EdinburghPar1975

I think this is at the root of the 'problem'. The majority of office workers likely commute and for City of London imagine the knock on impact to their direct economy if @25-30% or so of office workers not coming back to their desks each day - extortionate rail tickets, lunches etc. all not handing the cash. To a lesser extent the same will be happening in Edinburgh and Glasgow. My work are going to split working with some full time home working but have said some jobs just need people in the office so some folks will still need to come in - those teams will be in the minority though and the chancellor needs the cash from lunches, travel and after work drinks to help pull back some of the cash spent

Anybody got the variant klaxon handy? I've seen that there is now chat on Twitter from an 'expert' that the SA variant is going to be running rampant soon over here and that the AZ vaccine is useless against it...

....is a more likely attitude IMO. Like a few others have said it really is quite interesting to see how localised outbreaks are impacting the national totals

I certainly hope so but based on the briefing i'm watching the EU seems intent to control exports if Countries are doing well with their vaccination rates, that by extension would mean the UK. I thought i'd read that little of the AZ vaccine was coming from the EU anyway - is that right?

Seen some of the headlines about the 'need' to keep distancing and masks in place for maybe years...not going to happen. I can completely see a case for public transport, certain shops and occasions where masks may be requested but i can't see it becoming mandatory after the Summer. As for social distancing then i would hope that if nothing else folks have learnt just to give people a bit more space - nothing used to wind me up quite like folks standing right at your back in a queue for somewhere. Same with basic hygiene - folks washing hands more and shops cleaning trolleys, self service check outs and surfaces more thoroughly and regularly is bound to help even with 'normal' flu and sickness bugs. Variants will come and go and they need to be handled more responsibly by the media (no chance of that!). Hopefully travel can be gradually opened to allow holidays further afield over the next year or so as countries get greater vaccination levels - can't see anyway round vaccine passports though.

Weird way to go about things really when they are already so far behind. As someone has said hopefully AZ can then just send the unwanted vaccines for use here until the EU back peddle again in a few weeks. Did anyone else hear on the lunchtime briefing the BBC guy from Ireland saying that AZ had missed a huge amount of the delivery dates promised? Certainly had the sounds of trying to hold AZ partially responsible for the slow roll out. Would be nice to see a good few weeks around the 400k mark to try and get the numbers way up.

I think he was speculating that if the restrictions were lifted in one go with a large part of the population yet to be vaccinated then it was conceivable that the 'younger' age groups could be impacted and lead to those figures. I don't think he said it would happen but that the projections is why they want gradual easing alongside increased vaccination of folks.

My wife is the same. She's always been 'sanitising' the shopping when we get the home delivery and is completely paranoid about going anywhere. Even trying to talk to here about getting away for a break later in the year she's completely against hotels etc. as it might not still be 'safe'...even after numerous conversations where i've explained that even the vaccines she's had to date are less effective it's just not going in. It's going to take a while i think...

I reckon if there's another 'gathering' like Sunday they'll ask the league to postpone games. All eyes on the Old Firm in a couple of weeks then... It would be the wrong thing to do IMO but nothing would surprise me now

One of the things i heard at the weekend which was interesting was a Premier League manager (might have been Chris Wilder) saying that although they're able to train and play the biggest loss (other than the fans) that he feels has impacted this season is that the players are not allowed to do any socialising/ team bonding and as a result they're not as much of a 'team' this year and more of a group of players that turn up separately, train differently and play games when needed. Could be an excuse but some teams do use the team bond/ all in this together sort of driver to help them compete if they're not quite at the same level technically and i wonder if this is the reason some teams seem to have more dramatic ups and downs than normal throughout the season? Hopefully things will be back to normal for the new season.

There were older kids/ young adults 'training' on the 7 a side pitches at Porty Power League on Saturday morning and most afternoons up at the High School as well - i'd assumed something had changed

If he was doing it properly he should've done it yesterday before the court case had actually happened...no need for evidence or anything like that for old Douglas!

Didn't NS say in the briefing that they were expecting another supply issue next week?

It's getting a bit of a pain to hear all the time but i'm assuming they're keeping this up to try and help stop folks from just completely ignoring the restrictions that are there just now?

Couple of guys i know who follow Kelty think Barry Ferguson might be one of those in the mix (equally could be lazy thinking as he's from the West). Seems to have done ok but has been chucked a lot of money for the level Kelty are at.

You should have asked for an apology ...or should he have apologised on their behalf?

My opinion is worth hee-haw but from what i heard from both sides i've taken the view that Salmond told NS, she said nowt at the time so as not to prejudice anything. It all kicked off and led to the legal action, that was only pulled when the advice was it wasn't in the pursuers interests - this led to cash being paid out and folks complaining that NS should have actually intervened. Meanwhile Salmond is in the cream puff because his old pal didn't brush it under the carpet and acted on Me Too to update an old policy to include former ministers which is why he ended up being huckled. She may have inadvertently breached one code by following another about not disclosing about being told (preventing potential prejudicing of anything). Slap on the wrists and an apology likliest outcome IMHO. Completely appreciate some will have completely opposite views but i just can't see what she had to gain from acting as they are claiming.

Whilst that is great advice there is no way i could afford to buy a bigger house in the area i'm in (which we really like). We got this house about 5 years ago and a combination of things (person desperate to sell in January, housing market not great etc.) meant that we could just get it. Given the house price increases round here i doubt i could afford to buy my own house if it was up for sale now.

Both kids are still quite young (7 and 10) but it's more about trying to get work done soon that will be needed later on. They both have their own rooms just now but one is a bit on the small side. The extra rooms are just for creating better spaces and not really about creating value as we've no intention of moving again. At the minute i'm leaning towards extending over the garage and also putting dormers in to improve the headroom area already there. A lot of neighbours have had work done and luckily all seem pretty happy with who they've used. Fair bit of homework needed i think...

Normally I would but the way the questioning has been going i'm not too sure

Jackie Baillie is having a mare, seriously what is she trying to do by repeating the same questions again and again. Shouldn't the 'chair' be stepping in to try and keep this on track and not be recovering old ground? Sturgeon managing to keep the cool at the minute but she is looking goosed, getting further and further down in that chair

Random question...anyone watching online? My BBC feed got interrupted by old black and white film about Prince Philip - Beeb gearing up for something coming? Still not seen this smoking gun that will bring down Sturgeon...

I'd have them in the garden till they leave but the wife wants a proper roof over their heads, bit extreme if you ask me! Garage has the benefit of also being able to be extended right back into a part of the garden, might be the best option...

Downstairs for that mate

Still getting the doom and gloom on the news though. Figures are very encouraging though