A Non-Lockdown Saturday In Beetley

~ beetleypete

It wasn’t that long ago that I was posting about lockdown life in Beetley. To be honest, it wasn’t that different to life before lockdown, at least for me.

Now it has been almost a week since ‘Freedom Day’, and not much has changed around here. On Monday, I collected an Indian takeaway meal from a restaurant we use. Staff were still wearing masks and face shields, and the screens were in place between tables. But the diners were not wearing masks of course, so I kept mine on as I waited for the meal to be prepared.

I went into Dereham on Tuesday, and did the ‘big shop’ at a huge supermarket. Around two-thirds of the customers were weaing masks, and all the staff I saw were wearing them too. They had an announcement playing over loudspeakers suggesting masks should be retained, and that shoppers should still try to social distance where possible.

I saw some maskless shoppers grinning at that, and all of those not wearing masks were quite obviously younger than forty.

Out walking with Ollie, fellow dog-walkers are still keeping a reasonable distance if they stop to chat, and we are standing at the side of narrow paths to allow others to walk by without having to be in close proximity. But the youngsters and teenagers playing around in the river or basketball court are behaving as if Covid doesn’t exist any longer, with close physical contact, and not a mask in sight.

Where Julie works at out local Doctor’s, most people are complying with the mask rule, which is still in force for medical sites. Only a couple of people refused to wear one this week, and they were not allowed into the building. In one case, a woman became abusive and aggressive, and the manager had to be called down to make her leave.

Next weekend, there is a big family party in the Watford area, in Hertfordshire. I wasn’t going anyway, because of leaving Ollie. But Julie was looking forward to attending the 50th birthday party, and seeing many of her extended family. However, that area has shown an alarming spike in Covid infection during the last week, so attending a party inside has become a worrying prospect. Wearing a mask in that situation is not much fun, so she will likely cancel her long-awaited trip.

This all goes to show that despite ‘Freedom Day’, the virus is still around, infections are still increasing, and many of those who didn’t want to wear masks are taking full opportunity of the relaxation of rules.

In many ways, nothing has changed at all, so we carry on as before here in Beetley.

65 thoughts on “A Non-Lockdown Saturday In Beetley”

  4. Great post Pete 🙂 I hope you and your family are doing well in spite of those new COVID variants. I too think that we need to take the mask wearing seriously. Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂

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  6. I’m a little less worried about it now that I have had the jabs, but still wear a mask in indoor public places as is the law in Poland. But most things seem to be open, work and life goes on and by all accounts infection levels are very low at the moment. You still have to quarantine if you come to Poland unless you have the EU digital COVID certificate and from what I have heard they are hot on keeping tabs on you with daily checkups if you are in quarantine.
    I have a niggle in the back of my mind that reporting of numbers and testing is fairly lax in Poland, the excess death figures from last year bear this out, but we do seem to be in the bottom of a dip at the moment.

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  7. The delta variant is much more contagious than earlier forms of the virus and accounts for most of the new cases in the US. Hospitalizations and deaths are occurring mostly among the unvaccinated. You’d think that would be enough incentive for people to be vaccinated. I’ve been vaccinated for some time but am wearing a mask again in public places. You can’t be too careful.

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    1. All of that applies here, albeit on a smaller scale. Most shops are ‘politely asking’ people to continue to wear masks, but can no longer enforce that. I am sure we will see things getting worse again by the autumn.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  8. Here in the States, we are far from the freedom that you have for we have a larger share of people who seem concerned about their freedom and not at all concerned about other people’s health. Consequently, we are experiencing another spike or wave of the virus. I would estimate that by October it will have peaked again. Too many people d]ying needlessly here because of deliberate misinformation and a nonsense notion of what freedom means. Warmest regards, The

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    1. It is not dissimilar here. The infections are spiking again, and people are gathering in large crowds with no masks. The popular movement to refuse vaccination is on the increase, and we don’t really feel any more ‘free’ or safe than we did a few months ago. Luckily, Beetley remains a safe haven at the moment.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  9. Many younger people still think this is an older persons disease, Pete. I know three people under 30 who have died of covid recently. I know the UK infection rate is on the rise as I watch it carefully. I believe the hospitals are very full in certain areas too. I like wearing a mask, it is my preference now as I haven’t been sick once since I started wearing a KN-95 mask early last year. I like not being sick. I used to get bronchitis at least one and sometimes twice a year.

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    1. The infections here are rising dramatically, as you will no doubt have seen. Almost everyone being treated in hospital for C-19 is someone who refused a vaccine. Hopefully, they will learn from that.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  10. Reminds me of a Carpenters song:
    ♬ Are we really happy
    ♬ With this lonely game we play
    ♬ Looking for the right words to say
    ♬ Searching but not finding
    ♬ Understanding anyway
    ♬ We’re lost in this masquerade

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  11. Pete, the state of California reopened a month ago, and since then the Delta variant has spread like wildfire, causing new mask mandates indoors again….in 99% of the cases, it is the unvaccinated getting sick and spreading the variant. We are more than 70% vaccinated here in CA, but many parts of our country lag behind, and the totals are soaring again…sad state of affairs…so glad that most are still be safe – an abundance of caution will help us all get past this in the right way.

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    1. A similar story here, with most hospital admissions relating to people who refused vaccination.
      We are going to carry on as if still in lockdown, and reduce our contact with anyone we don’t know.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. We have around 25-30% of the population refusing vaccination. Most of those in hospital with C-19 now are unvaccinated. Hopefully, that might make them see the connecton.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. We had four nights away last week in a heatwave up to 32C. It has calmed down to 19C here now. Next trip is a week in Lincolnshire in September. Self-catering lodge, so shouldn’t be affected by the virus issues.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  14. We’ve been walking around Bury market today wearing our masks, but the majority of people there were not. Our youngest grandson’s birthday party is tomorrow, but if the weather isn’t good and we can’t sit outside, then we’re not going. I’m not keen on being in a hall with lots of little super-spreaders, lol.

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    1. Julie cancelled her trip to Watford earlier. Six other relatives had already cancelled, and there will too many of her cousin’s friends who she doesn’t know. She’s worried about subsequent contact with her grandchildren, after being in such a large crowd inside.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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    1. There is a big anti-vaccine rally in London at the moment. A former nurse (struck off for opposing vaccines and denying Covid) told the crowd that the vaccine is a ‘Satanic Conspiracy’ because the reference number for it includes three sixes. (060606) There is no reasoning with such crazy people, Yeti.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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      1. No indeed. We have our share of crazies and the alarming thing is that they have such a following as if people want to believe in “Jew with laser beams” and space aliens or whateverthehell that cracked pot was spouting. I think if aliens got a look at the human race, they would go elsewhere.
        By the way the cat in my picture was Yeti…my first Himalayan. I am actually Carolyn!

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  16. In Scotland masks are still mandatory – unfortunately many of the holiday makers from south of the border don’t seem to understand they’ve entered a different country and should abide by its restrictions!

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  17. Same in my supermarket, most of those not wearing a mask were younger folk. I know masks don’t protect us from catching the disease only helps in not spreading it, so you’d hope everyone would work together in this. I almost feel that the last 18 months have been a waste of time the rate infections are spreading. The Euros haven’t helped.

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  19. After a short period of being a little less cautious [eating out again, entering stores – with a mask, of course] we’re reverting to our previous habits [online shopping mostly, take-out food].

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    1. That’s fine, Jon. I have close relatives who are not in the least concerned about Covid, and say it has a 98% survival rate. But I am in no hurry to become one of the other 2%.
      Best wishes, Pete.

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  24. Scary times, unfortunately. My dad is very paranoid about covid, and therefore incredibly safe whenever it comes to any precautions, so it just makes me angry when people are so reckless and selfish, undoing all of his efforts.

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  25. Here is our little corner of Spain they have brought back the curfew and reversed the decision that we don’t have to wear masks in the street. It’s worrying though as all the tourists are flooding in, young, maskless, and no social distancing whatsoever. Us locals are furious about this.

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