Let's Get Smashed!

Good afternoon and welcome back to this afternoon's blog. I very nearly did not write an entry today as this has been a very difficult week for me for multiple reasons. However, I know a lot of you are regular readers now and I did not want to disappoint you by not posting. It's so nice to see some people visiting on every Monday and Friday, and for that I am very grateful. As you may or may not be able to tell from the title, this blog is about the Government's decision to continue to ease the lock down measures further, and particularly with pubs reopening in less than 24 hours time (sorry Leicester but it ain't my fault). Obviously I am saddened that the good people of Leicester have to go through a second wave of lock down, but at the same time grateful that I live in London (wait until my friend reads that - "You don't live in London!"). Hopefully Leicester will be back to a civilised way of life soon.

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the last few weeks, places such as pubs, hairdressers and some restaurants are opening tomorrow. Looking at the data since the 1st June (when lock down measures were last lifted) it is clear that in some parts of the UK are seeing slightly elevated levels of infection and new confirmed cases. I want to emphasise the word slightly. We're not looking at danger levels, and the R rate is still below 1 in most parts of the country (according to the Government anyway - they've lied before). It was clear tome that some people were going to push the boundaries, and the scenes at Bournemouth beach last week were a disgrace. All emergency services were completely overwhelmed to the point that a major incident had to be declared. This sort of behaviour from a minority of the public is what will get the whole country back into lock down if it continues.

And this is a very real possibility with the pubs about to resume business. Don't get me wrong, I will be in that pub most of the weekend. However, I will be doing it safely, abiding to all social distancing rules and regulations that the land lady has put in place. Unfortunately, there will be those who just go out of their way to get as drunk as they can. This is when the issues happen. Drunk people are far less likely to respect (or even remember) they are supposed to be distancing themselves from others. If someone gets close to you to the point it makes you feel uncomfortable, this will encourage you to move. People will not be able to move safely wherever they want to go. Some pubs might have a one-way system in place. Some might ask you to either pay by card or by downloading an app. Whatever they ask of you, and regardless whether you feel it is right or not, just do it.

The one real question on people's minds right now will surely be "How long until we go back into lock down?" Well the answer very much depends on all of us, Follow the rules, stay alert and do as you are told to. Do this and we will all be safe and happy. If your local gets turned into an indoor version of Bournemouth beach, then you won't be in a pub long enough to get drunk. We all have a role to play. Not just in pubs, but in other businesses that might be reopening. I can't wait to book a hairdressers appointment and get rid of part of this ridiculous mop that is growing uncontrollably on top of my head. 

On a slightly more serious note, I can fully understand and appreciate why Boris Johnson and his merry men have decided that 4th July is the time to ease further restrictions. The economy has to be restarted. Some reports are suggesting that even now we could wait 10 years before we see the economy as strong as it was before Covid. Far too many small businesses have had to shut permanently and countless workers have either been put on furlough leave or have been made redundant. We can not afford to live behind closed doors any longer. Yes the health and safety of the British people is rightly paramount. But can we really afford to sacrifice years and years of our lives living in conditions where we can not afford to live a happy and normal lifestyle? Personally, as someone who has their peak years ahead of me, the sooner we can go back to normal, the better.

My advice to you is this. Follow the rules, stay alert, protect the NHS and save lives (I sound so like a politician right there). The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has said on numerous occasions that the government will 'slam the brakes' if people flout the rules too much. The brakes can not afford to be slammed on again. We are just beginning to creep out of the platform, and we must continue to move forward until we reach our final destination - normality. Except this is not an hour hop on the train from London to Brighton. This is a much longer and windier journey that starts tomorrow. And we all must play our part to stay on the right track.

I want to leave you with an announcement that I am very excited about! From the beginning of the 2020/21 Premier League season, I have been asked if I can do weekly predictions for all matches. And of course I said yes! So that means that from mid-September (I'm guessing that a bit), my Friday blogs will be predictions for that weekend's matches. The Monday blog will still be open to suggestions, or the usual deep-thinking, philosophical, Taylor Swift referencing entries that you usually end up with. And because I haven't used one so far, stay safe so you can return to your own personal wonderland soon (that was a bit forced I'm sorry).

Enjoy the pubs but don't drink (too much anyway).

Have a good weekend

Connor

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