With escalating new cases throughout Europe it look’s like we are in for the long haul
We have been quiet for a month, taking the time to see how things are changing over a longer period.
Just remember – take care because disease is all around you
How can government advice over Christmas parties be right when there are such high risks of people testing positive?
How would your business manage if the entire work force had to self isolate for ten days?
As people continue to talk about their Christmas parties and wonder whether to have one or not or even whether to go or not, new cases have risen again.
Parties are all the controversy at the moment!
Who would have thought we would enter December with such a difficult and vexing question on our lips? To party or not to party.
The public are more nervous about this problem than many realise
We seem to be in a fast-flowing news stream at the moment where things are changing almost by the minute.
Health Secretary describes rollout of vaccinations now at a “blistering pace”
After criticism after criticism of the overnment for being too slow, someone has definitely pressed the turbo charge switch on covid protection. Even the journalists are taken by surprise!
Just because we are sick and tired of it does not mean that we can just ignore it
Our writings on this subject have been interpreted as being obsessive. Is that really the case?
No one can be in any doubt now that government will change the rules at a moment’s notice if they have to
What is worse? Being told you cannot travel because of a growing covid issue or just carrying on as usual and catching the new variant?
Time to sit up and take notice as a new variant may arrive to haunt us soon
A new variant appears in South Africa and panic seems to have set in everywhere.
Dramatic situations demand dramatic solutions. Time to seize the nettle. Carpe diem!
Whatever one’s view about illegal immigrants crossing the channel, the news of so many deaths on one boat is chilling in the extreme.
Empty shelves? Is this going to become the norm?
Is it a race against time? Can we avoid Christmas being cancelled?
Europe is getting into a real state over the spread of covid and new measures are being taken more or less everywhere to try and stop it.
Electric aircraft would be a huge contribution to reduction in carbon emissions
The idea of getting into an aeroplane powered purely by electricity is really quite exciting and probably extraordinary.
Europe as a whole looks like heading for more restrictions. Will Britain follow?
As the roll of new cases in the UK goes up Austria has announced that it is going back into full lockdown with effect from 22nd November.
Prepare for stricter measures as covid cases rise at an alarming rate
Germany, having pressed the panic button, has recorded huge new cases over the past few days with its seven day rolling figure exceeding 294,000.
Knowing that your pets can get covid means you need to add another layer of care within your home and daily life
This is a bit vexing but like everything else to do with this disease, caution has got to be the order of the day. However this could produce some really sad results. Imagine – you catch covid and off you go into self-isolation. Well that could be okay because you can have your “best friend” there to keep you company, can’t you?
Serving behind a bar is not a simple job – it needs real skill to do it properly
Hospitality. What does it mean? How do we all see it? What is certain is that it requires some very specific attributes to go into it successfully.
The question is – is the message really getting through how serious this is?
The news that Austria is confining the non-vaccinated back to isolation has come as quite a shock and is unquestionably one of the more authoritarian moves we have seen.
Prosperity for hospitality is going to be dependent on the way the pandemic moves forward
A new report has come up with figures showing that the hospitality industry is still in dire straits with its revenue down 45% on the comparable period to the end of quarter 3 in 2019.
If we work together we can look after each other and protect each other from covid
Society is in a bit of a muddle, to put it mildly, over what to do about covid-19. What is needed is for people to take a step back and think about it logically.
New code of practice followed by enforced adjudication looks like the government’s way ahead. Don’t forget mediation though!
The pandemic in bringing about the closure of businesses, notably in the hospitality industry, created a new crisis because of the need for businesses to continue to pay their rents. Many could not.
Might there be some relief ahead at last?
We anxiously watch as new covid cases slowly drop but is this just a result of school half term?
There is a new dining landscape forming out of the new habits developed during the lockdown
It is a rather strange version of the grass always being greener on the other side. The pandemic brought about a significant reduction in restaurant turnover in 2020, albeit not surprising given the lockdown. This deduction has come from data provided by the top 25 UK restaurant groups.
This is a grim milestone to have passed and there is no sign of any let up at the moment
Johns Hopkins University table now shows that this week we have passed the grim figure of 5 million deaths worldwide. That comes out of a total recorded cases of 248,798,277.
We made such a fuss about it; now let’s get on and buy it!
One sometimes wonders what the British love hate relationship with fish is all about and perhaps with problems with France and COP26 considering sustainability etc, now may be a good time to look at this again.
Probably never since Noah’s Ark has man faced impending doom as he does now
For a while it maintained its top place; every news cast was about Afghanistan and the terrible issues it was raising. Then the last British and American troops left Kabul and suddenly it was all over. Now we get the odd article about it and some pretty terrible stuff too but even though the problems are probably worse now than they were at the start, covid took back over again.
Great news for real ale drinkers in pubs!
There has been quite a lot of hype over the up-coming budget with certain calculated leaks being made and incurring the wrath of the Speaker of Parliament.
This surely is a time for tolerance to allow everyone to feel safe
As has been said many times, the covid pandemic is the most serious crisis since the second world war and normally in times of difficulty people tend to pull together.
Experts are now advising people to take their own defensive actions against catching covid
The call from experts to the government to do something gets louder and this is now coupled with the risk of a lockdown Christmas.
Somewhere you can go and forget about covid for a while
As today’s new cases total falls a few short of 50000 at 49298, with the seven day rolling total settling at 331903, we thought that it might just be a relief to look at a place where you can go for a holiday and put the virus behind you.
Do they know something we don’t or is it just an aversion to controls?
We have a government minister who says that the NHS is under huge pressure at the moment but it is sustainable.
It was always anticipated that the daily rate could get to 50000. This now looks like a reality looming
There is an undercurrent of alarm building with the rapid increase in number of new covid cases over the past week or so.
This is really good news for people who want to see society remaining safe
The new study which says lateral flow tests are more reliable than previously thought appears to bring very good news!
Probably time to start getting concerned about where the graph is going to level off
Just a short news item today – to report that the seven day rolling total of new cases in the UK has now exceeded 300000, and stands at 300081.
Constant rise is now more than clear. Where are these numbers going?
In our end of week covid numbers review we can report that new cases are solidly around the forty thousands a day now.
Poor airlines but what about poor airline customers? Now flying is happening again, take care to protect yourself as best you can against the vagaries of the industry
Traditionally probably we do not have sympathy with airlines; they somehow usually manage to fall on their feet and generally at the expense of the flying public.
Leaving things too late always causes complications and makes things worse
It’s always nice to see Dr Nabarro interviewed on television and he has almost become a household name during the pandemic.
Let’s see how this scheme develops in the light of increasing cases
Wales now requires covid passes for people to attend certain events.
Let’s hope this is not going to be a winter of lurching from crisis to crisis; it is certainly beginning to look like it
One of the things people have said time and again is that during the pandemic the government has always acted too late in taking remedial action.
No wonder travel restrictions are being lifted – the risk is beginning to look like going the other way!
When you look at the Johns Hopkins table of cases and deaths, it is quite shocking to see that the UK is practically at the top of the list, number 4 in fact in terms of official case numbers.
It is as important to be vaccinated against flu as it is covid say the government
Covid has brought a considerable number of challenges to society over the past twenty one months. Now here comes another – flu will be back.
Getting rid of the cables would certainly help a lot
If you are like me you will still have several platefuls of spaghetti hanging out behind your television set and other gadgets.
Does it matter if your friends and family get covid?
As we know, the vast majority of people who catch covid-19 survive the experience; it may not be nice but the virus usually goes away.
One day the BBC will be different!
The quirks of today’s establishment are coming under fire but it seems to be a battle they are bringing upon themselves.
Better keep out of the way of the snipers, though
In days gone by, perished would have been the thought that James Bond could be other than a red blooded British male!
Essential to keep checking at home so you contain the virus if you have it and keep your friends safe
As the UK weekly new cases hovers consistently and tantalisingly at just under a quarter of a million a week, today it is 243983, the government has launched a consultation requesting evidence on the proposal for mandatory covid passports for use in a Plan B scenario.
A bit like vaccine – the hospitality VAT shot in the arm is starting to wear off
When the pandemic hit hospitality so very badly, the Chancellor introduced a reduced rate of 5% on restaurant food and hotel room charges.
Small business needs to be considered as well as multiples
Having told you about a new hospitality council yesterday poised to set the world to rights, today it is criticised for not being representative.
Hospitality certainly needs a shot in the arm. The new council may be just what is required
Back in the summer the Prime Minister announced that there would be help for the hospitality industry by way of the appointment of a minister to oversee the sector.
It is more or less inconceivable that there was no alternative
It will not take me long to say what I want to say today.
Surely we can do better when it comes to predicting problems
It’s the old thing – some things would be really funny if they weren’t so serious.
It’s time for everyone to take a step back, breath and then think through what is happening – and listen to what they are told before rushing in
We are today seeing pictures on television of huge queues of cars trying to buy petrol and other pictures of closed fuel stations.
Most people have forgotten to worry about covid – no restrictions means it is okay
When you have issues like Afghanistan, exploding volcanoes on La Palma, diplomatic spats like France getting up tight because it loses an order for submarines, fuel queues at petrol stations and of course the other colourful tapestry of our news, perhaps it is easy to forget.
It doesn’t look like case numbers are going to drop, does it?
A day or so ago we were told that new cases had dropped by 20% of late. Indeed that was true because the peak was 272000 per week some weeks ago.
A way to go but there is certainly light at the end of the tunnel
With the disastrous consequences of a total lockdown, it has been feared that it would take at least three years for the hospitality industry to recover to pre-pandemic levels.
Public willingness to pay a deposit will bring about change
As we pointed out a week or so ago, no shows at restaurants and pubs are causing substantial losses.
No vaccinations will become quite an impediment in due course
The news that travel to the US is being re-opened from November has been greeted with pleasure.
A possible change in the way restaurants handle their menus could be on the way
The restaurant trade has been in something of a turmoil now for quite some time.
The important measure is protect yourselves even when things look stable; don’t leave it too late!
It’s always the way – you cannot please all of the people all of the time and the relaxation of travel regulations seems to fit the bill in that respect.
Everyone likes a holiday. Maybe it’s time to think about booking one
The announcement from the Transport Secretary that travel restrictions are to be lifted will no doubt be great news for everyone.
Let’s hope this is not the start of mass cancellations
With the news that the Christmas markets both at Bath and Leeds have been cancelled, we surely cannot be in any doubt that the situation is serious regardless of what the government would like us to think.
Working from home is a world changer for some
A survey carried out for the BBC reveals that most people believe that workers will continue to want to work from home even after the pandemic is over.
No doubt there will be many comings and goings over the next few days. I wonder what new policies will emerge
There will be more exciting things to worry about today than our usual trotting out of covid-19 statistics!
Do not be lulled into a false sense of security that the pandemic is over – it is not! But be positive
This week seems to be heralding almost a new phase so far as covid-19 is concerned. We are now looking forward to the autumn and winter and how this is all going to pan out.
The workings of the government in England are really hard to understand at times
Wondrous are the workings of government. The health secretary said one thing in an interview with Sky and then changed his mind when appearing on the BBC a little while later!
A slight easing in new cases takes place. Will it go up or down next?
The statistics over covid still tend to be confusing and contradictory.
No real imagination is being given to resolving this difficult situation. What a shame
The problem of asylum seekers crossing the Channel in small boats has reached epic proportions and now we have a row between the British and the French.
After the pandemic the increase in national insurance will certainly put the cherry on the rise in hospitality industry payrolls
Probably in the minds of the general public, restaurants, pubs and hotels make good money because they certainly know how to charge!
Bed linen – looks like a perfect storm!
Imagine booking into a hotel and when you get there, there are no sheets and pillows cases on your bed. You’d be on the phone to reception like a shot, wouldn’t you?
If cases go on rising like this it is likely that event restrictions will become quite severe
The government minister for vaccinations Nadhim Zahawi has confirmed that vaccine certificates will be required for entry into nightclubs and other mass indoor venues from the end of September.
Covid passports coming up!
Today’s figure is a fraction less than yesterday’s – we have 37011.
There can be no argument against taking a test to see if you are positive!
We asked this question exactly a year ago. Amazingly the answer is probably just same.
Somehow the current trend of just not turning up needs to be addressed
Running a restaurant is a fiendish task at the best of times but the higher your intended quality, the more difficult it gets.
Pot pourri day as we wait and watch
Confused? Who isn’t! The seven day trend is showing a reduction in new cases but the daily one is resolutely up again.
Is it light at the end of the tunnel? It could be a start.
The statistics continue to play with our minds but today the seven day rolling total of new cases has dropped – by just 517!
It sounds great but somehow it may be more like wishful thinking!
Here we are at the end of August and basically the end of the summer holiday season.
France has adopted a very different approach to the UK; covid passes are an essential document if you want to go places
France tightens its grip on areas of activity in the country where vaccinations are compulsory.
No let up in care and attention to avoid transmission
It feels like we are in a race against time and in this case time is measured by vaccination progress.
We need to think “little” as well as big; there are things we can all do to help our planet to survive
While there is a pandemic around we spend a lot of time analysing the figures, counting new cases, deaths and hospitalisations and indeed it is one of the most worrying facets of our lives today.
Does the public realise how much worse the spread of the virus is now?
Considering the lack of apparent concern now and reduction in wearing of masks you would think that this pandemic was over.
The message is changing, subtly but leaving no doubt as to its meaning
As cases continue to rise, new cases over the past seven days amounting to 238505 in the UK and deaths to 770, professors and others are saying that we are expected to catch covid a number of times in our lives and that on each occasion the effects of the disease should be milder.
We cannot do without them but we need to keep taking the tablets!
There is every chance that public confidence is going to be shaken by the latest revelations that our excellent vaccines may have a tendency to “wear off”.
Public habits are certainly changing as a result of the pandemic
Over the past 18 months the market has seen an enormous increase in meals consumed at home, either as a result of take-aways or deliveries.
Absolutely essential to be prepared if you are going to go on this trip!
It is strange that events and circumstances can conspire together to bring about unintended and / or unexpected consequences.
Holidays look like being a big cause of the transmission of new cases
Day after day, week after week we seem to be reporting that new cases of coronavirus in the UK are on the increase, not at a huge rate, but inexorably and consistently.
Widely differing opinions of the safety of the people are beginning to emerge in the UK now
So really how bad is coronavirus in the UK? Could it be worse?
Personal responsibility – that’s what we have been given to keep ourselves safe. Use it wisely!
When the government lifted the covid restrictions, it seems that the majority of people thought that this meant that it was safe to go out and resume normal life.
Masonry has had many composers but Sibelius has something unique
Jean Sibelius was Finnish and was born in 1865 and lived a long life, dying in 1957. For some of us he was contemporary!
It is important that you understand the risks involved in getting long covid
s the days go by we begin to learn more about long covid.
Perhaps the new normal in the short term is the stay–at-home society
Has the British government lost its grip over the handling of covid-19 such that it has decided to allow a free-for-all and we just “hope for the best”?
The trend is upwards at the moment, subtle but discernible
Normally after the weekend the record of new cases is lower, reflecting the fact that apparently not all cases get into the system as quickly.
The “I’m all right Jack” approach isn’t going to save granny and grandpa
The government’s grand scheme of attempting to bribe young people to have their covid vaccinations with taxi rides and take away meals is not proving quite the success they would like.
Government website really is excellent in terms of giving you the statistical information you need
ONS data is usually somewhat in arrears. This is probably because they prefer to wait for a stream of data rather than just jump on the first information available.
Just eliminating the stress of travelling could have major benefits
So many of our ingrained habits changed during the covid lockdown and one of those was that people were actually instructed to work at home where they could rather than going into their places of work.
You really do not want to get long covid; it might kill you
Putting aside the anti-vaxxers and the others who have not yet had jabs, amounting to 25% of the adult population still, you could feel the relief as people gradually got their vaccinations.
It’s still a lot of new cases being reported
It’s done it again – new cases down today and yet the seven day trend is up again.
Figures can be rather misleading as this week’s numbers show
Figures have a funny way of misleading people if they are not read correctly.
We are not really any wiser as to which way the pandemic is going at the moment. Weird!
A couple of weeks ago smiling tv reporters were telling us that the toll of new cases of covid-19 had dropped “off the edge of a cliff”.
This is unacceptable behaviour in this day and age
It is actually completely extraordinary that in the UK women who have been quarantined under government regulations are being subjected to harassment by security guards. What on earth is going on?
Don’t be one of the ones who regrets not having the vaccination when on your death bed
Bit by bit stories are beginning to emerge now about individuals dying of covid 19 unnecessarily.
If you have a hankering to go abroad, things have become mildly easier but still not really recommended as things can change
Along comes another review of the traffic light travel system with countries moving in both directions.
Basic numbers holding reasonably consistent at the moment. Keep watching though
It does seem absurd that having lifted restrictions in England huge numbers of people are having to self-isolate because of “pingdemonium”.
It doesn’t look that good either from a trading or investment perspective. There is a long way to go before public confidence is restored
The health of our hospitality industry is a matter of interest and I dare say concern to all of us.
You could be forgiven if you have no idea which way to turn now to protect yourself
As we move into August, the pandemic starts to bring on the surreal.
It’s a dangerous policy to issue a fictional drama about living people without disclosing that it is just fiction
The “drama series”, The Crown, has certainly made an impact on viewers, particularly in the United Kingdom.
It’s a dangerous policy to issue a fictional drama about living people without disclosing that it is just fiction
The “drama series”, The Crown, has certainly made an impact on viewers, particularly in the United Kingdom.
Loads of people still wanting to go abroad for holidays; they may get their chance yet
As July reaches its end, the August holiday season starts this weekend.
We are on another one of those rollercoasters. Up down – is the end in sight?
Hundreds of thousands of people have been pinged recently by the NHS covid app. This means that they have been in some proximity to someone who has since tested positive.
Travel rules change so often that it is impossible to keep up
The travel rules into the UK are really something of a confused muddle.
Now is the time to be careful and watch your back. Some uncertainty as to the meaning of the current figures
Don’t hold your breath but new cases are down again. It does look like this is a sustained drop.
Let’s hope everyone’s relief is not a flash in the pan
The past week has seen a consistent drop in new cases in the UK, indeed a 15% drop over the previous seven days.
It is not too soon to start thinking about electric cars, even electric conversions
Time for a break from covid and rather conveniently the topic of electric cars has been highlighted recently.
Imagine getting pinged on the beach. That’s the end of your holiday
There will not be many who are not deeply worried about the increase in numbers of new cases of covid-19, not just in the UK but world-wide.
Welcome return of the great British promenade concerts
2020 was a sad year for music lovers who normally throng to the BBC Promenade Concerts which are usually held in one of the country’s most iconic buildings, the Royal Albert Hall.
What happened to the freedom to live?
The Prime Minister, always one for the dramatic, certainly let out a new piece of strategy yesterday which seems to have shocked the country, or at least part of it.
We enter the new normal with some degree of uncertainty and trepidation. A couple of weeks will no doubt tell us whether it turns out as predicted
We have gone through a lot in the past sixteen months with all the shutdowns, lockdowns, restrictions, mask wearing, social distancing etc. We all know what we have had to put up with.
You certainly can’t please all of the people all of the time!
I cannot deny finding the attitude to the Prime Minister and Rishi Sunak and their close contact with the virus most odd.
Travel will soon seize up completely for the British!
The fact that the health secretary has tested positive for covid-19 is a serious matter, not because he happens to be the health secretary but because he is yet another individual who has contracted it after being double-vaxxed.
All eyes on “Freedom Day”. We can only guess at this stage!
It is fair to say that Professor Chris Whitty has made his mark in the past year and a half.
Brace yourselves. What do you put your chances at avoiding covid-19 now if you live in England?
The attitudes of different people across England and indeed the UK are beginning to get frenetic.
Government advice is that covid passes should be required for “large events”. What is a large event? Surely any event which pushes people together tightly is going to be risky?
Is the decision of the British government to relax restrictions a selfish act which has little regard for the needs of others or does it herald the way for the rest of the world?
It would be nice to be able to go and out believe you are safe but your safety will shortly be your own responsibility. No good relying on government any more
At the point of writing the precise relaxations are not yet known but we expect to hear from the Prime Minister shortly following the announcement from the Health Secretary in Parliament. By the time you read this probably the announcements will have been made.
Experts tend to speak the truth but we don’t always get to hear them. Some hard hitting facts today though
As the full expression goes – “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics.”
Where are we all now 16 months later? And the rollercoaster hasn’t ended its ride yet
It’s a “home day” today – a day when I wonder what I have achieved with the 400 blogs I have now completed. You can read them all and see for yourself!
There seems to be more argument now than before we had vaccines!
There certainly seems something incongruous about dropping our restrictions when our rate of new cases is fourth highest in the world. Even the USA is below us at number 9 and we are proudly exceeded only by Brazil, India and Indonesia.
What is really needed is to remove the need for tests because these add a lot of money to the holiday costs
The announcements are coming thick and fast now and double-vaxxers will not have to quarantine when returning from amber listed countries. And this more or less opens up Europe for holiday makers.
It is probably impossible to predict the nation’s state of health over the next 12 months in relation to covid issues
There is no doubt that when coronavirus became a reality everyone became dead scared. And they were right to.
Mask or no mask? What was previously a simple matter suddenly will become a very complex one with potentially far-reaching results
There was a time when no one was very keen on masks; now everyone is worried about whether lifting restrictions is coming too soon. How fickle we are!
They say everything will go back to normal but that may be something of a stretch
As the days pass, the likelihood of social-distancing restrictions being lifted appears to increase.
It’s a lovely time of the year for a trip across the English Channel in a nice rubber boat, especially if you know that if there is any difficulty a nice Royal Navy ship will make every effort to come and save you and help you on your way
One thing is certain – probably Nigel Farage will never give up showing us how asylum seekers continue to arrive.
Looks like the government will shortly be washing its hands of keeping you safe
The government has made it clear that their concern all along has been to “protect the NHS” and in their eyes this objective has now been achieved.
A new era is starting today to facilitate international travel, but not quite everywhere
As restrictions start to be lifted, new controls come into force to attempt to control the spread of coronavirus but it is not as simple as it might sound.
Are infected individuals going to be allowed knowingly to roam the streets when all restrictions are lifted?
As covid-19 benefits are rolling to an end, the hospitality industry is having a hard time of it with staff having to self-isolate.
It is amazing what ill feeling can arise over the issue of tips and service charges
One of the most controversial issues in the hospitality trade is the treatment of tips, or service charges, or gratuities by whatever name they are actually called.
Case numbers go up and so are restrictions on going to other countries even though vaccinations continue
As our daily cases number now has crept over 22000, we learn that Portugal is stepping up it measures against holiday makers who cannot prove they are double vaccinated. And Portugal is not alone – Malta is to disallow arrivals who are not doubly vaccinated from Wednesday and Spain also needs travellers to show they are doubly vaccinated or produce a negative PCR test.
Someone has gone to a lot of trouble to bring about the Hancock revelations; when the dust has settled perhaps people will start to wonder why
What was the true motive for a camera in a government minister’s office, seemingly hidden in a smoke detector? At first we thought Matt Hancock had been rather careless, performing his act of failure to self-distance in front of a security camera!
As technology moves on, software and hardware all have to move on with it!
If you have a computer, and you must have if you are reading this, you will know that the constant upgrades in software are a never-ending activity.
So many different opinions both at home and abroad – difficult to know which way to turn
The travel companies want it all opened up as quickly as possible while Angela Merkel wants all of Europe to impose quarantine on arrivals from Britain.
Is life actually long enough for us to appreciate major political change?
One of the problems of political development is that it actually takes generations to feed through the system and become meaningful.
It is surprising how many people do not drink alcohol in today’s world. So what is the alternative?
As the days now start to get shorter perhaps it is a good moment to reflect a little on the value of alcohol in our society.
It’s good to see that Britain is forging ahead with its world wide export boost
More information is emerging about the new national flagship seen as the successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia which was decommissioned as long ago as 1997. It seems like yesterday.
There is still a possibility that panic could break out with numbers on the rise so fast
As we approach mid-summer there is developing a certain sense of fear over the third wave now getting a grip. There is certainly a sense of heightened anxiety.
People want to get back to doing normal things in a normal way. Vaccination is clearly the most obvious and efficacious route
Without a doubt covid-19 has blitzed people’s plans to get married on anything other than a minute scale for a considerable time now.
Extending the rent moratorium once again defers the agony. How on earth will it end!
It will no doubt come as a great relief to my tenants and lessees throughout the country to learn that the rent moratorium has now been extended by a further nine months to March 2022.
To ensure your future freedom, double vax is absolutely essential
The big question will be is this government policy the tip of the iceberg or is this going to be the full extent of the requirement?
This could be the greatest test for the hospitality industry. Will it emerge the same as it was pre-pandemic?
The Prime Minister’s announcement that the lockdown will continue for another four weeks has thrown the hospitality industry into confusion and disarray.
Breaks put on lifting of restrictions. This will please many
So the PM has pronounced but we all knew what was coming because of the controlled leaks over the weekend.
What are we going to do about flying? Is now a good moment for a societal re-think?
Covid-19 has wreaked havoc across the world with economies and businesses, literally on a global scale. Indeed, who knows what further damage will follow in its wake?
Extension of only a month? Wait and see
The pressure had just built too much. Now the PM has said that a cautious approach will be required to lifting restrictions.
Big problems ahead – that is for sure
The thought of the lifting of all restrictions on 21st June is becoming very worrying indeed.
Trust wears pretty thin when you are robbed in hospital, possibly even after you are dead
This post will not be long but hopefully long enough to make you think about trust in the NHS.
Just because we may do it does not mean that it is going to be safe. Full risk assessment of getting gack together is essential
There are now so many different rules and regulations in relation to coronavirus and differing levels of information that people are beginning to lose track, that is if they have not already done so.
Sympathy is running out for anti-vaxxers
The question has been raging on now for months as to whether there should be a UK vaccination passport or certificate and it is very clear that there is mixed feeling over this.
So do you think you are going to escape getting this virus? It is not actually a slam dunk
Sir David King, a former government chief scientific advisor, confirmed on television today that of those currently being hospitalised with covid-19, one in twenty five have already been double vaccinated.
A whole new set of pioneers is ready to make this a reality. Good luck to them!
Breaking the sound barrier was originally almost a thing of science fiction, indeed it was questioned as to whether it was even possible.
We may yet have to batten down the hatches as cases start to increase exponentially
As the holiday and aviation industries get hot under the collar over the removal of Portugal from the green list, the ONS reports a 76.5% increase in cases in the past week in England.
You had better get used to the idea – unlikely you will be taking a holiday abroad this year
Talk about turning the knife in the wound; the removal of Portugal from the green list will be a real blow both to the British and the Portuguese.
It’s one step forward and one step back yet again. Holiday time approaches…
The first day without deaths in the UK for a year is certainly a red letter moment; hopefully there will be more.
There is a lot of mixed up thinking within the hospitality industry
A few days ago we told you how the hospitality industry reckons it is short of 188000 workers at the moment.
Forget France for the foreseeable future; Indian variant too risky for them
Life gets no easier with the pandemic and France has now decided to close its borders with the UK.
All these jobs which cannot be filled and yet there has been a huge increase in take-aways. It doesn’t quite stack up
You could be forgiven for thinking that the catering trade does not know where it is going. You would probably be right!
Are delays in taking restrictive decisions based on a balancing act between saving people and saving business? Which matters more?
Whether you like Dominic Cummings or not or whether you believe him or not, the recent questioning session has given people an opportunity to say whether they identify with part of what he has said.
Gradually the position over covid passports is changing – you are going to need them
Do you remember the covid passport? This was the document which was never going to be introduced according to government thinking at the time.
Just think – noiseless travel in comfort; the ability to stop where you want and perhaps just hover in the sky. The possibilities are huge
Back in January we reported on how airships might become a transport of the future after the disastrous Hindenburg incident 84 years ago.
Make no mistake – a major shift in how our society works is now under way
There will come a day when someone will sit down and try and record all the changes that coronavirus has brought about to our daily lives.
More form filling in advance but if it speeds things up on the day, that’s no bad thing
For a country which in so many ways spearheads world technology it must come as something of a shock to know that the government has no idea who is or is not in the country at any given time.
Today it is an ever-changing world so far as travel is concerned. Nothing is certain
The issue of holidays overseas gets more complicated by the day.
Initial sales well up but it is still not the same as it used to be
As was to be expected there was a bulge in sales as pubs reopened. New data showed that on average the increase on pre-covid periods was some 25%.
The new days of Great British Railways announced. The great nationalisation of the twenties – what an anachronism!
Michael Portillo is just one of many television presenters who have brought the railways of the world, let alone this country, into focus over the years with their amusing and sometimes startling documentaries on travel, railway architecture and engineering, and using books like Bradshaw’s guides!
People continue to die while countries find they cannot organise themselves to jab their citizens
Reports of the disposal of out of date AstraZeneca vaccines are nothing less than distressing in the extreme.
The best way of showing we are likely to be clear of covid-19 is to show our covid vaccination certificate – now available
What a bit of luck people are allowed to change their minds! From saying some months ago that the government had no intention of providing any form of covid passport, now they have.
Lots of mixed feelings around as some cannot wait to get out and others are happy to sit back and wait and see
It is all very well people saying that we are making steps back to normal, but do they mean “new normal”?
Vigilance still the order of the day; it’s still far from safe out there
The Health Secretary effectively dropped a bombshell today when he told the nation that the people currently going into hospital with the Indian variant were basically those who had been offered but had refused a vaccination.
Social progress will never be halted but perhaps you should be careful what you wish for
15th May 2021 will be one of those dates which will go down in history as a marker when things changed, probably for ever.
At least Portugal is back on the list!
We have watched the UK green list get wittled down as the week has gone on but surely we must be in the position now where Israel is not going to be someone’s destination of choice for their summer holiday, at least not at the moment.
All sorts of problems about going abroad on holiday and the earliest departure date has not even arrived yet
Is it all just too much of a frenzy? Is this desire to jet off to foreign parts just a reaction again having been stuck at home for so long? Is it really that important to get away that it is worth running the gauntlet with all the different restrictions and hurdles?
At every step of the way there is some hurdle or other which is going to make things more difficult than we would have liked
It sounded simple, albeit somewhat limited, but a list of green countries where we could travel with minimal tests and no quarantine seemed like a good start to re-opening international travel.
A pub with no beer? Is such a thing possible?
The thought that pubs can run out of beer in Britain is nothing less than quite shocking. Britain – that Mecca for fine ales – as well as importing some rather dicey ones.
Were there ever such an exotic list of holiday destinations on offer as there are now?
One could be forgiven for thinking that the British government is having a “bit of a larf” over the travel traffic light system and, in particular the green list of countries.
Loads of money has been spent on businesses trying to keep their customers safe, and perhaps it is not necessary? Can that really be the case?
Reports on the television today that businesses are spending large sums of money on trying to protect their customers from catching coronavirus unnecessarily must be very annoying for the companies which are doing it.
You do not want to be a commercial rent payer just now
I know we have a lot to say about the hospitality industry but there is no doubt that this sector of the economy has been left holding the heavy end of the coffin.
Restaurants just cannot afford to sustain no-shows
It does seem to be extraordinary that people can book a table at a restaurant or pub and then just not bother to turn without cancelling it.
Now that Brexit has passed, it is a good time to start to promote Britain
It is amazing to think that the Royal Yacht Britannia was decommissioned as long ago as 1997 and that following a decision even earlier in 1994.
The covid-19 crisis deepens across the world; let’s hope Britain does not lower its guard
We tend to take a general look at covid-19 numbers at the weekend and this past week or two have been quite stunning in their developments.
Brexit biting into labour supply in hospitality sector
A new study has shown that this year the number of workers in the hospitality sector in the UK from the EU has dropped to 39.4% in the first quarter of 2021 compared to 43.4% in the first quarter of 2019.
Vaccinated people have the highest chance of remaining safe when they meet together
Professor Van-Tam has now become a well known expert when it comes to coronavirus and he featured in the particularly long Downing Street briefing yesterday.
You have more and more justification now for only going to groups where everyone has been vaccinated
So now there is an even better reason to have a vaccination than before. Not only do you protect yourself but a study shows that the risk of transmission of covid-19 to others is significantly reduced.
Thank your lucky stars we did not get in to the India state of affairs
The situation in India continues to deteriorate and the graphic scenes shown on the television continue to horrify us all.
Not the right time to lower your guard when it comes to covid-19 safety
If you are in the UK it is really easy to begin to think that it is all over, with lockdown restrictions being lifted, life slowly returning to some semblance of normality and everyone crowing about how well the vaccination programme is going.
So much is lost in so many ways when this happens
In what has been described as the worst case of miscarriage of justice the UK has ever seen, 39 former postmasters have had their convictions for fraud and false accounting quashed.
Easy data calculations to see how coronavirus is trending at home and abroad
There is a lot of scurrying around going on now because of the growing uncertainty as to which way the covid-19 virus is going. Whilst it looks a little more promising from a UK perspective with deaths dropping, new cases have become rather static.
Just because we are getting it slightly more easily at the moment does not mean it is all over. Far from it
Vaccination programme or no vaccination programme, the pressure never ceases and the problem has definitely been exacerbated with the latest spike in India and the new India mutation.
It is good to know that there are real attempts to try and bring normality back into everyday life
The idea that the government is doing a trial event with no social distancing or face masks must be the most exciting post-lockdown event we have seen.
Good bye to a true British gentleman
Today is a day both of mourning and celebration
What is “covid safe”? Is there a percentage which you can put on “safety” and how will the high risk members of society decide to handle it?
It is perhaps something of a surprise but a new poll finds that hospitality businesses are anticipating that vaccination passports will be required for pubs and restaurants once they have fully opened up.
It’s great to see that hospitality is not dead! However, make sure while enjoying that you do not end up catching the dreaded lurgy
We are now well into the first week of trading for hospitality businesses in England this year. It was a week we all wondered about – what would happen? Would it do well, badly? Would the weather be with us or against?
Re-opening of society getting under way at last
Today is the glorious 12th. No not 12th August but 12th April!
The opening of al fresco eating and drinking is a major step forward in the lifting of the lockdown
It seems like it has been a long winter with being stuck inside in the lockdown.
Another milestone in the tackling of the pandemic at grass roots level
The government’s offer of free two free tests a week to everyone started yesterday and today the first tests were dropping on people’s doormats.
Gone but not forgotten
Our news report today will be very short.
It is a great relief that numbers of deaths are falling but there is still plenty of scope for people to be ill
Deaths have continued to drop and have remained in double figures for some while now.
It is really hard to imagine life today without your mobile telephone – even Grandma has one
When I was a young man, there was no such thing as a mobile phone. Ordinary people just did not have any form of easy communicator. If we were out and needed to call someone, we stopped at a telephone box
Jetting off to foreign climes? Well you will just have to accept that there are health costs associated with this
As the days go by we see complaint after complaint about the effects of the virus on our society – as if it was someone’s fault.
Deaths still low. Are we on the way out?
We have little to say today except that it is good to see that the government plan is currently on target.
There really can be nothing more important than public safety when it comes to covid-19
While the press reports that some MPs consider the use of covid passports to be “divisive and discriminatory”, one wonders just to whom they are listening. Are they listening to the public, their constituents or are they listening to business enterprise?
It is time a stop was put to the anarchy we are seeing on a regular basis
Our message today will be short. The Union flag, known colloquially as the Union jack is the national flag of the United Kingdom.
The public are going for covid-safe environments 2 to 1. Is government listening?
Even we are surprised at the continuing debate over covid passports.
New report highlights problems of those who have been discharged from hospital – good chance they will be going back again
Was it the April Fool’s joke or is the frenetic discussion over covid passports getting more so every day?
No sooner than the rules are relaxed but everyone forgets there are still rules
Now we have got some of our freedom back, it looks like social distancing is a forgotten thing of the past.
There are now many different and popular ways of “eating out”, even at home with today’s techniques
There is something about British Summer Time, the longer days and the relaxation of lockdown rules which turns one’s mind to pubs and restaurants.
Time for optimism. Let’s make it work!
As we know the numbers of reported deaths and new cases at weekends in the UK are always on the low side.
Security is supposed to protect you but this is not always the case – you should always be careful about answering security questions
During the pandemic we are told that internet and telephone fraud has increased significantly. Needless to say with people sitting at home, they are as good as sitting ducks.
Relaxing of restrictions is now starting
Governments never cease to amaze and not always in a good way! It has now been announced that booster jabs can be expected in the autumn before half the people have even had their first jab!
As always governments are completely unprepared for something which surely was as obvious as the day is long?
The way discussions are moving forward around the world for a covid passport are beginning to get very interesting.
Perhaps pubs could become “safe havens” when it comes to covid-19 instead of closed premises?
The fact that the Prime Minister is talking about the possibility of needing some form of proof of covid protection is a major step forward but it has already produced negative reaction in some quarters.
Another nail in the retail coffin
The news that John Lewis has announced that another eight of its stores will not re-open after lockdown has ended is sad indeed and it is obviously very worrying for the 1465 staff whose jobs are at risk.
The pandemic is certainly taking its toll of hospitality businesses
A new report by CGA and AlixPartners tells us that we now have 7592 fewer licensed premises in Britain than we had before the covid-19 pandemic.
This could be one of the most dramatic changes to society over the next decade
One of the big changes to life style during the pandemic has been the fact that people were instructed by the government to work from home if at all possible.
The sudden deterioration in covid-19 saturation is a major worry likely to bring Europe to its knees again
It can be seen as this week has progressed a heightening concern that Europe is now heading for a third wave – so says Germany in pointing out that even if they get on with their vaccination campaign there is no time to prevent it.
Desperation to open the hospitality industry may lead to disappointment if the weather is bad
There is no doubt about it that living through the pandemic has never been short of surprises, some good and some not so good.
There is probably little that could have been done to increase supply. Such a massive rollout for the entire world is unlikely to pass without problems!
There is a always a potential problem when demand for a commodity exceeds supply and never has that been seen to be truer than now with covid-19 vaccines.
The pressure rises as more authorities say they will require prove of vaccinations. This is certainly not going away
The need for there to be a covid-19 passport is hotting up as P&O has made it quite clear what its requirements will be.
Another change in the aviation map – this time from a different angle
In that once the word “hoover” was synonymous with vacuum cleaner, to many at one time any business jet was known as a Learjet.
With luck we may see a reduction in the numbers of unemployed and perhaps more British people will try and fit into hospitality roles
The hospitality industry has had a big knock and thousands of employees have lost their jobs. Indeed thousands of licensed businesses have closed down for good.
It is essential that businesses take steps to ensure they will not be evicted at the earliest possible opportunity
The anticipated extension of the rental moratorium has arrived. For commercial tenants, the moratorium has been extended to the end of June.
Everyone is wondering what summer holidays they can take!
The continuing news that the numbers of new cases and deaths are dropping is without doubt music to our ears but unfortunately we must not drop our guard yet – not by a long way.
In the meanwhile illegal immigrants are being given “ask no questions” vaccines in the UK so they can avoid deportation
Last week Cyprus announced that from 1st May they would welcome Brits who had received both of their vaccinations.
Crunch time is approaching. Hospitality businesses need to be sure about the future before they get embroiled in further difficulty and pressures
Who would be in the hospitality industry today with all the pressures and problems?
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex should renounce their titles immediately. There is no place for them in British society
The controversial interview of Meghan Markle by Oprah Winfrey was really quite scandalous.
Not too long now until al fresco dining will start – let’s hope the road map remains intact!
Although there is still a bit of a chill in the air the general weather is gradually getting warmer – but it needs to to enable al fresco dining and drinking to work!
It is important to keep things in realistic proportion. Times are a’changin’
Going back centuries, the country’s wealth was more or less all held by the Crown and the aristocracy. The ordinary people by and large had nothing.
Will staycation be able to hold its own against the increasing ease of making those continental trips?
Today’s announcement that Cyprus will allow British in quarantine free from 1st May if they have had both of their vaccinations has thrown the whole holiday situation up into the air.
The problem is going to be the burden of accumulated debt which is going to bring the industry down
Although welcome in themselves, the chancellor’s measures in yesterday’s budget are not seen as sufficient to rescue the hospitality industry.
This was a budget like you have never heard with innovation – of that there is no doubt!
Today’s budget has been the most extraordinary of my professional career and that has been going on for a few years!
Europe announces vaccination certificate to help the poor British!
The news that the European Union is intent on the development of a vaccination certificate, to be known as a “digital green pass” is ironical in the extreme.
With 12000 licensed premises now closed since December 2019, the rot needs to stop while we have some left
In the hope that the data will support the dates, the hospitality sector is getting ready to open its doors “al fresco” – actually there won’t be any doors to open – more like gates as diners and drinkers will be outside.
Quick and easy routine to be able to carry your Covid vaccination proof around with you
With all the talk of a covid-19 passport or “certificate”, there is already something you can do to prepare.
Your experiences of eating and drinking out stand a good chance of improving hugely as we move forward
It is ironical that it has taken a pandemic to bring forward the revolution of the use of personal data. When we think of this, normally our minds turn to identification, bank accounts, in fact just about anything but now your food preferences?
Caution caution caution! Don’t rush in and overdo it
It is exciting – the road map suggests dates when in particular the hospitality industry can re-open – pubs, restaurants, hotels, even night clubs are all now in the running to get going again.
People are going to want to feel safe before their confidence in returning to normal life is going to be regained
Now that the Prime Minister has outlined the road map out of covid-19 restrictions, the debate has again turned to the issue of vaccination passports which we have mentioned a number of times now.
Look carefully at the proposals and let us analyse them once they have had time to sink in over night
The timing of today’s announcements means that we shall not really have a full picture of where the country is going until later this evening.
Is it unreasonable for exceptional profits made as a result of the misfortunes of others to be subject to an additional tax?
The economy has had some really bad hits during the pandemic; many businesses have gone bust and large numbers of people have lost their jobs. The future looks uncertain because we do not know when things will be able to get back to some semblance of normal working.
Good to have a catch up and remind ourselves of how coronavirus continues to circulate
As we wait with anticipation for the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday as to how the lockdown might be lifted by reference to data not dates, we thought it would help to have a reminder of how numbers are stacking up.
We are normally pioneers and yet everyone else is working to get there first!
It is only a few days ago when we raised the question of vaccination passports, who might need them and when. Since then the issue has come up a number of times and passports are going to be needed and the UK runs the risk of being left behind if it does not get on board.
This is a good way for restaurants and pubs to hedge their bets for the future
If there is one habit which the pandemic and associated lockdowns has changed, it is “eating in”. That is basically because there has been no option while restaurants and pubs have been closed.
There has been so much “last minute thinking” during the running of the pandemic. This policy must be top of the list for that!
Things are really hotting up now with coronavirus what with variations and mutations. Where would we be if there were no vaccinations taking place?
It will be essential for people in many different areas of life to be able to prove that they have been vaccinated
The question of a vaccination passport is hotting up and the Health Secretary Matt Hancock has admitted on television that the matter is being discussed with other countries which are likely to require such a passport to allow people to go there.
Historic day coming up! Who can remember why?
15th February is already a date on which a major event took place in the UK but this year is going to be remembered for something new.
There needs to be another way of dealing with the illegal immigration problem
We raised previously the issue surrounding illegal immigrants and the fact that they are being housed in four star hotels while we still have citizens of our own sleeping rough in streets and being fed at soup kitchens.
Everyone is just being too impatient; there is nothing we can do to hurry this matter through
In ancient times, being the messenger was a double whammy – you probably got paid very little and as often as not your career would probably end up with your head being severed from your body, possibly being returned to your boss with compliments.
This is a subject over which there is constant speculation but with little real information to rely on for predictions!
There is no doubt about it but the travel industry has every reason to feel glum at the moment and this is not going to change any time soon.
We have so much of it and yet it is not that popular to eat
There is something really strange about the British attitude to eating fish – as a nation we just do not appear to make the best use of one of our greatest natural resources.
This is now the dominant news topic – which vaccines are going to be safe? Tomorrow it may all be different
There is no doubt that we are moving into a new phase of the Covid-19 crisis, one where no longer is a vaccine seen as the be all and end all, but just one of a number of competitors, some of which may work better than others.
Covid-19 will continue to creep wherever a door is left open for it
Britain is a strange group of islands altogether and although the Channel Islands are quite some way away, they are today assuredly British even though originally they formed a part of the Dukedom of Normandy.
Anyone in business has ups and downs but current events have vastly exceeded the norm
We have talked about rollercoasters on a number of occasions now as we things see-saw up and down. Of course rollercoasters are supposed to be fun but unfortunately the range of goods and bads we have seen over the past nine months have been far from fun.
It will definitely become “those who have and those who haven’t”. And it will become as divisive as everything else during this pandemic
The question as to whether any party has a right to insist that any other party must be vaccinated has been raised before and as yet there are no definitive answers – indeed there are various possibilities.
It is not unknown for a party to win a case but still feel he has lost it. Covid-19 business interruption claims must surely fall into that category
It is a real blow for some hoteliers and other hospitality operators but although there were insurance claims for business interruption, insurance companies fell over themselves to avoid making payouts, claiming that the cover did not extend to such exceptional circumstances or that the wording did not cover the present situation etc.
If we cannot learn from this there really is no hope
What can one say about the unfortunate death of Captain Sir Tom Moore? This is surely the ultimate lesson to us to respect Covid-19?
It is all very exhausting and there seems no let up at the moment as we get more warnings
To learn that the government is now targeting specific postcodes to track down the South African variant of Covid-19 must signal a great worry indeed about how much more dangerous this variant could turn out to be.
We have definitely moved to a new level in our war against Covid-19
The way the news has shifted in recent days over who is actually going to get their vaccinations is startling. The action of the EU on Friday trying to “secure their position” was extraordinary and has done them no good at all. It is a good job that they backed down.
May be “new norm” won’t be all bad! Definitely aviation with a twist
When the word “airship” is used, no doubt it conjures up in our minds that dreadful accident in 1937 in New Jersey when the Hindenberg caught fire. It was probably the most famous aviation disaster ever caught on camera and basically brought about the end of airships as a realistic form of transport. Airships, also known as “blimps” have continued to exist but are a relative rarity.
And there are still those not really taking this seriously
The very sobering fact that the UK has now recorded 100000 deaths from Covid-19 is just about all that anyone is talking about today.
This is really high risk stuff so no chance it is going to open up again any time soon!
Time marches on and some businesses are now getting sufficiently weighed down with debt that they are just going to close and I am referring in particular to night time businesses, bars and clubs with live music which by their nature involve their patrons in close contact. We are talking of the Night Time Industries Association members.
Change is our society just keeps romping on. Another chain store closing its retail outlets is just another nail in the coffin
The announcement today that Debenhams has been sold comes as no surprise as we knew it was insolvent. However, the rub is that the name and website has been bought, but not the bricks and mortar in the various high street shops up and down the country. This is not the first name to go this way and certainly will not be the last.
It shows that even a location with the all clear can easily become reinfected
Guernsey on Saturday announced four new covid-19 cases after seven months of being virtually clear of the disease and implemented an immediate lockdown.
The news is not really good and by the end of April the UK death toll is projected now at 157,000
Just a few weeks ago the news of the new vaccines coming on line made everyone perk up and take notice. At last there was light at the end of the tunnel, albeit still quite a long tunnel. But hope sprung eternal.
Unbelievable
The police have broken up a wedding party in London at the Orthodox Charedi Jewish school which was being attended by 400 people.
Big problems ahead in April when rental moratorium comes to an end
Yesterday we pointed out that it is going to be hard for hospitality businesses to recover and that the end of March is usually a bad time because bank interest or rent bills are due to be paid.
Whether you are furious or heaving a sigh of relief, things are certainly going to be different for a while
Well he has now gone – whether you like him or hate him, Donald Trump has certainly been an influence on all of our lives and no one could possibly have failed to be aware of his presence in the White House.
2021 is going to be a very hard year for the hospitality industry; there is just no indication of when things could start to improve
As we all know, December is generally one of the best months of the year for trade in the hospitality industry. People all have their office Christmas parties and over Christmas families go out drinking and eating and at new year, yes getting well oiled is definitely the order of the day.
News is full of vaccines so everyone thinks they can go back to normal. They are going to be disappointed
Last week ended with a pot pourri of different matters coming to the top but the predominant news is all about vaccinating the people, both in the UK and world wide. And it does sound both exciting and encouraging. The spin doctors are in their element.
The trouble is that everyone wants someone to be responsible no matter what the problem is
The increase in fatalities in the NHS has raised the question about whether members of the NHS staff should be liable for deaths when they have to make what are potentially life and death decisions about who to treat, for example if there are two patients and only one ventilator.
The trouble is too many people are too impatient. They want predictions it is impossible to give accurately
It’s all about Covid-19 at the moment. Hospitals bulging to overflowing, patients being examined in corridors and ambulances and doctors tearing their hair out because of insufficient resources. How did we allow this to creep up on us without realising what was about to happen?
All we have seen so far is what is on the surface. Drill down and you may get a shock
I was brought up to learn that one man’s profit was another man’s loss and indeed so it must be. For all the swirls of cash in an economy, that is just circulating money between people and creates nothing. The only real profit which can be made is something like growth of plants or animals brought on by nature or the mining of minerals etc.
Hospitality represents a major part of the UK economy and employs a considerable number of people
There has been a general call for a Minister of Hospitality for a number of months, encouraged particularly by the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has caused enormous damage to the hospitality sector and is set to wreak yet further havoc before it is all over.
An interesting plan. Can it possibly succeed?
A little while ago we reported the arrival of British Airways’ final 747 ‘Queen of the Skies’ at Cotswold Aerodrome where she, and her cohorts already awaiting their fate, would most likely be ‘parted out’ (scrapped). In fact that particular 747 has been acquired by the aerodrome authority for development as a (static) conference and learning facility, but the fact remains that there is simply no second hand market for these aeroplanes; long haul super-large four engine airliners have had their day. The long haul skies today belong to the new generation of twin-engined jets.
Policing this crisis is not easy but it has to be done
It seems that it is very difficult to get it right. The Home Secretary has made it clear to the police that they need to get tough and enforce the rules. This they now seem to be doing with large numbers and the issuing of increased numbers of fines which are themselves beginning to get more hefty.
Crisis deepens and there appears to be no real end in sight
Anyone who follows the news will surely now be getting the feelings of panic which are beginning to pervade our medical services and government at this time. The issue of hospitals running out of places is what was intended to be avoided at all costs at the beginning of this pandemic; the strategy worked back in the first lockdown but has now clearly failed.
Hospitality is just going down and down
Now we have got a week into 2021, life has settled down and holidays and so forth are over, subject of course to the interesting diversion carrying on in Washington DC. How will that play out?
Is democracy going down the slippery slope?
Worldwide people sat inter alia with jaws dropped as the country probably regarded as the most free and democratic of the world televised the invasion of their capitol building by angry protestors as the house was proceeding to meet to conduct what was simply a procedural matter, namely to record the votes for the next president and declare him duly elected.
Numbers continue to grow as we move into Epiphany
Today is the day Christmas decorations must come down – last night was twelfth night. As we bid goodbye to the Christmas season we now pick up the tab – new cases today recorded at 62,322 and deaths have passed the 1000 mark and are recorded at 1041.
What is happening is completely predictable
Today has recorded a record number of new cases in the UK since the start of the pandemic at 60,916. Deaths are recorded at 830.
Be prepared for a much more rigid regime as restrictions get greater
With the announcement of the first AstraZeneca vaccinations today, morale must be lifted in terms of believing that at last we have started a phase of the pandemic which may bring about its end.
Children may be safe in schools but is it right to ask staff to take the risk?
The Prime Minister has let it be known that there is a prospect of Covid-19 restrictions getting tighter. I suspect this news will come as something of a relief to many as the country enters into a new debate – should schools open or remain closed?
It’s time that the government started to tighten up on everything to do with this pandemic before it gets too late
If you are one of the half a million British to have had a vaccination, count yourself lucky. But you may be waiting for your second dose much longer than you thought. The fact is that it seems like the UK is making itself look really stupid over the manner in which it is handling the vaccination programme.
Nice weekend to sit back and assess where to go next.
Dover has been pretty quiet today. Why is that? Is it because haulage companies are being cautious and seeing how things are going? Or is it perhaps because no one is travelling due to Covid-19 restrictions?
There’s a lot to think about just at the moment. The future is by no means certain.
So here we are at last, at long last! The end of what has been a pretty awful year one way or another. 2020 reaches its welcome conclusion very shortly – indeed in parts of the world it is already 2021.
Big news day but coronavirus probably outstrips Brexit just at the moment.
Today has been a busy day. The first batch of news concerns Brexit and the watershed that the Brexit deal with the EU has passed through the Commons.
Does anyone know which way to turn as crisis deepens?
The news which has emerged that hospitals are at breaking point really crept up on us and I suspect no one really quite understood the consequences.
Are the calls for a free for all really realistic?
A somewhat chilling article has appeared in the Daily Mail today – you can read it here:
No doubt after the well needed rest over Christmas, it will all kick off again soon!
When Christmas Day falls on a Friday, the ensuing weekend never quite seems like a weekend – routines are altered and it all seems wrong – unless of course you are taking advantage of the longer holiday and perhaps jetting off somewhere nice.
For each of us perhaps Christmas means something different but in the UK it is important.
I remember many years ago in the nineties when I was in the USA doing my flight training, it was November and one day I went into a big shopping mall – I think it was in Memphis. Everywhere hanging from the ceiling were great big posters with the words “Christmas is all about giving”.
If the politicians come to an accord, we still have to get the parliaments to agree – that has previously proved more than difficult!
Whether you are a deal or no deal person, I do not think anyone can deny that they are excited by the prospect of a finalised deal and to read the small print. Of course as they always say, the devil is in the detail and with 2000 pages to read between now and, oh yes, about 29th December, this should afford some excellent bed time reading over the forthcoming holiday, perfect in fact for a lockdown.
Does anyone now really doubt that we have a big problem?
Not only have we been told of a number of counties going into higher tiers, including Cornwall and Herefordshire which were regarded as really low level risk counties. There can be hardly an area in the country which has not been affected by these changes.
The ever-decreasing circles continue as more countries ban the Brits.
While Britain and dozens of other countries get into a frenzy over the new easily transmissible variety of Covid-19, the news comes along that the disease has now found its way to Antarctica which means that it has manifested itself in every continent in the world now.
As visitors from the UK are banned by more and more countries across the world, the problem really is deteriorating fast.
What a weekend it has been; hardly anything said in relation to Brexit where the government continues what must be the most turgid of negotiations ever held by anyone but all eyes have suddenly turned to the new variant of Covid-19 which they tell us is 70% more likely to get caught than the first variety.
Late notification of a new strain of Covid-19 has not helped but we are stuck with the fact whether we like it or not.
New restrictions and removal of relaxations for Christmas will disappoint a lot of people.
There is no doubt that there will be many people very unhappy with the announcement which has been made by the Prime Minister more or less cancelling Christmas unless you live locally. People have certainly been looking forward to getting with families, in some cases for the first time for months.
Whatever you think about how good or bad it will be to get Covid-19, you really do not want Long Covid
News is beginning to percolate through again about the effects of what has been styled “Long Covid” or also known as post-Covid Syndrome. In bad cases the symptoms of this can last for many weeks or possibly months and there are patients who are finding serious breathing difficulties and who find it hard to walk even 100 yards before running out of breath.
Do you think you know what the various restrictions mean for you? Check it out and take no risks of getting it wrong.
A short while ago everyone was up in arms because they thought they would be prevented from “having Christmas” but the government decided that there should be a short remission from restrictions.
In order to be reintegrated we shall all need to prove we have taken the necessary steps to protect ourselves and those around us
It does appear that we are approaching a crisis point with regard to coronavirus cases. After having another complete lockdown, it does appear as if that did not do the trick beyond a certain levelling off of cases but now it is over, it looks like the transmission of Covid-19 has gone into overdrive
Turmoil for hotels, pubs and restaurants as the restrictions continue
Interestingly this was my post back on 6th April but when I went to get it out of storage to re-post, I found the text had not been saved! So that is lost for ever but it did get me thinking because I have not mused on the future of the hospitality industry for a little while.
Looking back at history can sometimes be most enlightening.
My readers will know that we had something of a catastrophe a month ago when the ISP holding all our website data and our e mail data was hacked in a concerted ransomeware attack. Even their backup data was compromised, such that their clients lost everything – or certainly this client did.
Up and down and round and about. I just feel dizzy this week with the Brexit comings and goings.
It has been a strange week and the public probably feels like it has been a real rollercoaster period. Even now, we do not know if there is going to be a deal when Brexit clicks in fully at the end of this month.
The boot is on the other foot this time; I bet there are a fair few politicians laughing their socks off!
“All they that take the sword shall perish with the sword” said Jesus in the Gospel of St Matthew, chap 26 v52.
Proving you have had the vaccination is bound to become essential if you want full access to services in due course.
As the excitement of getting first vaccinations done romps on, thoughts are already being turned to the future. As we surmised yesterday, comments are already being made about the less well-off countries which may not get the vaccines because the wealthy countries decide to hoard them.
We need something to be happy about. The first vaccinations are a milestone in the present pandemic.
It would be most remiss of us not to mark the day of the first vaccinations against Covid-19 in the UK with the Pfizer vaccine. Noting all the television interviews, there is no doubt that everyone seems to have a spring in their step today as the first aged pensioners are given their vaccinations across the country.
Plant Britain. A great new initiative to make our country nicer and help with the carbon emissions problem.
There does seem to be a real impetus growing in terms of wanting to do something about our climate change problems. It’s taken its time, mind you, but there are now various ideas which are being floated which people can adopt to help.
As the 737 retires it looks like the 737 MAX will be the start of a new era in aviation.
Wednesday 3rd December marked the beginning of the end of the Boeing Commercial Airplane Company’s 19-month nightmare that is the model 737 MAX. It began a series of passenger carrying flights with its hitherto grounded and recently re-certified fleet aimed at restoring public confidence in the type.
When we go outside and the real light dawns when the pandemic is over, we are in for a big shock.
Since the beginning of the restrictions and the first lockdown, huge amounts of things have changed in the economic field. Many businesses have suffered terribly by being closed, most especially the hospitality industry and of course some businesses have done very well and others have even prospered beyond belief because of Covid-19.
We need some good news, don’t we? The cavalry is coming!
When Dr Fauci made his unforgivable remarks yesterday about how the US uses the gold standard while the UK had not carried out the task of vetting the new vaccine by Pfizer properly, this not surprisingly caused such anger that he was later forced to apologise.
Everyone and everything are just very confused at the moment. Can’t wait for life to get back to normal.
It is just not going well at the moment for the hospitality industry and with most of the country in the top two tiers, it does not look like things are going to get any better.
The surprise news that the Pfizer vaccine has been approved came through this morning and everyone is excited.
The news that vaccines were on the way came out a few weeks ago and everyone has been talking about them and wondering when they were going to be available to start being given to the people. And now we know it could be next week when it starts.
As the Covid-19 crisis moves on, so do the arguments and differences of opinion and gradually people take more and more entrenched positions. No discussions then.
With all the present rows about whether we should favour greater lockdowns or greater if not complete relaxations of controls, our minds have not turned to a great extent towards the future and what that will look like. Do we think that the day we get a vaccine against Covid-19 will be the day we all kiss and make up and put our differences behind us?
When people have the facts put to them in a straightforward and matter of fact manner, they usually understand the ramifications. That is what we need.
The prospect of a government losing a major plank of its Covid-19 protection measures because up to 100 of its own backbenchers voting against them is bizarre in the extreme. We have talked a great deal about a divided country but a division of this nature makes absolutely no sense at all.
It does seem to be a question which people like to answer to their own best advantage!
We have been told a lot of things about Covid-19 since it started and in particular how it can spread. Sometimes the information we have been given is contradictory which causes some confusion.
Real care needs to be taken by businesses during this pandemic.
Businesses need decent professional advice during these perilous times of uncertainty.
Is anyone happy anywhere about the way things are moving forward?
Having had an enforced “holiday” for almost two weeks due to internet crime, it becomes clear just how things continue to march on regardless and indeed in the past two weeks everything has changed and yet nothing has changed!
When you are without it you realise how much you rely on it. I mean the internet of course!!
Adrian Leopard & Company would like to apologise to its readers for its absence over the past ten days
It sometimes takes a long time for society to re-adjust after a war and these changes have certainly taken their time filter through
Today I have been asked to write something about the closure, just over a week ago, on 8th November, of Berlin Tegal Airport.
It’s good news but don’t get too excited too soon.
The discovery of a vaccine to fight Covid-19 was heralded as great news last week. Indeed, we were told that it is potentially 90% effective – a huge result.
Covid-19 and the US elections are happily not the only issues in our news these days. Obesity is still a big problem.
Probably the greatest paradox between product and advertising came with cigarettes. For decades harvesting tobacco to make cigarettes was big busines worldwide – UK companies even sent employees abroad to manage their tobacco plants in countries like Argentina and India – livelihoods were sustained and children even sent back to Britain to attend boarding school – and there are still plenty of people alive today who were amongst them!
Yet another airline on the brink.
We have been keeping an eye on Norwegian Air this year because it has looked like tottering quite a lot.
Before we all go around saying “it’s over”, hold on a mo’.
There is no doubt that the announcement of a vaccine which is effective against Covid-19 is really exciting news. It is just what we need to hear. However we also need to avoid getting over-excited about it as there is still a long way to go.
A positive development which may be part of the new norm but only if these outlets can remain in business.
One of the changes in rules which was made in March at the beginning of the pandemic was that restaurants and pubs could operate as takeaways as well. This was not previously permitted as operating a takeaway required separate planning permission.
Time for reflection.
Just a very short note today as it is really a time for thought and reflection.
The pressures build as civil disobedience threatens to destabilise our society.
We seem to live in a very troubled world with pockets of trouble dotted all around the place. Whether you are a democrat or a republican, there is no doubt that the US is divided right down the middle and has been for some time.
It’s going to be quite a tough slog when things get back to normal; what can the industry do to help itself?
Now the new lockdown has started in England hospitality businesses find themselves with quite mixed feelings about the future and what to do.
Even the provision of benefits to get people through this difficult time are taken advantage of by criminals.
It is a sad fact that tax evasion is seen by many in our society as “fair game” and is the bane of probably most governments in the world.
It will be interesting to see how popular take away meals become as against home cooking.
As everyone gets excited about some election on the west side of the Atlantic, our next lockdown approaches with speed, tomorrow. As we know pubs and restaurants are to be closed except they may remain open to sell take away meals.
Two iconic brands get together but let’s hope their respective products retain their identity!
Business is business and brands can get together in what can seem confusing unions. The merger of Marston’s with Carlsberg seems like mixing two incompatible words in one sentence. Looking at it from the point of view of a traditional English ale drinker, it is like pouring the amber nectar into fizzy pop!
The harder we work to make the lockdown successful, the sooner we shall all come out the other side.
Whether or not you are in favour of another lockdown, what is certain is that our hospitality industry really is taking a beating with this terrible virus. After the chancellor of the exchequer introduced his remarkable scheme of eat out to help out, sadly there is now a school of thought propagating the view that this was a false economy
Things are really getting serious as the UK government changes its position dramatically over the virus.
Clearly on Friday I was not the only one who was depressed about the way the Covid-19 pandemic is going. As yesterday the number of world cases passed 46 million and declared deaths passed 1.2 million, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been persuaded by his scientific experts that we were not doing enough to stop the spread of the disease. Moreover the UK yesterday has passed the milestone of 1 million cases according to Johns Hopkins.
As more people go into high states of lockdown, will the people obey?
As October draws to a close this weekend I cannot help but feel that this has been a depressing month so far as Covid-19 news is concerned and I do not cease to amaze at the attitude of some people, mostly younger but not all, whose approach is that they cannot cope with more restrictions and therefore they are going to ignore them.
How many other countries in Europe will be following this example? Probably loads. Britain too?
Last night at 8pm Central European Time we gathered around the TV to listen to the President of the Republic address the nation, and deliver perhaps one of the worst kept secrets so far this year. We are back in lockdown, a decision taken in conjunction with the opposition parties and trade unions, in other words all those in responsibility.
The aviation industry is a major contributor to our national economy. We should be watching very carefully.
Heathrow Airport is seldom out of the news for long and has certainly been making a lot of noise in the past nine months, although not so much of that noise has been made by aeroplanes.
Hotel groups hanging in there despite huge losses.
Some hotel news has hit the headlines in the past few days. The beleaguered Travelodge, the UK’s second largest hotel operator gets good news in that one of its major landlords has decided to stick with them.
There seems little doubt that public dissemination of the projections is being seriously suppressed.
Since we last updated you with numbers of Covid-19 cases, numbers have risen very substantially indeed. In fact the figures are beginning to look really quite worrying.
It looks like lockdowns are only acceptable if they suit the populace. Can that actually work?
The Covid-19 crisis really has descended into a state of farce in Wales with the requirement that shops which normally sell “non-essential” goods alongside essential goods are not allowed to. I think that whoever came up with this was was “havin’ a larf”, wasn’t he???
British eating habits look like they are on the change.
No one will ever doubt that the coronavirus pandemic will have brought about extraordinary changes in our ways of life since it started but one which will remain notable at grass roots level is the way we eat.
Lots of confusing situations to keep us busy this weekend!
There is no doubt that it makes it a lot more difficult for the general pubic to follow difficult instructions when we so often see those in society elevated to lead us ignoring the very instructions they have given to us.
A darker shadow is being cast by Covid-19 now and is not to be under-estimated.
Since Covid-19 first emerged many thousands of doctors, specialists, virologists and other experts around the world have worked tirelessly to find out what it is and how it affects us. It is a tribute to modern medicine that there is so much expertise out there and that people are able to diagnose problems.
I am sure that most of the country want to see these high tier restrictions avoided so there really is a job to do to get this virus stopped.
It is very sad indeed that the parties allowed the question of saving lives to get mixed up with how much money we are going to get out of it, because that is what we have witnessed over recent days with the row between Great Manchester mayor and the government.
Will the stress of flying be removed as long as there is a risk of Covid-19?
It is no doubt a surprise to many that Flybe, the airline which went into administration back in March has been bought and is expected to get started up again. The purchaser is Thyme Opco who are linked to Cyrus Capital, a company which was part of a Virgin-led rescue attempt for the airline last year.
Covid-19 on the increase pretty much anywhere so it looks like holidays at home.
When the lockdown ended in the summer, everyone wanted to go off on their hols – well not everyone exactly but many did.
The more of our own produce we can grow in the country, the better.
With all the big issues floating around with Covid-19 and Brexit, it is easy to forget that these are not the only issues we as a country have to face. Our agriculture and managing our own food resources are still of paramount importance.
As the country closes down bit by bit, arguments rage on. How are they going to be resolved?
Ever heard of the expression “ever decreasing circles”? Well if there were ever a time when that applied it is now. As if we did not have enough trouble fighting a hidden virus which is over-taking our society, people are now getting more and more angry and starting to argue. And what is it about? Not the virus really but money.
Today’s aviation is certainly in a real pickle.
I’ve just watched a very moving BBC documentary called “The Virus That Killed The Jumbo Jet”, and concede to being somewhat surprised by the affection that the British public appear to have towards this so called “Queen of the Skies”.
Lots of places have not re-opened – perhaps never to open again.
There are now 25000 fewer licensed premises open in the UK than there were before the pandemic. Prior to the lockdown, there were 115000 licensed premises but since the lockdown has been lifted only 90000 have re-opened.
Too many people want different outcomes; is it not good that the government seeks to protect the weakest amongst us?
The long awaited new restrictions have been announced but little in the way of surprises.
With the complications of a number of different systems in operation at once and with additional restrictions being imposed in some locations on top, it is going to be necessary for everyone to concentrate on what the restrictions are in all areas and for the people to take full responsibility in trying to make the new measures actually work.
We hear such a lot about the financial effects of Covid-19 on our economy. Well here are some useful facts.
On the eve of what we all expect to be an increase in restrictions to prevent the spread of Covid-19, perhaps it would be of interest to see a few statistics.
Everyone has a point of view; what we need is for those points all to be considered so far as possible.
A recent public opinion poll amongst Conservative voters indicates a shift from making stopping the spread of the virus as the main priority to protecting the economy. As yet those concerned with health still have the majority but this is now very slim indeed.
Alcohol consumption clearly seen as a serious threat in relation to the spread of Covid-19.
The Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, took a bold step and announced the closure of pubs and the banning of alcohol sales on a vast scale, as well as greatly reduced hours for hospitality businesses in Scotland as the number of new cases continues to get worse.
It is time to turn a real problem into a major opportunity. The British could lead the way.
It has been reported that the Home Office is looking to purchase not one but two disused ferries to house asylum seekers while they wait for their applications to be considered. The Times newspaper has apparently reported that a disused ferry can be bought from Italy for £6 million. Such a vessel could apparently house 1400 asylum seekers across 141 cabins.
Things are building up everywhere at the moment.
Today’s announcement in Scotland bringing about the prohibition of the sale of alcohol will no doubt be a shock to everyone and there is no doubt that Scotland is taking huge steps to trying to get the spread of Covid-19 down.
Temperatures rising – is the country heading for civil war?
Things are hotting up – Tory rebels want to get the curfew stopped and reckon they have enough votes to do so on Wednesday along with Labour support. They have the opportunity of a straight yes or no vote.
The government is beginning to show that it means it with the fines and rule breaking.
A takeaway in East London was fined this weekend for handing the food to their customer at four minutes past ten
Wondering when the pandemic will end may prompt some people to seek an explanation via the occult!
The news that Poundland has been selling Ouija boards for £1 as part of its Halloween celebration sales is for some people very alarming indeed whilst for others they wonder what the fuss is about.
There may be some real bargains around for those prepared to wait.
If you are thinking of buying a hotel, it may be time to think again, or maybe not!
The diversity of the nation’s food offerings needs to be retained.
Since coronavirus arrived a number of hospitality businesses have already closed and redundancies have been made. Now that we have the 10pm curfew, a third of businesses say that they will not recover if it goes on for six months because of the significant loss of trade.
Will society become less “social” or is this just a relatively short term aberration?
A lot of people have grumbled about the U turn by the government concerning going back to work. Having been told to work from home if at possible, the government then decided to try and get people back to work if at all possible. Then the spread of the virus got worse and the instruction was reversed.
One size really does not fit all!
The amount of furore which has been expressed since the 10pm curfew came into force has been completely unrelenting. Perhaps the problem is that pubs and restaurants have been bracketed together unreasonably.
Time to come up with grand ideas – as they say “everything is possible”
Education is one of the principal planks of our modern-day society. In no circumstances can it be neglected, whether the students are small children or mature adults finding a new start in life. Britain is noted as one of the top educational countries in the world and Britain is rightfully proud of it.
We have a growing national dispute where everyone actually wants the same result. Let the parties concentrate on their common interests to resolve the matter
The problem with the ever-dividing opinions of the nation is that the language used tends to be so intemperate and uncompromising. So hat off to Sophie Ridge of Sky today because she brought two distinguished professors on to her news programme to discuss the pandemic.
It was all so much easier when we were in full lockdown; now order out of chaos has been reversed – chaos out of order
As the week has gone forward we have heard more and more howls of anguish from the hospitality trade over the 10pm curfew and now it appears that the Conservative party is splitting over the government’s controls with some 40 MPs threatening to vote against the rule of 6.
Best batten down the hatches and go to bed!
Unless you are over 50 years of age you will not remember the time when British television had to stop transmitting at 10.30pm. Indeed I can hear you saying that such a move would have been unbelievable.
Government moves to show a way forward for businesses to start making hard decisions
A week ago we commented on whether the time had come to start to let inevitable failures fail. It is a hard decision to make but with life changing so very dramatically, it certainly is inevitable that some businesses will not recover in the way that we knew them.
The long haul would be made a lot easier if people could try and come together instead of just arguing all of the time
I find myself ever more surprised at the extraordinary diversity of views following the Prime Minister’s announcement yesterday when we were advised that the government was increasing the restrictions consequent on the spread of Covid-19. What is becoming clear is that the country is dividing itself down the middle with ever increasing contradictory statements delivered with such feeling.
Not a lot of good news around for the autumn equinox. It looks like a hard winter lies ahead
A very widely “leaked” statement was made by the Prime Minister at noon today aiming to set out new restrictions being brought in to combat Covid-19.
Let us hope that the deterioration has not gone too far already
When the chancellor’s eat out to help out scheme was in full swing, pubs and restaurants did amazingly well. 100 million meals were sold. Not bad, eh? And then when hotels were able to re-open, many hotels did absolutely bumper business in August – indeed some hoteliers said that they made up for all the months of closure with the influx of business, and all of that without foreign business as the foreigners were not here.
Enough is enough; and are the authorities actually going to do anything about it?
The sight of Blackpool on Saturday might, when all is well, would be a wonderful sight for local businesses – all that trade three quarters of the way through September.
Weekend – a good time for reflection
Matters are moving on apace as the public begins to experience the new restrictions as they come into force bit by bit. But one of the more significant bits of news is Prime Minister’s intention to have talks to consider whether further restrictions should be imposed on the whole country.
Once again the people need to realise that matters are going to get a lot worse before they get any better
It is almost like comparing the haves to the have nots. Now virtually the whole of the north of England is being subjected to new restrictions, that is except for Blackpool and so far no one has explained why Blackpool is being given preferential treatment!
Worldwide travel industry is facing an immense reduction in size. This is more than just a short term glitch
Just about everyone who stays at a hotel at any time knows about Booking.com. As online travel agents, OTAs, go, it is probably just about the best known. Their site is comprehensive and they include loads of photographs of proposed destinations and provide a fairly good amount of information about venues to enable people to make their selections.
It is not normal for English civil courts to be quick but today they have excelled themselves!
They say that sometimes good things come in small parcels. Whether a High Court judgement running to some 162 pages is a small parcel or not, the outcome of the trial held to determine whether insurance companies could avoid business interruption liability due to Covid-19 will be music to the ears of some. This trial has been something of a remarkable matter – the whole thing thus far has taken merely a matter of months to be set down and heard at first level and a lengthy judgement given.
Perhaps landlords and tenants should think about mediation before embarking on the litigation route to resolve their differences
As the pandemic rolls on, the cries are getting louder for the government to extend the moratorium in respect of possession proceedings for commercial premises where rents are in arrears due to coronavirus. One hospitality business association is now saying that if the moratorium is not extended the government will face a “bloodbath” of business failures.
With numbers rising again, it is bad news for those over 50
We can be forgiven for thinking that the government is in a state of panic – that is because it is. Hark back to President Trump who said he down-played the pandemic so as not to cause panic. Whether you believe that to be the case or not, I for one am one of those people who would rather hear it told as it is – warts and all. Surely the majority of thinking people are capable of making up their own minds as to the relative dangers of the situation we are in. Would we not rather just hear the truth?
We can only plan for the future if we can make some pretty good guesses about how it could look. What will “new norm” be?
Who could have foreseen it all? Did anyone think that in 2020 the world would be brought to its knees by a pandemic? If anyone had suggested it, there would have been comments like “what do you know that we don’t?”.
The shock of battening down the hatches has not yet dawned
The hospitality industry is likely to be facing increased financial pressure over the forthcoming weeks. The industry has found itself in a unique position having been more or less closed down in March. We are now beginning to see the premises which have not re-opened since the lockdown was relaxed and which are beginning to announce that they will not re-open, at least under the same ownership.
It’s all in the hands of the people – but the enforcement authorities are being given more powers
It cannot be denied that anxiety is on the increase. Numbers of new cases are growing at an alarming rate and already we are on notice that groups of more than six people are going to be outlawed in England, whether in or outside, subject to a few exemptions, details of which are awaited but include weddings and funerals.
Meetings of any length in groups is really a no-no, even outside
The temperature is rising, possibly literally, as the number of new Covid-19 cases rises sharply and the government is clearly getting worried, very worried indeed in fact. And all of this comes at the time when children are going back to school – something regarded as an absolute necessity if we to avoid a generation of children coming out of school under-educated.
There will nearly always be a buyer – the question is how much
News has now emerged that 40 of the hotels are to be reopened under a new banner – the phoenix rises. The properties will now come under management by Bespoke Hotels under a five year agreement.
It cannot be denied that there is a humorous side to this; good job it was not a much more serious issue
This is an account of one of those great errors that sometimes creep into life. The Grand Lodge of Romania celebrates its 140th anniversary on 8th September so the country decided to issue a set of commemorative stamps.
Don’t be fooled; things are getting more risky than ever. Don’t take risks
I know we do quite hammer this particular topic but it seems to us that it is so important that no amount of thought given to it is too much.
It’s time the media stopped hyping up quarantine issues. Those who get caught out simply took a gamble and lost
Have you noticed that it is getting rather frenetic on television over the changes to the quarantine rules? And then when they tell us what the travellers say, most of them admit that they knew they were taking a risk
Impersonation of others is so easy these days – trouble is we are too trusting!
Over the years the idea of carrying an identity card in the UK has been a source of great controversy. The reasons why there are objections seem to revolve around the fact that it is yet a further encroachment into personal liberty but perhaps the time really has come when personal freedoms are less important than the needs of society to ensure that personal identity is always verifiable.
Eating out always has been a caveat emptor issue but more so than ever at the moment!
The chancellor’s eat out to help out scheme is now closed. Considering the novelty of the idea when it was announced, it does appear to have been an incredible success with some restaurants saying they have never had a busier August than this one. The scheme has cost a great deal of money with well over 64 million meals being sold.
The media will not promote this man as it would not support their agenda
For our news blog today we offer a short YouTube video by a black American called Kash Lee Kelly.
Coronavirus is definitely on the increase now generally
It will not have escaped general notice that three more countries have now been removed from the travel corridor list, namely Czech Republic, Jamaica and Switzerland whilst Cuba has now been added, all with effect from 4 am this morning.
It is unlikely that a lot of thought has gone into this particular issue on the part of members of the public – time to check it out!
With all the problems of Covid-19 and the significant reduction in airline travel at the moment, one may think that the question of drones is not a very important one. Well nothing could in fact be further from the truth.
It looks like the majority are more comfortable staying put
Having reported yesterday that the eat out to help out scheme has been a great success, the truth is that there is still a great deal of concern in society over the level of Covid-19 and the risks associated with it.
Enjoy cheaper food while it lasts – September probably heralds something different
The chancellor’s eat out to help out scheme has one further day to run after today, next Monday which is a bank holiday. Although there have been calls for the chancellor to extend his scheme this has not been done and it would be surprising if it were given that the ball is being picked up by others.
Although the lockdown has been relaxed, society just does not seem to be out and about like it used to be
It seems a strange thing but it is really difficult to know just what the British people think about their present situation. On the one hand we have the Prime Minister urging people where possible to go back to work. And yet the bigger cities are still relatively deserted, notably London where some are beginning to predict the on-set of a real problem – a city without workers and where basic shops and restaurants are going to start to go out of business because of lack of trade.
How much longer before British patience runs out?
The recent news that Rule Britannia and Land of Hope and Glory might be dropped from the Last Night of the Proms because the conductor is Finnish is the ultimate insult.
With the information in this article, you will have all the tools you need to determine the level of risk of having to quarantine when you return to the UK
The World Health Organisation today said that they hoped the Covid-19 pandemic would be over in “under two years”. This seems to be putting down a clear marker for the world to ruminate over – another two years of what we are going through?
As the days go by we see more and more changes which leave our lives in some turmoil
There has been something about this month which seems to be very unsettling. We are now three weeks through it and every day seems to herald some new news which in some way rocks the boat.
New aeroplanes coming into service may be a little superfluous to requirements at the moment until business builds back up
In a previous post via this forum I discussed the withdrawal around the globe of the Boeing 737MAX-8 and MAX-9 airliners, and the technical reasons for that decision. I concluded by speculating whether the type would ever return to service, and if it did, whether it would be promoted under the same name, and what the passenger reaction might be once they realised that they were about to travel on a MAX?
This affair promises to get more heated as the days go by
If you have been following our news feeds, you will recall that we have highlighted the issue of asylum seekers arriving in Britain and being given the 4 star treatment, transported on posh coaches, accommodated with three square meals a day in 4 star hotels and even getting jollies to places like Anfield, and a cash handout as well.
Still time to chomp your way through the Chancellor’s meal deal!
The eat out to help out offer from the Chancellor of the Exchequer is over half way through now. The last opportunities this week will be tomorrow, Wednesday. There will then be just four more days when the offer will be available.
The cruise industry has certainly had a mighty fall
When the pandemic got out of hand, cruise ships were badly hit. Putting it simply, no one wanted them in their port so they had to stay at sea. For the passengers, the luxury of their cruise suddenly turned into something more akin to being kept in prison as they were confined to their cabins
This is set to become one of the biggest scandals of the year in the UK. The people are fed up with it
On 10th August in these columns we reported on the findings of Nigel Farage who had uncovered the fact that asylum seekers were being put up in exclusive 4 star hotels or should I say “hostels”
Whatever else Covid-19 has done, it has taught us significant lessons in relation to business matters. We need to be ready in case it happens again in the future
As things stand, a lease is not an asset – it is a liability other than in very limited circumstances. This fact has never been better known than it has during the pandemic lockdown. Businesses have had to close by government order but their rents continue to accrue and become due.
People are not paying attention. The facts and figures are there for all to see. Sorry to say “I told you so”
Yesterday we said that we were surprised quarantining incomers from France had not come into force. I guess that the Transport Secretary read our blog!
As we said previously, putting a stop to the spread of Covid-19 is really in the hands of the people
There is no getting away from it – the gentle drop in new cases in the UK has suffered a quite clear reverse over the past couple of weeks. New cases have now been back in four figures for several days after what might have been seen as an encouraging reduction down to the mid-hundreds.
One sector of the economy is booming – hospitality technology!
If there is one thing which has moved forward apace during the coronavirus pandemic it is the development of technology to make the hospitality business more “Covid-19 friendly”. People using restaurants and hotels are already beginning to see these developments in operation but perhaps they are not aware of the extent of where things are moving to.
It just goes to show that people just love a freebie!
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has hailed his eat out to help out scheme as a success as more than 10.5 million claims were made in the first week. The average claim has been put at “close to £2.50”. It is of course not known how many meals are served per claim.
Free jollies to football stadium for asylum seekers? Has the British government gone nuts?
The granting of asylum to persecuted people has always been a corner-stone of British life; we only have to go back to the world wars to know how our compatriots responded to the call of duty to bring freedom to other peoples. And I am the first to say that I have no problem whatsoever with peoples of other races settling into our society, as so many have over so long.
Nice weather coming up – a great opportunity to take advantage of the government scheme for contributing to your meals
Tomorrow Monday 10th sees the second “batch” of days when you can get a helping hand with your dinner costs from the Chancellor of the Exchequer. This is his scheme “eat out to help out” where he will contribute 50% of your food and soft drinks costs up to £10 per person.
Expect the list of countries added to the quarantine list to increase as numbers rise
It is creeping up on us and we are not supposed to notice! Quarantining incoming personnel into the country is going to be around for a very long time – that is becoming clear. With three countries in the world now reporting new cases in the millions, USA 5.0, Brazil 2.9 and India 2.0, with a host of other countries reporting significant numbers of new cases, the incidence of Covid-19 is definitely on the increase.
As the country moves towards the opening up of trading, business pressures will pile up. What will the new normal be?
Little cheer is gained by noting that only about 50% of central London offices are expecting to re-open in full this side of the new year. That may be good for employers and employees but will bring no optimism to the tens of thousands of hospitality businesses in London, ranging from take-away sandwich shops to posh restaurants and hotels. It has been well known for a couple of months now that major hotel groups are looking at mass redundancies over the next month or so.
As second wave becomes more likely, difficult decisions are going to have to be made
The recent discussions over the choice of re-opening the schools or keeping pubs and restaurants open seem to show that perhaps we are beginning to lose our marbles. Both of these issues are of extreme importance in relation to the future handling of the pandemic but to say that a decision should be taken to have one or the other can only be an emotive one and the author of the suggestion could not have considered all the points involved.
How would the people respond to a really aggressive approach to getting Covid-19 out of Britain?
It is perhaps a little known fact that there are areas which belong to Britain which are clear of coronavirus. You cannot tell this from looking at Johns Hopkins as their table brackets the “Channel Islands” as one territory but in fact the Bailiwick of Guernsey is Covid-19 free and life has gone back to normal, even down to kissing and hugging!
If you want to take advantage of the government hand-out don’t delay – it won’t be around for long
It is an old adage that there is no such thing as a free lunch but now for the first time ever there is such a thing as a half price lunch! This is the remarkable “eat out to help out” initiative announced a month ago by the Chancellor of the Exchequer and today, 3rd August is the first day on which it applies.
The education in how the spread of the virus affects people is sadly deficient as the people do not seem to be taking it on board
I cannot help but wonder just how seriously the people are taking the Covid-19 pandemic. We see social-distancing as a concept largely ignored by large swathes of the population, usually at a rally or something similar or more particularly in the street outside the pub.
How new London looks with Covid-19
Yes, I have been to London, but on this occasion not to see the Queen but in fact to attend a four day court case in the High Court. This trip has been illuminating, frighteningly so given the different ways in which the Covid-19 is having an effect.
This iconic aircraft is reaching the end of its days
The reign of both British Airways’ & Virgin’s “Queen of the Skies” having come to an abrupt end, it may be a good time to stand back and examine how present day long haul flying has changed, even before the advent of SARS.CoV.2., which has merely hastened the 747’s inevitable fall from grace
It’s easy to blame the government but the writing was on the wall for some time
There remains in the country a huge body of opinion which feels that the lockdown has been relaxed too fast in some ways. This is clearly evidenced by the fact that people still prefer to stay at home, pubs and restaurants are nowhere near as busy as they could be, even with social distancing, and shopping is down as well.
As time goes by there will be all sorts of new measures introduced to enhance your safety so life can return to normal
We floated the issue of safety while flying a week ago and now some of the measures which have been introduced at London Heathrow have been made public.
One thing we cannot do without is food. We do not want to suffer the same shock again as we have just had to endure
We take it for granted, don’t we? We need some groceries so off we trot to the supermarket and in this day and age they are so well stocked that you can get just about anything you want including unusual foods and ingredients for foreign style cooking. It’s marvellous, isn’t it?
Time to move on and plan for the future
Russia does not always get the best of press and there seems no doubt that the British people are pretty furious at their actions in Salisbury in an attempted assassination and their subsequent denials of it. What a pity they persist in this type of activity.
As we reach our 100th news blog wouldn’t it be nice if it was all just a dream?
When “Super Saturday” came along, everyone was filled with hope that at long last normality was going to return but early reactions were that trade had not really been as good as had been hoped for.
It’s good that there is some positivity around during these troubled times
In order to try to allay the fear of air travel which a lot of people seem to have at the moment, a few innovations are emerging. United Airlines is trying a new technique to keep passengers safe and reduce the spread of coronavirus.
It’s the unintended consequences which tend to trip people up!
I wonder if they forgot all about non-smokers when the government said that they were going to facilitate restaurants and pubs being able to make more use of outside space in its bid to keep the transmission of the Covid-19 disease down. There is no general ban on smoking outdoors in the UK which means that under the original proposals to extend external dining the no smoking in restaurants rule would have been conveniently forgotten – to the horror of many probably
This article may help people to understand a bit more of the nature of Covid-19
We cannot vouch for the provenance of this article or its accuracy; it has been found on social media but it seems to present such an important message that we can do no more than simply reproduce it and suggest that you make your own mind up as to whether you feel it conveys sense.
As the world tries to give itself a kick-start economic problems continue to emerge
Time for retirement – British Airways has brought forward the withdrawal of its entire fleet of 31 jumbo jets. This was originally scheduled for 2024 but the reduction in business due to the pandemic has caused the decision to be taken now, according to announcements made by BA.
Our lives change in ways we would not normally have envisaged
I am not sure what inspired me to start writing daily news blogs just after the lockdown had started. I suppose it was because I saw that the changes in our lives were going to be so startling that people needed to take stock and think about them, especially as the populace seemed to be rushing around like headless chickens with no very specific aim in mind
Disputes now over even how help is supposed to be managed
When the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced his mini-statement a week ago, generally public opinion seemed to be almost wholly in favour. We were being offered £10 a head to eat out on certain days in August and a reduction in VAT for the hospitality industry for six months to January – all to give the industry a well-needed shot in the arm for its very survival.
It may be that we need to be more careful than ever to avoid this dreadful disease
Over the past couple of days some reports have come up with new information concerning Covid-19 which could be a game-changer – in a very bad way indeed.
Is it practicable to stay at home for the rest of our lives? You will have to decide where you feel safe
I suppose we might have guessed that sooner or later we would be facing the question of whether you feel safe going out again or not. The answers to this question will be as numerous as the number of people asked but as we learn more about Covid-19 we can see how different groups of people come into being with their own particular and no doubt valid point of view.
Are people getting out and about or does there remain a significant concern over catching the virus?
It is now a week since bars and restaurants opened and gradually it becomes a little clearer what operators are thinking about the prospects for the future.
Optimistic operators are talking about two years before they get back to former levels while many others are talking about three years
Is the trust we place in our regulators justified? Pakistan CAA clearly has egg on its face
It is probable that the general public have little clue about the damage that no-shows can cause to restaurants and hotels. Unfortunately, this is not just an occasional problem but might almost be said to be endemic. What is difficult to know for certain in why no-shows take place and probably everyone has done it at some time or another, even if only because one of the party does not feel very well
The hospitality industry needs a shot in the arm and without doubt it has got it
Today’s announcement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer has been eagerly awaited; many different organisations have made representations as to the sort of help they would like to see to get the economy back up and running again and now they have the result.
Some very helpful guidance has been published about Covid-19 risk. This is a “must read”
If you have had Covid-19 then you are not going to be worried about getting it again – almost certainly as you will consider yourself to be protected by antibodies. This is not proven but certainly the expectation because people who have had it have got better. You may still transfer it to others if you pick it up from a hard surface.
Is a shot in the arm going to come for hospitality?
Hospitality seems to be in the news all the time and most of it seems to be bad news with closures being announced. As was announced last week Pret a Manger are to close 30 of its shops and there are rumours it could be as many as 45. The company’s business has dropped by an amazing 74% but is that surprising considering that the Covid-19 pandemic means that people have been staying at home?
For the majority Super Saturday weekend seems to have gone down like a damp squib
It all goes to prove that things can be hyped up as much you want but reality is not always the same. We were told to expect the roads on Super Saturday to be absolutely packed while 10.5 million people were going to go out to their caravans, second homes, holidays etc. We were told that the people could not wait to get out to the pubs and restaurants and that there would be great queues everywhere and you would not be able to go into a pub or restaurant without a booking. We were told that everyone would want a haircut.
With the hospitality industry set to re-open in England on 4th July, it is not all going to be plain sailing
The news this week has been little other than grim. Take a look at the Britannia Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool at this link
Nothing like a drive up to the Elan Valley dams. When can you do that?
Wales is a wonderful country in so many ways but at the moment if you live there you are stuck with travelling no further than five miles from home or if you are not, you cannot even go there.
Of course airlines may be closed down again if virus continues to spread at current rate
Today is the day that Ryanair has started its 1000 flights a day. That plan suffered a minor blow when Greece said not yet please but nevertheless Mr O’Leary claims that their flights to other destinations are 70% full. By clicking on this link you can see what flights are in the air and the Ryanair flights have RYR at the beginning of the ID.
Is social-distancing when flying actually possible?
As the world’s airlines gird their loins in preparation to get flying again it may be worth considering the measures being proposed by the carriers to mitigate possible viral cross-infection between passengers. At one point during the lockdown the suggestion of blocking middle seats was mooted. easyJet at first suggested they might adopt such a measure, but then seemed to talk themselves out of it.
New normal is not going to look anything like normal at all. Our society is going to be very different for a long time
Leicester is a sizeable city of about 330000 people. Its population includes a large number of BAME inhabitants and it has recorded a resurgence of some 800+ new cases so now there is a debate as to whether it should be locked down for a further two weeks and, just like everything else with this pandemic, the authorities cannot agree.
As new cases exceed 10 million this pandemic is on the increase!
By the end of the coming week, we shall have seen major new relaxations of the social-distancing requirements. Pubs and hotels are re-opening and we shall see a further week of unlimited shopping. The following week travel opens up again and we hear talk of the quarantine measures being relaxed for certain low-risk countries.
New insolvency law now in operation and Lufthansa hanging in there!
The Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 completed its whistle-stop tour through Parliament yesterday, notwithstanding a number of amendments in the House of Lords, and received the Royal Assent yesterday evening, 25th June, and therefore became law at midnight last night.
The People will decide our fate in this crisis – truly democratic
In a democratic society, it is the people who run it? Yes? And we elect governments to do our bidding and look after us, a sort of “organising administration” there to meet our every need.
The truth on airline contraction is becoming clearer
The latest round of redundancies appears to be from Jet2. It would appear that 102 captains and first officers are to be made redundant, the leavers being those who joined the company most recently. Another report states that 380 cabin crew will be made redundant; it is not entirely clear whether this figure includes the pilots or not but the inference is that it does not.
As we get more freedoms, it gets more and more difficult to understand what they actually are!
There can hardly be a soul in the land who will not be pleased with some parts at least of the Prime Minister’s announcements in Parliament today, even if it is just “I can go and have a hair cut”! Additional measures such as two households at a time getting together indoors will also enable friends to meet again and for reciprocal dinner parties to get started again.
Opening up again after the relaxation of the lockdown is very much a two sided exercise
Crunch time looks like being upon us in the next fortnight. Pub landlords will be now be assessing what they can and cannot achieve. Probably the public will think mainly in terms of what matters to them, things like will there be adequate space for social-distancing
Double check before you take any action.
We can be forgiven for becoming more and more confused and less and less certain about what we are and are not allowed to do as the days go by.
As restrictions are lowered, so the health of our economy comes more into focus.
The reduction of the alert level today from 4 to 3 came as a surprise to most and the reasons given seem a little strange, including that the virus is no longer spreading. That point must be relative since there are consistently over 1000 new recorded cases per day.
If there is one area of business where you need your wits about you, it is undertaking any form of lease or tenancy.
I never cease to amaze at people who think that when they have a business lease, they have an asset. Well, I am sorry to say that in the main they could not be further from the truth.
Think carefully and plan well before going away. Above all check out your destination.
Are you getting a bit fed up with staying at home? Do you really feel that a holiday might just be within your grasp this summer now? Well it is not all plain sailing but there is help at hand.
Daily we hear about more insolvency in business, notably in the hospitality industry. Now is the time to think about whether you may be in trouble.
This bill is due to have its committee stage in the House of Lords today, 16th June. It is understood that there will be some debate and if amendments are made it will have to go back to the House of Commons. Otherwise it can be expected to move forward to Royal Assent pretty quickly.
With further lifting of restrictions we slowly approach the need for voluntary control.
The French president appeared on TV yesterday and basically told the nation that all restrictions are now lifted, more or less at least. French people can get together in whatever size groups they want, wherever they want and can travel throughout Europe without restrictions, except for Sweden and the UK.
Businesses are now fighting for their very survival. Without them there will be no jobs.
“No man in the country is under the smallest obligation, moral or other, so to arrange his legal relations to his business or property as to enable the Inland Revenue to put the largest possible shovel in his stores…..” So said
A short look at a huge group which has had little or no mention so far.
We have talked a great deal about damage to business, the economy, charities, the arts, the church and many others. But there is a sector of our society about which little has been said and which deserves a mention. Fraternal societies and groups such as Round Table,
Restaurants are thinking about how to woo you once they can re-open but will that really be what you want?
For years now I have carried a tape measure around in my brief case or suitcase. Some people have expressed the view that they found this a little unusual but may be the balance is tipping in my favour!
A chance for entertainment and exercise all in one!
Last week the prospects of zoos opening in the near future were bleak – in fact there was no indication of when this would happen. Evidently the power of persuasion has worked and we are now informed that these entities will re-open from 15th June.
Even the survivors are going to leave trails of redundancies.
I mentioned some names you might not see again a while ago. Unfortunately new names are being added to the list all the time as end of furlough and social distancing bring business realities into focus.
Even if you do not like it, learn from it.
I thought I was going to limit my comments about the unfortunate events of the past days to their effect on our country’s health in relation to Covid-19 and the issues over social-distancing. Unfortunately the problems do not stop there.
There seems to be a lack of rational thinking in the way social distancing is imposed.
In a world where we have become more aware of the need to protect endangered species, our zoos have become really important centres which can do so much to assist in this endeavour. It is always encouraging to hear of the births of rare creatures in zoos and to know that animals that are endangered in the wild still have cousins in captivity – and captivity also means safety and protection.
Time is passing – start your planning as soon as possible.
Those who think that the lockdown was merely a temporary blip with everything going back to normal after it is over are in for a shock. Indeed they should already be braced for an enormous change.
Get ready for moratoriums or “debtor in possession”
The new law heralds the most significant change in our insolvency regime for a number of years and could be particularly welcome following the effects of the pandemic on our economy.
Time is now sorting the wheat from the chaff.
As the days go by announcements appear telling us about restaurants and other businesses which will not be re-opening, some under their current management and some at all ever.
An update on how it is beginning to look.
As life moves on, the future of the licensed trade slowly unfurls and it continues to look as if the end product is not what you will want to see. What have we seen so far? Pubs and restaurants were ordered to shut with no notice whatsoever.
When you are under lockdown, you need something to look forward to!
This sounds exciting! What’s it all about? Is it something to do with Dr Who’s latest monster? Should we be worried and take cover at home?
Let’s cut out the frenzy.
When I started these periodic news blogs, I was motivated by the arrival of an event unique to our lifetimes – a worldwide pandemic and I felt that perhaps it would help to make comment to help people think about how to handle such a unique and little known event.
Everyone is too eager to lift lockdown. Holidays beckon…
I am not normally one to say “I told you so” but lifting the lockdown is going to be a real problem. Looking at the infamous Johns Hopkins University table, I am afraid that yesterday France declared 3325 new cases of Covid-19, that is for 27th May. I am sorry to say that this is a big deal because new cases seem to have paled away in recent days – until now.
There is a lot of criticism of the BBC these days.
There was a time when the word “television” meant the BBC, just like there was a time when “hoover” meant vacuum cleaner and I have to admit I am old enough to remember both – just, of course! I wonder how many of my readers will admit to the same.
Businesses desperate to find solutions to operate
As the days towards the end of the more general lockdown pass en route to 4th July, more and more people are wondering how pubs and restaurants can “manage”. The latest utterings from leading operators is that a 1 metre distancing requirement would enable many outlets to open and restore literally thousands of jobs. Indeed they cite the fact that the WHO rules specify 1 metre.
Should we sacrifice safety for the economy? Beware the second wave.
The past weekend has seen recorded deaths in the UK at their lowest for a considerable time. Of course it has become normal to see weekend deaths at lower figures because of the lag in information coming through but today has been low too.
The sooner this matter is resolved, the better.
There is no way anything else is going to displace the Dominic Cummings issue so the news that the Durham police commissioner has asked the police to investigate is probably a good thing.
Names like Shearings, National Holidays, Bay Holidays and many others included.
On 22nd May the Specialist Leisure Group entered into administration. It was reported on television but certainly the impact of this collapse was not evident. One of its subsidiaries is Shearings the coach company and that broadly is all that was reported.
We keep getting reminded about holidays!
The weather looks like holding and the sun is shining. Time to get away for a nice weekend somewhere. Perhaps a nice trip across the Golden Gate Bridge to San Francisco or, if not, a trip to the seaside?
The Corporate Insolvency & Governance Bill has now hit the Commons with more than was expected.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced early in April that there would be temporary relaxations to the current insolvency legislation specifically over the issue of wrongful trading. Since that announcement all sorts of other pressures have surfaced and the government has taken the opportunity of trying to address some of them.
It seems that people have forgotten that the Prime Minister delayed the lockdown because he said people would get tired of it.
Day by day the arguments hot up as to whether the lockdown should continue or whether there should be relaxation and the parties gradually become more intemperate.
There is a lot of technical stuff here but it makes one wonder how these decisions are made.
Both Airbus and Boeing have recently posted eye watering first quarter losses of €481m and $641m respectively. The CEO of Airbus, Guillaume Faury, warned earlier this month that it may take up to five years for passenger figures to be back at their pre-Covid numbers.
Should you be penalised for being in the right place at the right time?
he UK has always been a country where using one’s initiative has been regarded as a positive attribute – entrepreneurism and making the best of a situation.
With views continuing to polarise do we need again to look at the world wide statistics?
I have talked about the world wide statistics on the covid-19 figures several times now but as the news diverges, it seems to me that perhaps the figures are pretty much valueless. What is more is that people are beginning to hot up the blame game.
Resolving our fishing industry difficulties is a very important long term issue.
As an island nation, one of our greatest resources is, or should I say, should be our fishing industry. There are very few countries in the world with no land borders – indeed even the UK is not one because there is a land border with Ireland. However, in principle we enjoy one of the largest coastal borders relative to our size, and certainly within Europe.
Community arts under threat from financial strictures.
The plight of our country’s arts has now hit the news. Pictures of empty theatres remind us that this is a part of our national activity which will possibly be affected for as long as pubs and hotels.
Was the crisis just a “blip” which is now coming to an end?
The UK along with many other countries is beginning to see lockdown gradually being relaxed. This is a real moment when people should start to contemplate on just what has happened and how these recent events might change our lives.
Have the police made the best of it?
One of the results of the lockdown was that certain petty crime like shoplifting appears to have dropped. Surprise, surprise, given that most shops were closed. Theft too from private houses seems to have been contained but then it is quite risky to go in and help yourself when the chances of the owners being at home are somewhat high.
Complex balancing act going on at the Treasury.
It must come as some surprise to hear HMRC praised for giving money back to the people but here we are hearing the Chancellor of the Exchequer praise HMRC for dealing so efficiently with the furlough payments.
New rules but what exactly are they?
When I heard the Prime Minister on TV at 7pm on Sunday, I thought I understood exactly what the new rules were. However, the media and others have done an excellent job of completely confusing the issue for everyone in the short time since. The government, by contrast, have produced a lengthy document setting out the requirements in far greater detail. In the meanwhile the Prime Minister has made the same statement to Parliament.
Stay Home has now become Stay Alert.
My last watershed day was 25th April and we thought that might be something of the beginning of a turning point. With the benefit of hindsight, that “exact science”, we can see that in one way quite a lot has changed; in another way nothing has changed!
The health risk has always been an issue
We have given aviation some exposure during the current crisis and how it might impact on the future of the travelling public so we thought we would take a look at the cruise market.
As we move towards relaxing the restrictions, parties begin to think of the future.
Whether you like it or not, Covid-19 is being seen by climate change lobbyists as their “opportunity”. In a previous post, I looked at the effect several factors might play in deciding whether Heathrow Airport (LHR) would get its controversial third runway in the foreseeable future.
It is important to find the good things which are emerging from our crisis, not just the bad ones.
The idea of an organ recital taking place in an empty church seems at first glance to be a strange indulgence. Not so, however. One of the products of lockdown is remote working and one school is taking full advantage of the opportunity.
As deaths and new cases fall a bit, people are getting itchy feet.
New cases and deaths continue to drop which is of course good news but there looks like being a new problem on its way, namely that there are competing views on how we move forward. Is this all going to create a new crisis, one which is fuelled by opposing views?
Now aviation has dropped like a stone, when will it build up again?
In one of our earlier postings it was stated quite reasonably in an earlier posting that given the dire position in which civil aviation now finds itself (and frankly it has never been the most stable of industries), is it likely that we will see a third runway at Heathrow (LHR) within the next decade?
NHS employee setting up a PPE supply company more than a disappointment
The word “hero” has been on everyone’s lips now for some weeks and has been universally applied to the “NHS” or by implication its employees.
Do people have a clue just how bad it is?
Current news on aviation is dire. British Airways have announced a possible 12000 redundancies will be taking place and now it is looking like Gatwick will lose all BA activity and BA are telling us that it may not start up again. The job reductions include significant numbers of pilots and co-pilots.
The latest government figures appear to have revealed where the haemorrhage is taking place.
There is no doubt that the revelation that thousands of deaths have taken place in care homes is quite shocking and puts a completely different complexion on the pandemic so far as the UK is concerned.
Are we so different from other European countries?
The lockdown has been with us for some weeks now; indeed there are some amongst us of higher risk who have been in lockdown for almost two months now so all in all, it is not surprising that some are beginning to tire of it. Fortunately, those who are keen to see it over soon are not in the majority – yet at least.
As the populace gets itchy feet there needs to be a little pressure reduction.
The death rate has platformed out and yesterday’s result showed a respectable reduction – although it has to be borne in mind it may just be the weekend lag. However, all the chatter is turning to how we get out of the lockdown, and more particularly, when.
Matters now get more confused rather than less
Today’s deaths in hospital now top that magic figure of 20000. Do you remember – when this was starting it was considered that getting through this without exceeding this figure would be a result. Now the punters are pointing out that yet more deaths will occur. Will we be able to contain it within 40000? The NHS says it expects 30000 by the end of May – a vastly increased prognosis.
There’s a policy decision to be taken – continue to try and slow the virus or open the doors for a free for all.
If the present slight drop in deaths continues, no doubt many will give sighs of relief. Of course what is needed as much is a drop in the number of new cases. As we have come to realise over recent days a drop in hospital deaths does not necessarily mean the virus is in recession. The government advisers keep saying that this is the beginning of the drop but it is certainly taking its time.
No obligation to hold deposits in ring-fenced accounts.
One of the worries which is emerging as a result of the lockdown is a complex area of business which many people find catches them out. That is the payment of advance deposits to make bookings and this is not just for wedding receptions but throughout modern life, and most notably with your deposits for package holidays and airline tickets.
Perhaps additional measures are now due?
Today’s results sadly show little change from yesterday and apart from the now anticipated weekend dip, the figures for new cases and deaths in the UK have remained similar for the past 10 days or so.
Government not giving financial aid
South African Airways joins the ranks of airlines with a doubtful future in announcing that it is laying off all of its 4700 employees at the end of April. However it sounds a bit more than furloughing with the employees being given a severance package roughly equivalent to one week’s pay for each year of service although even that is conditional on a successful disposal of certain other assets.