THE CONCRETE ROUNDABOUT (TCR)

I'm not wearing one purely because it'll piss people off.

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GEORGE BALDOCK




ONE OF OUR OWN

I've started working in Notting Hill recently, which is absolutely brilliant to be honest, and yesterday was the first day that Portobello Road was closed off for the market. Let's just say that masks appear to be optional.

I know that it's outside, but it was absolutely packed. Social distancing also seems to have gone out the window. Make of that what you will.

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They say don't kick a man when he's down. Show me a better time.

London innit. Both my boys live there and they say it's been like that for months - almost as though everyone in London has just gone "fuck it, I'm done with all that". I suspect it's only in certain areas - those with disproportionately younger populations.

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I don't need your ill-informed, half-baked, idiotic opinions. I have plenty of those myself.

My son who's down there says the same. Ah well, hope the hospitals can take it......

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Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment

Yes, but remember that crowd that will only be a subset. The people who don’t approve will be staying away at busy times, keeping to quieter places or perhaps even leaving London altogether.

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I like clean air and low traffic

I'll let you know later as we're having our first proper day out in fourteen months. Not content with working there, The Current Mrs Gers has decided that she doesn't want to be left out of the fun and we're off to the aforementioned Portobello Road this very here day. For the position of clarity, I'll be wearing one.

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They say don't kick a man when he's down. Show me a better time.

Haven’t all the people likely to get seriously ill from COVID been vaccinated now? Who are we protecting?

Same deal as Friday. Hardly anyone wearing masks. Not one of the stallholders were wearing them.

As a side note I reckon the market has lost well over two thirds of the stalls. I know they rely on the tourist trade, but it was really strange to be there and it wasn't busy. There's a symptom the pandemic right there.

On the plus side however. I was about to order Lovless by My Bloody Valentine for£50.. Walked into Rough Trade, yours for £27. Glad I came now.

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They say don't kick a man when he's down. Show me a better time.

765 people in hospital with Covid in England.

https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/w ... 10527.xlsx

I'm not remotely surprised though and I don't think there is an awful lot wrong with their decisions. The science from the very start, and has barely changed, has been that transmission outdoors is extremely low to non-existent, coupled with the effectiveness of UV light killing Covid-19 means that there is very little reason for outdoor mask wearing at those events. Now add that all those who are 60+ or have an underlying health condition who wanted to be vaccinated have been, a demographic that accounted for over 99% of the deaths in the UK the risk is further decreased.

I helped work on an outdoor bar for a few weeks last month, the government guidance was that staff did not have to wear any face coverings of any form if working outdoors. I can only assume it is the same for outdoor vendors in markets. If the government guidance and advice from our chief medical advisers does not enforce or even encourage mask wearing in outdoor environments for either customers or staff, why would they?