don’t know what,
I feel so sad,
So sad that I can’t understand them,
That I can’t please them,
That I can’t do anything that I used to be able to do.

Times have changed,
Times have really changed,
Sometimes these people who talk to me,
Think I must be deaf,
Just because I don’t understand what they are saying,
They shout it.

Inside I’m shouting back at them,
“I don’t understand, I’m not deaf,
Don’t shout, I don’t understand”,
But I can’t tell them,
I can’t tell them that,
Because they wouldn’t understand me either.

And I would have to shout back at them,
And sometimes I probably do,
All of us here,
Probably do,
We all have our own way,
of getting through each day,
Each day that’s lonelier and lonelier.

And I really don’t mind,
I really don’t mind,
I don’t mind that I don’t understand,
That I don’t eat,
That I am fading,
I don’t mind ‘cos I don’t know.

I don’t know these things are happening to me,
Not since you went,
Since you went and left me,
Without a mind,
Without a memory,
Dementia is cruel.

I have unlearned everything I learnt,
Faster than I learnt it when I was learning.
I have nothing left to learn,
I have nothing left to forget,
My brain will keep me going for as long as it can,
A primal function to survive.

Eventually that small part of my brain,
Which forces the heart to beat,
Will be starved of the nutrients it needs,
To keep my body alive,
Until that day I will not live,
I will merely survive.

I don’t normally put petitions up asking people to sign but as this is important as they are telling everyone to self isolate not go out work not spread the virus but they are not offering to give self employed any real help like they have offered a fair package to everyone else in the country but the 5 & 1/2 million tax paying Self-employed are offered nothing to be able to continue to Pay bills and feed themselves so many self employed are having to continue going out to work and not isolating Because they can’t.
please can people sign this petition to help enable self-employed to also isolate and protect themselves and other people from this awful virus.

https://www.change.org/p/self-employed-to-access-full-pay-through-hmrc-through-this-crisis-self-employed-to-access-full-pay-through-hmrc-earnings-through-this-crisis?recruiter=1059227085&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=fd190635d499427698e2aef2432069d7&recruited_by_id=95ea54d0-6c2a-11ea-bcca-630fde590fb4&utm_content=fht-20997132-en-gb%3Av12

All onto here... to continue sharing supporting and keeping up to date with the daily changes.

This post is to celebrate Mother’s Day as I know people are upset they can’t go and see their Elderly mums as it’s important to stay away and keep them safe.
I thought perhaps people might like to share messages for their mums or just share stories about their mums and what they mean to you.... any special things they have done for you ... Whether your mum is here in this world going through this frightening unsettling time Or if your mum is no longer here but treasured And loved in your heart and in your memories. Please share Your thoughts today🌹

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8009669/amp/Did-coronavirus-originate-Chinese-government-laboratory.html

https://news.sky.com/story/amp/coronavirus-three-arrested-after-police-find-stolen-toilet-paper-in-van-11961352

If this was April 1st you would think it was the newspapers April Fool story.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8132933/Its-Safespace-Snowflake-Meet-Marvels-two-new-superheroes-woke-generation.html

Burglary Reduction
Your local officers were involved in a joint forces operation, in Thames Valley, Hertfordshire, Surrey and the Met, over 3 days that led to the arrests of 63 people, who were using the road network, for a variety of offences.
This intervention will have stopped a number of crimes from occurring and will disrupt gangs who are targeting properties in our area.
I am pleased to say that this has helped us to see a reduction in the amount of burglaries in Chiltern & South Bucks and High Wycombe.

Message Sent By
Darren Walsh (Police, Sgt, Amersham)

Maybe a myth but has logic. They believe virus could be spreading via petrol pumps. Suggest we wear gloves or use paper towel and dispose immediately. It’s plausible so passing message on.

Let’s keep sharing our thoughts..concerns and what’s happening in your area re food supplies & just be there as support for each other during this awful time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojrtwXqqc6g

At least it should be sunny near me! Hope your forecast is the same.

Received from Neighbourhood Alert this afternoon.

Good afternoon,

We are sharing this information on behalf of our partners at the National Cyber Security Centre .

Cyber criminals are exploiting people’s interest in COVID-19 to spread Ransomware by locking people out of their accounts or stealing information unless a ransom is paid.

Ransomware is a type of malware that prevents you from accessing your computer (or the data that is stored on it). The computer itself may become locked, or the data on it might be stolen, deleted or encrypted.

Kindly read and follow the current advice from the National Cyber Security Centre to avoid becoming a victim of Ransomware.

https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/blog-post/updating-malware-ransomware-guidance


Attachments
Covid19Ransomware.JPG - 321.2 KB

Message Sent By
Graeme Barbour (Police, Digital Communications Officer, Hampshire)


I didn't click on the link to the jpg.

I have just ordered on line Lego https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=LEGO+BUGATTIKeep me busy for a few days or weeks.
Other ideals are welcome

Italy vs Spain vs England

I've been ill for roughly 12 days, getting better but still unhappy about cough which is getting worse at night. Symptoms don't seem to fit any particular bracket and I haven't really been worried until last 2 nights when I've had to sit up in bed to get any sleep.

Symptoms of Coronavirus seem to change depending on which website you read.

Just done a questionnaire on Drs site and it said contact 111 immediately. Did similar on NHS website and it said rest and contact 111 if I get worse.

Suppose I've just got to see if I improve or get worse.

Message from a Brit in Italy 🇮🇹

......Dear People of the UK

You will of course be aware that Italy has taken extreme measures in the hope of slowing the spread of the Corona Virus. These are measures the UK may be forced to implement, later down the line.

As a Brit living in Italy, here are some things you need to know:

Our supermarkets HAVE STAYED OPEN. They are on slightly reduced hours and you have to queue to get in (yes, it’s a ball-ache) but they are OPEN, EVERY DAY. Deliveries continue to arrive so for fucks sake, shop like NORMAL HUMAN BEINGS!!!

Enforced social isolation does not mean you cannot leave your house. It means you can still leave your house for ESSENTIAL activity, like shopping. So put down the fucking pasta and toilet rolls and breathe. Now you don’t have to share a bed with your four kids because you’ve had to turn their rooms in to store cupboards for the all the pointless and selfish hoarding you are doing.

Pharmacies are still open so you DO NOT NEED 236 bottles of Calpol, 429 packets of paracetamol and 987 Tubigrips. Colds, flu, headaches, muscle pain, period pain, teething babies, they are still out there, Corona Virus or not. So, again, step away from the goods, buy what you NEED, put back what you don’t.

We still have access to all basic medical needs. Again, we have to queue and observe the recommended 1M distance from others but within our community, this has been well-organised and adhered to. Suck it up. For info, the Italians do not queue or respect personal space in the way that we Brits do. If they can do it, then you fucking can too! It’s practically a national pastime!

Bakeries and butchers - still open. See points above.

Pet shops - still open. Calm it, Fido. Your nightly Dentastix is safe.

DIY shops - still open for ESSENTIAL maintenance items. I only know this because I tried to buy a cactus when I went for a new shower head, only to find non-essential aisles closed to the public. Fair enough, right?

Do me a favour. Share this around. The measures are extreme but they are not SO extreme that you need to be utter fuckers to each other.

Shop responsibly. Then go home, pour yourself a gin and celebrate the fact that your food shop is not going to take you 6 hours to put away.

And let’s be honest, on the off chance that you do contract the virus, the last fucking thing you are going to want is a big bowl of pasta, 2ltrs of Fanta and a bumper pack of fucking Morrison’s sausage rolls!!!😮😮😂😂

Thought this was lovely when a car eventually stopped for the deer.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx1OrAWrRSs

Perhaps we could have a post of happy things running that people could add videos or funny jokes...pictures or amusing stories too🙃
Cv free just to keep us from drowning in all this doom and gloom.

Good Afternoon,

All the Country Parks will remain open as normal – the sites are large open spaces where visitors will be able to maintain social distancing.

In light of the current situation, parking charges have been temporarily suspended at all our sites until further notice. Season ticket holders will be automatically compensated with additional time added to their passes when they are renewed. For updated information please visit our website and view the onsite car park signage.

For opening times and the most up to date information, please visit our website - https://countryparks.buckscc.gov.uk/

Kind regards,
The Country Parks Team

Dear Neighbourhood Watch supporters,

Neighbourhood Watch supporters across England and Wales have been responding rapidly to the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis making a positive impact within their local communities. This is a challenging time for all of us. We must highlight health, safety and wellbeing must be our top priorities and at the heart of every decision we make. Please see our full statement from Neighbourhood Watch Network on COVID-19 here:
https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/sites/default/files/documents/2020-03/NW%20COVID-19%20Message%2018.03.20.pdf.

We have built a dedicated area on our new website:
https://www.ourwatch.org.uk/news/NW_national-news/covid-19. Over the coming days, weeks and months we will be adding to this as the situation develops, sharing updated guidance, resources, partner links and encouraging communication between supporters through our social media channels, especially to share some of the positive ways communities are coming together to support one another through this.

We wish you all health and safety.

Kind regards,
Central Support Team, Neighbourhood Watch Network

Follow us..
Website: www.ourwatch.org.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourwatch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/N_watch
Instagram: neighbourhood.watch.insta
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/neighbourhood-watch/
Message Sent By
Deborah Waller (NWN, Multi Scheme Administrator, England and Wales)

Locked down could happen Pubs closing No football, £/$1.16 £/€ 1.08, food station running out of supply quicker than they can re stock
Fuel station open still, but no where to go

https://www.prima.co.uk/diet-and-health/a31701586/coronavirus-supermarkets-home-delivery/

https://chatterpack.net/blogs/blog/list-of-online-resources-for-anyone-who-is-isolated-at-home?

This resource might come in handy.

Onto the next chapter... keep posting your thoughts as the situation changes daily.

So for my friends in the UK that are hearing about what is happening over here in Spain. This is the reality...

Yes we are in total quarantine... What does that mean?

*Well everything is closed apart from pharmacies, supermarkets, petrol stations.

*All bars and restaurants and shops are closed.

*We are not allowed to leave the house unless it's to buy food or an emergency.

*We are not allowed more than 1 person in a car.

*We are only allowed to walk our pets within 50 metres of our house and a quick walk on your own.

*We are not allowed to just take a walk or a bike ride to get fresh air

*All childrens outdoor parks are closed. Beaches are closed.

*In supermarkets you cannot enter unless you are wearing gloves. They are provided at the door

*The majority of us have suddenly found ourselves with no work

*In supermarkets and queues we have to stay in single file with a 2 meter distance between each person.

*Many hospital appointments have been cancelled

*There are hefty fines if you do not abide by the rules.

This is saving lives! (They say)

I wrote to you last week to tell you about some of the steps we are taking to support increased demand for food and other essential items.

After I wrote to you last week, many of you replied. You wrote to share your concerns about our elderly and vulnerable customers and to ask if we can do more to restrict the number of items each person can buy. I have listened to feedback from you and from Sainsbury's colleagues across the country and wanted to share some of the extra steps we are taking to make sure everyone has access to the items that they need:

A number of you suggested that we reserve an hour in stores for elderly and vulnerable customers. In response to this request, we will set aside the first hour in every supermarket this Thursday 19th March, for elderly and vulnerable customers. I hope that you can respect this decision and will work with us as we try our best to help those that need it the most. If you or an elderly family member, friend or neighbour would like to shop during this hour, please check online for your local supermarket opening hours.

We will also help elderly and vulnerable customers access food online. From Monday 23rd March, our online customers who are over 70 years of age or have a disability will have priority access to online delivery slots. We will contact these customers in the coming days with more details.

For any online customer who can travel to our stores, from Monday 23rd March, we will operate an expanded 'click and collect' service. We are significantly increasing the number of collection sites across the country over the coming days in preparation for this. Customers can place their order online as usual and pick it up from a collection point in the store car park. We believe this will also work for people who are self-isolating.

As we work to feed the nation, we are also focusing all of our efforts on getting as much food and other essential items from our suppliers, into our warehouses
continued ............

We know this is a really difficult time for everyone across the UK right now. As a health care provider, your health and safety is always at the heart of what we do, so we wanted to let you know what we are doing to protect our customers and teams at Boots Opticians.

What are we doing?

Working closely with the NHS and our industry professional bodies to ensure we are following the latest best practice and guidance with regards to cleaning and keeping customers and colleagues as safe as possible - which we're assessing on a daily basis
Ensuring our stores are clean and hygienic through enhanced daily cleaning across all surfaces
Our customers and teams have access to hand washing facilities, plenty of sanitiser and cleaning wipes to ensure that our hands and equipment are cleaned for every customer

For as long as we can, we will remain open to look after your eye care needs but understand some of you may have questions which we want to support you with:

I am worried about coming out to the shops, can I rearrange or cancel my appointment?

Of course. You can reschedule or cancel your appointment free of charge. If you would like to re-book an appointment, we have made future appointments available at boots.com/eyetest.

I am not feeling well, should I attend my appointment?

If you or your family have symptoms of coronavirus illness (COVID-19) you should not attend your appointment. Please check the Gov.uk website for the latest COVID-19 advice.

If you are experiencing eye symptoms that suggest that you need to be seen urgently e.g. flashing lights, floating spots in your vision, pain, loss of vision, and you have COVID-19 symptoms, please contact NHS 111. Alternatively, you can call our stores for advice.

I have already booked an eye test appointment - do I need to do anything?

No, please attend your appointment as normal unless you have symptoms of COVID-19 (in Wales, this also includes ‘at risk groups’ – your local store team will be in touch prior to your appointment). We are continuing to welcome customers and look forward to seeing you.

I am not due an eye test appointment yet but would like to book for the future, is that possible?

Yes you can book appointments for future dates at boots.com/eyetest. We'd love to see you when you are ready.

I use contact lenses, should I still be wearing them?

Yes absolutely, but remember to wash your hands before putting them in and removing them and also regularly throughout the day to reduce the spread of infection.

Thank you for being a Boots Opticians customer, your continued loyalty means a lot to us.
James Arrow
Managing Director, Boots Opticians

My son received this......….

It is fair to say that we find ourselves in uncharted waters. COVID-19 is bringing a change to the UK and it’s clear that lots of things are going to have to shift around in order to help us cope.

At Tesco, we have been doing everything we can to keep business as usual, but we now have to accept it is not business as usual. In the last two weeks, we have seen significant and prolonged increases in demand across all of our stores and this is leading to shortages in some products for some customers.

Reacting to the latest government announcements, we have to plan on this situation being the new normal and we will do all that we can to make the food you want available, but we need your help.

In order to protect the core shopping essentials, we are going to implement some changes in our stores. The changes are designed to simplify what we do so that we can provide more of what people need in a clean and safe environment. We ask for your understanding and your support.

From Thursday 19 March we will start to implement the following changes:


To ensure more people have access to everyday essentials, we are introducing a storewide restriction of only 3 items per customer on every product line, and removing multi-buy promotions.
In order to allow Tesco colleagues to focus on stocking shelves, helping to provide the essential groceries you are looking for and to avoid waste, we will close all meat, fish, deli counters and salad bars.
To be able to ensure our stores are clean, that we can replenish stock, and allow our colleagues to rest, we will change our trading hours with all stores closing at 10pm.
To ensure we are doing everything possible to reduce the risk of infection for both our customers and colleagues, we will be introducing some distancing measures at the checkout and, to make it swifter, invite customers who can, to pay by card.
To help free up slots for the more vulnerable, such as our elderly customers and those who are self-isolating, we are encouraging customers who shop online or choose Click+Collect for their grocery home shopping, to prioritise shopping in-store where possible.
To ensure our more vulnerable and elderly customers can shop in-store, we will prioritise one hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning between 9-10am (except in our Express stores) and ask that you respect this.

Tesco store colleagues can't work from home and a good number of them will need to respond to personal or family challenges connected with dealing with COVID-19. So we would please ask that you understand the challenging environment in which we are all working. If you do go in-store and want to say thank you, then I'm sure they'd appreciate it.

So, if you could help us by limiting demand of essential items and allowing us to focus on the core needs of our customers – we are confident that we can continue to feed the nation. We are delivering food daily to our stores, but this is a very challenging time and we will only get through this if we work together.


Thank you for your support.

Dave Lewis

Tesco CEO

Tomorrow pensioners get to do their shopping for the first hour of opening......7AM!!!! Best I don't bother going to bed! What about those with no transport?

For the first time visiting hospital I put my pullover sleeve over my hand touching buttons. (people did give me a queer look)
Today I had a food delivery which was unloaded in the garage. However when it came to signing I asked if I could use another object. He said only the pencil or my hand.
What can I use or buy to sign which only belongs to me?

Please keep this threat to "advise or helpful hints" so we can refer to it if needed.

https://www.scooploop.com/thread/petition-test-nhs-frontine-staff

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uo7HB-slsm4

Anyone know what is being said about dental surgeries? I've just looked at the website for mine and there's nothing about what they are doing or what patients should do if they need urgent treatment.

Link for up to date info:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Panic buying/stock piling/ isolation

I know this is being criticised [and rightly so] but ...
if you can't get the things you want in the shops and have to go out daily to search for things and when you find them they are rationed how can you self isolate/stay indoors for several weeks without the things you need.