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I did not see the beginning of Nicola Sturgeon's press conference today, but I did hear that she has said that all of the areas currently on tier 4 will be moving down this Friday.
Personally speaking I could put up with restaurants, bars and non-essential shops staying closed, but I really do wish they would re-open the gyms again. My mental and physical health is suffering as a result of not being able to exercise. Spring and summer was okay because I could get out and do some cycling, but cycling at this time of year is grim.
Hohum
Free Member
I did not see the beginning of Nicola Sturgeon’s press conference today, but I did hear that she has said that all of the areas currently on tier 4 will be moving down this Friday.
Seems like it level 3 for glasgow and the surrounding, but they shouldn't be lowering for another couple of weeks yet if you ask me.
Aye, we got sucked into easing too much earlier in the year, Wales should serve as a warning to easing restrictions - apparently port talbot area has in excess of 600 infections per 100k. Ooft.
I see Wills and Kate (and entourage) are in Edinburgh on a "COVID Morale Boosting Tour", going round the whole UK.
But no cross border travel?
Nicola Sturgeon was asked about the Wills and Kate visit. She said to ask the Royal press office.
It's their job innit? Can travel for work.
That is particularly outrageous. does the travel thing not have the force of law? their are exceptions to it but not for a propaganda tour
yourguitarhero
Wills and Kate (and entourage) are in Edinburgh on a “COVID Boosting Tour"
Fixed it for you...
there shouldnt be a level system if they are not going to stick to it, west dumbartonshire should be level 2 on friday but i cant see it ,
roads still seem busy in level 4 and the retail parks are mobbed , all level 4 has done has stuck it to the small businesses and hospitality ,
At least all hospitality has all been treated the same, must be bloody galling for all the wee independent shops seeing the big stores hoovering up their business even more than usual.
It's embarrassing that the likes of DFS is still open.
I can understand the need for essential shops staying open during tier 4, but I have to question just how essential some shops really are.
I was out with my children doing some errands this evening and we noticed that a sweet shop up the road from us was open. It sells nothing apart from sweets!
kirkg - errmmm - thats a resident of edinburgh who works in Edinburgh going to a place in Edinburgh so not outwith the guidance.
So it isn’t a propaganda tour?
Fife which is is also in level 3 doesn’t even allow relatives into hospital so I’m sure Edinburgh will have similar protocols.
She's pretty much held responsible for everything that happens in the NHS in Scotland, so I don't think it's propaganda.
The inbred tour is definitely not required.
And that means she has to go into the hospitals? And there needs to be cameras there?
It’s pretty obvious what she’s up to.
I’m not exactly a fan of the royals but you can’t have it both ways.
Name calling isn’t a great look.
One is breaking the rules, one is not.
Both are skirting the rules by saying they are doing their jobs.
I see no difference.
You'll see I posted earlier that the royals were doing their jobs, I'm not 'having it both ways'.
I'd say the national healthcare system falls under sturgeons remit though, the royals less so.
kirkg
Free Member
Both are skirting the rules by saying they are doing their jobs.I see no difference.
in fairness, it's no really skirting the rules. Those are the rules. 😆
kirkg
Free Member
And that means she has to go into the hospitals? And there needs to be cameras there?It’s pretty obvious what she’s up to.
I’m not exactly a fan of the royals but you can’t have it both ways.
Name calling isn’t a great look.
Electioneering? A politician, surely not? 😆
kirkg
Free MemberSo it isn’t a propaganda tour?
There'll be an element of that of course, there can't really not be. But she's the first minister, the NHS is her job and her responsibility. I'm sure if she didn't visit hospitals people would criticise her for "ignoring our NHS heroes" or "being afraid to face doctors" etc.
I can understand the need for essential shops staying open during tier 4, but I have to question just how essential some shops really are.
there is little to no difference between tier 3 and tier 4 that I can see in terms of shops. The retail park at the top of my street is fully open and mobbed with folk doing essential Christmas shopping.
Only difference I notice with these restrictions is that the local riding spots are unbelievably busy and the trails are getting well and truly knackered. Its fire roads and lanes for me until the dry weather comes.
^^^^^ my riding for the past month or so has been restricted to Whitelee Windfarm, which is 5 miles of back roads away from home, so I ride to and round it if roads are safe to ride, or pop bike on the rack and drive there if not (icy, dark). Whilst the main access points are outwith my home LA it is complaint for me to drive there to start and finish at the same point.
I have noticed just how busy it is getting, with people queuing for parking spaces and or abandoning cars on the verges outside. Great it's getting used, but the infrastructure is definitely struggling.
When I take the car up I am there early and away before the hordes, but recognise that I am still additive to the problem !
It does appear that our planned family few days away to St Andrews to an Air BnB between Christmas and New Yr for son's 18th is scuppered though 🙁
The popularity of Whitelee can only be down to people's complete lack of imagination, it's busy most weekends, but is a grim, dour place to walk. There can be some nice views on days like we've had recently, but most of the time it's just grey.
Glasgow has an incredible amount of brilliant green spaces in the city, and lots of access to other quiet and nicer areas than a blowy plateau covered in metal structures!
^^^ quite agree, though for accessible safe gravel riding it is pretty good exercise wise. I think the big attraction is for families with dogs, and runners, as it is easy to drive up, get out of car, have a wander/run/ride in blowy fresh air with easy mud free surfaces.
On the bike, once you get a few miles away from the visitor centre, there is a myriad of paths - I am still finding new to me link up bits- was down at Hareshawmuir road the other day, and over at Craigendunton reservoir the previous week
What do we reckon to going for a ride somewhere you're working? I've got a site to visit north of Perth and am tempted to tack on a ride at Dunkeld. I've not been riding anywhere outside the City of Edinburgh limits for weeks now and the temptation is very strong.
Aye, that's why I said walk, it's perfect for battering the miles out on the bike away from traffic, ran the ultra there last year with the mrs, 33 miles and we never did the same section twice, it's bloody huge!.
What do we reckon to going for a ride somewhere you’re working?
I run at work during lunch, live in tier 4, work is tier 3 (though rates where I live are quite a bit lower now!), same thing really isn't it? I don't tend to do anything else though, like visit shops etc that are closed in my area.
What do we reckon to going for a ride somewhere you’re working? I’ve got a site to visit north of Perth and am tempted to tack on a ride at Dunkeld. I’ve not been riding anywhere outside the City of Edinburgh limits for weeks now and the temptation is very strong.
If you're going to be there anyway, what's the (additional) harm? I'd say crack on and enjoy it.
Agree. Have a nice ride.
What do we reckon to going for a ride somewhere you’re working? I’ve got a site to visit north of Perth and am tempted to tack on a ride at Dunkeld. I’ve not been riding anywhere outside the City of Edinburgh limits for weeks now and the temptation is very strong.
It's incredibly frustrating that the travel ban remains in place for sport even in tier 3, yet shops, restaurants, cafes etc can be rammed full of people in close proximity, but me riding my bike alone in a forest is forbidden 🙁
What do we reckon to going for a ride somewhere you’re working?
I would say its maybe a wee bend of the rules but you are there so not an extra journey so I see no harm despite being a bit of a fundamentalist over this stuff
but me riding my bike alone in a forest is forbidden
Here is mrs_oab breaking the rules by being 3 miles outside our Tier 4 boundary.
As you can see, we felt reasonably comfortable in our choice and thought the risk of covid vs benefit decision was in our favour.
Pretty sure that's not breaking the rules.
ere is mrs_oab breaking the rules
PITCH FORKS OUT!!!!!!!
That weekend just gone was depressing. Photo's of glorious skiing conditions and an empty mountain at Cairngorm yet being stuck in City of Edinburgh boundary. Had to pop to Timpsons to pick up a pair of repaired shoes from the Gyle shopping centre & the place was rammed. Similarly to our local pub which is now open for food/nae booze. Place looked fully booked going by facebook.
Getting thoroughly scunnered by being grounded - it not being OK to get into the wilderness yet seemingly perfectly fine to go to busy shopping centres and busy pubs for lunch.
Bah!
Maybe the young royals have eyesight issues and are expanding Barnard Castle to include Edinburgh castle and Cardiff Castle.
Pretty sure that’s not breaking the rules.
Nope, perfectly legit.
Doh, Stirling (rate now below 100) and all other T4 areas only dropping to T3. Still no travel.
There was no way that any of the level 4 areas were going to go down more than one level, particularly with the Christmas relaxation coming up.
Edinburgh looks to have been assessed quite harshly.
Edinburgh looks to have been assessed quite harshly.
Quite frankly I'm amazed TJ hasn't been on here yet!
I was out for my daily exercise! Not impressed but I still trust the scottish government to be doing what they believe is right for the right reasons ( for the general public) and to be data driven not politically driven
Although having said that my guess its so they can ease things a lot for xmas which is a political decision and not one I agree with. xmas week is just another week to me
I am like the previous poster - just fed up with not being able to get away from the city. Its times like this I wished I lived up north!
I believe they are keeping everyone in to drive the numbers down to slow the spread over christmas. WHile you're stuck in Edinburgh TJ, in Penicuik i can see the Pentlands out of one window (which i ride in) and the road to peebles out the other. I'm behaving myself and not going to GT / Inners etc but i see a constant stream of bikes heading up and down the road.
Same, so fed up of being stuck in Edinburgh! I guess relaxing measures to allow drinking two weeks before Christmas would be asking for trouble, but still... I'd convinced myself I'd be biking in the tweed valley at the weekend, I'd even booked a day off next week 🙁
I appreciate it's London, but it really is quite staggering that this kind of thing is allowed, and will be replicated in Glasgow and Edinburgh this weekend, yet the 5 mile travel rule for exercise remains in place.
Its times like this I wished I lived up north!
I've been looking at houses in Peebles and showing them to the mrs on a daily basis!
I’d even booked a day off next week
Not that one could ever condone such an action, but you'll find that Tweed Valley riding is very quiet mid-week
Just cancelled our couple of nights in St Andrews for the boy’s 18th. First world problem but a bit of a bummer. Hey ho 😕
I can't say I'm fed up of being stuck in Edinburgh. What a place to be stuck! I can ride my mountain bike, properly, from the door step. There's miles and miles of stuff fit for a gravel bike. There's the seaside. There's masses of green space. There's a bloody mini mountain in the middle of it. In some ways it's made me love the place more.
Aye, I'll be pointing out this thread next time someone asks where to move in Scotland, and aw the salt n saucers claim it's the greatest, only to the moan how shite it is when they canny get to the tweed valley 😆😆😆
It is - but I'd like to leave it occasionally
Higher and advanced higher exams cancelled.
Not a surprise given the amount of students that have had to self isolate.
No beer
I cannot live on a diet of michelin starred food for ever. sometimes you just need a pie!
I cannot live on a diet of michelin starred food for ever. sometimes you just need a pie!
It's not much of an endorsement, Dalry in Ayrshire has more Michelin stars per capita than Edinburgh, and it's a tip 😆
I'd say TJ has 2 within 500m or so of his gaff though.
less than 500m 🙂 Yum!
I’d optimistically cleared space in my diary to go ski touring tomorrow. Balls. Oh well. And then I look at FB and marvel at all the lively trip reports and photos from Edinburgh people on Cairngorm at the weekend.
Totally farce - of course there would be *reasons*.
Edinburgh has 70 cases per 100,000 and there's 500,000 folk in the city - that means there's 350 infected people, and maybe half are isolated in one way or another?
I'm going back to doing what I want. Which to be fair isn't particularly dangerous so I'm a nae neebs loner who spends my time up a hill, but I will now be firing up the camper.
I had to go somewhere for work a couple of weeks back and to avoid hotels took the van. Getting a campsite to let me book wasn’t easy !
Edinburgh has 70 cases per 100,000 and there’s 500,000 folk in the city – that means there’s 350 infected people,
Surely that's 350 folk who have tested positive?
Yip, exactly Scotroutes.
Going by that logic, there's 100 folk tested positive in the whole of South Ayrshire, so I can just darn well do as I please.
I understand the temptation to say " sod it" but please don't. I know of one outbreak in Edinburgh with at least 15 people infected almost certainly more by now.
sorry - that sounds rather preachy but its rather brought it home to me how one person can affact so many - those effected by this will number into hundreds
People queuing outside Debenhams on Argyll street before 6am this morning
Traffic backed up on to the M77 because of people flocking to the Silverburn shopping mall.
Sorry, but I'm going to ride my bike alone tomorrow and I'll be more than 5 miles outside my local authority.
Border raiding it seems too.
Meh, I'll stick to the shire.
It is rather scary considering that most of us are unlikely to be offered vaccinations before Easter. I expect a major lockdown late January, though hope I am wrong..
People seem to think we are somehow ‘coming out if this’, but realistically, nothing much has changed with the virus and protection in 6 months surely ?
Coming out?
Can't see a major lockdown, it'll be as we've been for the last couple of months, in and out of the various tiers, a balance that keeps the economy going(ish).
Once all (or all of those sensible enough to accept it) over 50s are vaccinated, deaths and hospitalisations are expected to drop by 99%. Once that happens, the pressure drops significantly.
I'm an optimist though, fwiw.
Nobeer, probs yes, and as we’ve discussed before it is likely to bounce between levels 3 and 4 for us till the vaccination is prominent in the central belt I reckon.
That said, I think that after the Crimbo relaxation folks will feel that a tightening in January is much the same as a full lockdown.
I’ll just go ride Whitelee with my designer mongrel in tow so I’m sorted 😁
It’s going to drag on I fear, in terms of the vaccination process. The gov (UK) will make an arse of it and then there’s brexit too.
I know of one outbreak in Edinburgh with at least 15 people infected almost certainly more by now.
Playing the devil's advocate here, I'm willing to bet that it had nothing to do with someone leaving their region to go up a hill on their own.
I'd agree spin.
The anecdotal evidence is that the three main outreaks I know of in Dunblane were all related to folk who travelled abroad and returned to work/school/life without isolating.
The main outbreak at my son's halls of residence was caused by a partying lad who kept going to city centre pubs, then when he tested positive went to the halls party with new gf, leading to multiple cases there.
It's pubs, parties and travelling that seems to be the main route of spreading...
Seen quite a few folks all dressed for a holiday heading into the airport on my way to work yesterday.
WTAF.
^^^ we know a few families who have had to cancel Christmas breaks in Argyll and Highlands as they are based in central belt L3.....so are now going to Canaries and the like.. 🙄
It's difficult to believe people are still going on trips abroad. They'll be quick to moan when the safe travel status changes while they're away.
^^^ having spoken with them they are fully prepared to self isolate for 10 days on return - kids will miss a week or 2 of school and parents generally WFH so no big deal. I suspect they will go to Tesco and the like as normal...
Will they **** isolate.
My view also nobeer. But it’s not like it’s that killer virus COVID from back in the Spring anymore is it....it’s now a lesser damaging bug and just a bit of cold really innit.. 🙄
All change again, maybe having to work Christmas day isn't so bad after all!
Quick question for the parents of the thread if I may. Are you sending kids to school for the next 3 days? Good for them to be at school, with friends etc vs teachers fears over contact tracing and risk of more spread.