ScotRoutes wrote: ↑Sat Mar 28, 2020 10:27 am Yep. There's a bit of self-fulfilling prophecy about it.

I watched it happen in Italy and Spain saying to mates here that we'd better be careful otherwise we'd be next.

Then it came here and everybody took the piss and now it's 1 hour per day of outside time only within 1km with a form filled in to explain your reason for leaving the house.

And now it's your turn.

Without being (too) mean to the UK there's just no way there are sufficient sensible people to avoid it in my humble opinion.

So.....do you act sensibly now knowing that it's the right thing to do for all and equally knowing that others are in the process of spoiling it for you.

Or do you join the idiots and be part of the problem.

Up to you.....

[Not You you but the collective 'one']

I suspect that the actual numbers of idiots is very small but people, the press, police, etc. latch on to the behaviour of those few and amplify it.

Derbyshire Police released drone footage of a number of cars parked up at beauty spots in the Peak, looking at it there's seven (yes seven) cars in one shot and five in another. Some of those had driven a long way, one from Ipswich, but the numbers are low.

Like I said, government guidance is unclear (and at time contradictory) and open to (mis)interpretation. No doubt there are some who want to see how far they can push things "because they can" but a quick and public slap down is all that "should" be needed.

Just a thought.
It's not worth the risk on a wild camp close to a city.
The cop helicopters have thermal imaging on board so you can't even his in the woods as normal.

Or am I just being paranoid?

Yes the emergency service will be able to see a prone non moving body as a heat source shaped like a human in the woods during a lock down and i imagine they would investigate it in case its a person who is in serious need and say collapsed during a walk. So yes spotted and yes finite resources deployed to remote area to check.

I am sure we would all love to go out as normal but its dont be a dick time for us all.

If you are worried about being caught, then you already know it's wrong and it shouldn't take the threat of detection to stop you from doing it.

Or am I just being paranoid?

Paranoid wasn't the first adjective that sprang to mind when reading that.

The police on the Island are stopping people who are out driving at night.

As you are only meant to leave home to eirher

Going to work
Shopping for essential supplies
Visiting those who are in isolation
Exercising

You have to justify why you are out in your car at 11pm. I assume they'll do the same if you were riding. Whilst I think it's perfectly normal behaviour to be out riding in the middle of the night that's not the opinion of most people, who think I'm crazy or an idiot.

Ive not been for a ride for a week now. Normally my whole life revolves around cycling. If I'm not riding I'm planning a ride, or working on the bike, or making kit, or talking about riding... you get the idea. But these are not normal times so I'm going to have to adjust to it for the foreseeable future

I have a turbo I borrowed 2 weeks back as I could see what was coming... but it's not come to that yet.

Joe Public and the Police wont be able to distinguish between a bike loaded up for a quick well isolated overnighter and someone off on a two week bike tour. Both are now illegal but everytime cyclists are perceived to be breaking the new laws, a total ban comes closer. I think it will be innevitable, i just hope behaviors dont make it happen sooner as they have in Richmond Park.

I went to Newtown for shopping this morning and what's scaring me most is how people are behaving towards each other already - no chatting, no smiling and no sense of 'we're in this together', just stay away from me. The mental and social effects of this could be long-lasting. I also looked at all the shops that are closed and I'd estimate that maybe only half will be able to ride this out and re-open.

It's a damn shame Stu, I hope we can all help out by buying local
When we come out of the rabbit hole ?

My household is currently on day 11 of isolation. Tbh, we've had some of the best meals in the last 2 weeks compared to the last few years. We're ordering online from a local fruit & veg shop, local butchers and the local bakery. When this is all over I'll only be using the big named supermarkets for my beer. It'll be great to see more small local businesses make a success of the awful situation we are experiencing.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:27 pm I also looked at all the shops that are closed and I'd estimate that maybe only half will be able to ride this out and re-open.

I've been to my office this morning to collect some books I need to continue working from home and I had the same thoughts about the shops in town.

I'd also had the same thoughts about the shops, cafes and pubs in the more remote areas, the ones we rely on for our rides. When this is all over will riding the HT550 be viable if the pubs and cafes haven't survived And not just because I want to be able to go there and ride, but because they are good people and I they probably only just make it by normally and they deserve better.

I wonder how the ever helpful chap at Drumbeg Stores is doing, or the old lady at the shop Dornie, or the hilarious landlady at the pub at Rosehall?

Sean, I remembered that Drumbeg stores have a website. Just checked and they shut for December to March anyway.

You do have a point, many of the businesses in the Highlands aren't exactly high profit margin and many do shut up shop for the winter as there isn't the footfall to sustain them during that time so rely on summer trade from us tourists to keep them going. In Skipton alone we've a Morrison's, a Tescos and a Lidl. Go west of the Great Glen and that whole area is served by the same number of that sized supermarket - Wick, Thurso and Ullapool. (those are the only ones that come to mind, Colin might know of some more)

As with Stu and Jeff, this could be the death knell for many high street shops. While usage of the local/artisan shops will increase short term, once this is over the supermarkets will simply shout "CHEAP" and most will simply return there.

I've been in the shed tinkering for a bit and I've got the radio on a local station. I know advertising is paid for way in advance but you think they'd change it to help with the message, we've had

Ref Funnel, advertising holidays on the Island this Easter
A small festival over here in June
Garden centres and builders merchants advertising stuff for landscape gardening

After the adverts they played
Ultravox - Vienna
Europe - The final countdown

Who's chose them for the playlist

Whist working at home this week I've been having a goth and industrial theme playing, Ministry, Nine Inch Nails, White Zombie, Sisters of Mercy, Fields of the Nephilim etc which is obviously not overly cheery and optimistic in the contents but at least I'm not broadcasting it to the public

whitestone wrote: ↑Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:55 pm Sean, I remembered that Drumbeg stores have a website. Just checked and they shut for December to March anyway.

You do have a point, many of the businesses in the Highlands aren't exactly high profit margin and many do shut up shop for the winter as there isn't the footfall to sustain them during that time so rely on summer trade from us tourists to keep them going. In Skipton alone we've a Morrison's, a Tescos and a Lidl. Go west of the Great Glen and that whole area is served by the same number of that sized supermarket - Wick, Thurso and Ullapool. (those are the only ones that come to mind, Colin might know of some more)

As with Stu and Jeff, this could be the death knell for many high street shops. While usage of the local/artisan shops will increase short term, once this is over the supermarkets will simply shout "CHEAP" and most will simply return there.

I think a lot more local people will use shops like Drumbeg stores (and the recently re-opened Rosehall stores) as they are probably pretty well stocked and you can avoid the hoards in Inverness etc. Just wandered down to my village shop to buy lunch and noted they had rice, pasta, tomatoes, beans, loo roll and many other things absent from Lidls yesterday. Crucially, they had beer! (and buckfast)
So maybe they will do OK.

Ok here's a more positive question to my last somewhat dark outpouring. When its all over what yer gonna do? (don't speculate on when, just the what)
My daily constitutional was a walk today (because I'm planning an epic BAM tonight ) which reminded me that my plan, such as it was, for this year was to do the Highland Trail and then switch more to a backpacking focus rather than bikepacking (except for BAM) Basically pack a rucksack, train it to some suitable location and wander off into the hills for a few days. So that's what I'm going to do, even if its in the middle of winter.

htrider wrote: ↑Sat Mar 28, 2020 3:09 pm Ok here's a more positive question to my last somewhat dark outpouring. When its all over what yer gonna do? (don't speculate on when, just the what)
My daily constitutional was a walk today (because I'm planning an epic BAM tonight ) which reminded me that my plan, such as it was, for this year was to do the Highland Trail and then switch more to a backpacking focus rather than bikepacking (except for BAM) Basically pack a rucksack, train it to some suitable location and wander off into the hills for a few days. So that's what I'm going to do, even if its in the middle of winter.

New thread???

"rice, pasta, tomatoes, beans, loo roll and many other things absent from Lidls yesterday. Crucially, they had beer! ". You should start a delivery service Phil, I'll have a box of one each of those asap please! Getting a little bored of lentils on toast and wiping my bum on leaves now.

Yes, good thread that, "what I'll do first Afterwards"... I'm easily pleased: I'll either a/ sit outside Staylittle Stores in the sunshine with a brew and a caramel wafer, or b/ have a nice leisurely V breakfast at Davy Jones Locker looking over Barmouth estuary, or c/ have dinner and a pint or two in my fave boozer near Corris. Hell, I might even do all three in the same day.

Bearbonesnorm wrote: ↑Sat Mar 28, 2020 12:27 pm I went to Newtown for shopping this morning and what's scaring me most is how people are behaving towards each other already - no chatting, no smiling and no sense of 'we're in this together', just stay away from me. The mental and social effects of this could be long-lasting. I also looked at all the shops that are closed and I'd estimate that maybe only half will be able to ride this out and re-open.

I found the opposite on this mornings dog walk went past a few elderly couples out having a early morning stroll and everyone said good morning and hope your well , not been to a supermarket but the wife says it seems to be bringing personalities to the front ie if your a natural arsehole then it’s just multiplied that trait totally agree about the smaller shops and genuinely feel for them

Yep I can second that , loads of knobs in the supermarkets ,
Luckily I am still able to work to keep out of the way , hopefully about 7 weeks work in the middle of nowhere on my own fencing and paving on a new build .
That should keep me from going insane for a bit

https://youtu.be/e0G63uzhFP4

Huh? Huh?

There's opportunity in everything.

Due to the toilet roll shortage, I dug out my old CBRN suit and put the extender lance on my Karcher.
It's amazing how many people are prepared to stick their arse out of the bathroom window for a ten second blast.
I made 57p in an afternoon. It's a dirty job but someone's gotta do it.

I was surprised by how many people I recognised without seeing their face.

57p ? That`s more than the Mrs made when I installed a red light in the front porch at home!

Can’t help but wonder what income you boys could generate if you combined resources:)?

It has to be a good couple of quid I reckon... Maybe £2.50.

Richard G wrote: ↑Sun Mar 29, 2020 11:57 am It has to be a good couple of quid I reckon... Maybe £2.50.