Big smiles at UK scientists' latest prediction for summer

The public should be able to ditch face masks over the summer as vaccines do the heavy lifting in controlling COVID-19, experts have said.

Step four of the government's road map for England currently states all legal limits on social contact will be removed by 21 June at the earliest, when restrictions on large events such as festivals are also expected to ease.

Scientists advising the government say there is nothing currently in the data to suggest people will not be able to enjoy a relatively normal summer, though coronavirus cases may well rise as the autumn approaches.

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-mask-free-summer-on-the-cards-as-vaccines-take-control-of-the-pandemic-say-experts-12284895

I really hope the masks will be able to be thrown away.

For me, it's not so much that they are hot and uncomfortable to wear, or even that it's sometimes hard to tell what people are saying because their mouths are muffled, , I can cope with that, but just not being able to interact with people properly, not seeing their faces, their expressions, etc, and they not being able to see you, I have found that quite hard.

I wear one for work all day. I hate them. I’d love to ditch mine.

I'll be happy to see the end of masks. There's just something eerily apocalyptic about going into a grocery store and seeing everyone wearing a mask.

They steam up my glasses.

Original Quill wrote:They steam up my glasses.

My OH complains of that.
I don't wear glasses unless I am reading or similar, I really feel for people who have to wear them all the time.

Yall are all going to die.

Syl wrote:

Original Quill wrote:They steam up my glasses.

My OH complains of that.
I don't wear glasses unless I am reading or similar, I really feel for people who have to wear them all the time.

I never wore them 'til my early-40's. I attended one of those health fairs, and they told me I needed them. I was surprised, 'cause I never pictured myself with 'em.

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:

My OH complains of that.
I don't wear glasses unless I am reading or similar, I really feel for people who have to wear them all the time.

I never wore them 'til my early-40's.  I attended one of those health fairs, and they told me I needed them.  I was surprised, 'cause I never pictured myself with 'em.

Do you need glasses for distance as well as reading?

I started wearing them, just for close work in my late 40's.

Both now, but originally for distance.

Original Quill wrote:Both now, but originally for distance.

So you were short sighted origionally? Presumably you wear varifocals.....saves swapping glasses around.

Syl wrote:

Original Quill wrote:Both now, but originally for distance.

So you were  short sighted origionally? Presumably you wear varifocals.....saves swapping glasses around.

No. For years I had perfect, or 20-20 vision. Then my distant vision went bad, then afterward my near vision.

I get confused...short sighted = long distance vision is weak.
Long sighted = need glasses for close work, like reading etc.

I am long sighted.....you unfortunately are both.

Course age plays a big part in deteriorating eyesight.

My daughter works at a college.

She told one non mask wearing student " You need yo wear a mask"
" Why should I!" Came thereply from the gobby student in front of his mask wearing mates.

Daughter...."Because you are ugly!".

Thats ma girl!

Andy wrote:My daughter works at a college.

She told one non mask wearing student " You need yo wear a mask"
" Why should I!" Came thereply from the gobby student in front of his mask wearing mates.

Daughter...."Because you are ugly!".

Thats ma girl!

I was almost tempted to reply that the fact that your daughter found it ok to make nasty, spiteful, derogatory remark to someone with the sole purpose of trying to make them feel bad and herself feel good makes her a really shitty sort of person imo

but then i remembered that she had you as influence so what chance did the poor girl ever have of becoming a decent human being

sad what you've done to your own child

Fuck off, the lad is a thug and bully, deliberately doesn't wear a wask, denies Covid , and is happy to breathe his toxic fumes over everyone. He has been barred from the college 3 times for non mask compliance.
Dont comment ,unless you know the whole story.

Andy wrote:Fuck off, the lad is a thug and bully,

he may well be and if that's the case he will no doubt get expelled via his own efforts. I'm sure he won't need your daughter slurping about in the gutter to help him achieve that. Also that thing that your daughter said,,,,,,that thing that you were so proud of,,,,,, that's EXACTLY the sort of thing bullies do.




deliberately doesn't wear a wask, denies Covid , and is happy to breathe his toxic fumes over everyone.


what that virus that has a 99.9% survival rate you mean?
that virus that the immune system, vitamin D etc is perfectly capable of coping with?
that virus that caused fewer people to die in 2020 than in 1990?

well! what a complete bastard!




He has been barred from the college 3 times for non mask compliance.


oooh, oooh and thrice ooooh
Dont comment ,unless you know the whole story.

I was commenting only on your post

i can only assume that your daughter is roughly the same age as the students and has the same stroppy immature mindset which would at least make it more understandable. but at best it's highly unprofessional and she needs to grow up

i know it's brutal and honestly if i put up a post about one of my kids and got told it was crap and implied i was a shit parent i would probably feel like i'd been whacked in the face with a shovel

but i stand by what i said, i would be horrified if my kids behaved like that towards other people

making a comment like that is nothing to do with covid and was clearly said with the intention of humiliating and degrading said student and trying to get a cheap laugh at his expense and score some kind of gleeful 'point'

but in fairness is it her fault?

it's what you do all the time so she learnt it from you

the apples never really fall that far from the tree


ps, i'll fuck off when i'm good and ready

Hmmmm, hang on there Gels. I don’t really agree with you to be honest. Firstly, I don’t think Andy’s daughter was acting like a bully just by making that one comment. If I’m honest, and I felt like the boy was being a total wanker, I may have said something similar.

Secondly, why on earth would you criticise Andy’s parenting? You may not like him as a poster but you have no idea what he’s like as a parent.

I think you were a little out of order. It’s just my opinion but you really went for him, unjustly.

I also felt like that was an overreaction.

Wearing glasses and masks is a bit of a bind but I've grown quite attached to my masks now, I feel a bit odd without a mask now.
I'm short sighted have been since secondary school, now of course I need reading glasses so its varifocals for me.
I thought that was a good come back for the chopsy kid.

eddie wrote:Hmmmm, hang on there Gels. I don’t really agree with you to be honest. Firstly, I don’t think Andy’s daughter was acting like a bully just by making that one comment. If I’m honest, and I felt like the boy was being a total wanker, I may have said something similar.


I get it but that ''one comment'' was all i had to go on and I thought it was downright nasty. The boy in question may well be a total wanker but that's no excuse, especially from someone who works there. I'm not above snapping at someone myself but I'm damn sure I wouldn't be bragging about it.


Secondly, why on earth would you criticise Andy’s parenting? You may not like him as a poster but you have no idea what he’s like as a parent.


If you read, I also accept my own. I get that I'm no perfect parent. I get that my kids have probably only survived this long through sheer good fortune rather than good parenting. I understand that it doesn't sound nice but I mean it. The comment to the student had sod all to do with covid and was made with the sole intention of absuing him. is that fucking clever? I can't stand bullying especially from people who should know better.

I think you were a little out of order. It’s just my opinion but you really went for him, unjustly.

I probably was but i still feel the same

i'm not above apologising to anyone if i feel i've gone over the top but it's still my opinion

Vintage wrote:Wearing glasses and masks is a bit of a bind but I've grown quite attached to my masks now, I feel a bit odd without a mask now.
.

that;s so sad

Gels, one comment does not a bully make.
You are abusing that word here.

You are entitled to your opinion, of course.

eddie wrote:Gels, one comment does not a bully make.
You are abusing that word here.

You are entitled to your opinion, of course.

perhaps not - i never said it did

but making comments with the SOLE INTENTION of bringing down another person and making them feel small for your own gratification is definitely what bullies do. that's what i said

and clearly that's what the comment was for because there was no mention of covid with reference to the mask,,,,just ugliness

ii've worked with so many students and i get that they're stroppy and at times frustrating but they are also at that age incredibly self conscious and vulnerable as the next when it comes to nastiness

i'm done with this now

The thug is about 18. He's an adult, not a hormonal14 year old. He is only 6 years  younger than my vulnerable  daughter,  who has already  had her first  jab.
And I have been basemented in the past for making lesser, personal attacks on posters.

Andy wrote:The thug is about 18. He's an adult, not a hormonal14 year old. He is only 6 years  younger than my vulnerable  daughter,  who has already  had her first  jab.
And I have been basemented in the past for making lesser, personal attacks on posters.

Maybe you have been basemented because you make a habit of it...Gels doesn't.

Vic didn't like me and a few others........for our political leanings.
Too many times he basemented lefties for no other reason than they were arguing against posters whose politics he supported.
Many left wing posters quit as a result, never to return.

Andy wrote:Vic didn't like me and a few others........for our political leanings.
Too many times he basemented lefties for no other reason than they were arguing against posters whose politics he supported.
Many left wing posters quit as a result, never to return.

He always seemed pretty fair to me, though tbh I didn't have many dealings with him.
There are still some lefties on here, not extreme ones, but maybe that's for the best.
I have found that people with extreme views, be they right or left, north or south, are quite intolerant of others...better to be middle of the road of whomever you support and listen/hear everyone with an open mind.

Syl wrote:

Andy wrote:Vic didn't like me and a few others........for our political leanings.
Too many times he basemented lefties for no other reason than they were arguing against posters whose politics he supported.
Many left wing posters quit as a result, never to return.

He always seemed pretty fair to me, though tbh I didn't have many dealings with him.
There are still some lefties on here, not extreme ones, but maybe that's for the best.
I have found that people with extreme views, be they right or left, north or south, are quite intolerant of others...better to be middle of the road of whomever you support and listen/hear everyone with an open mind.

i don't like the fact that posters are seen for there 'political leanings' and labelled as left or right, it's ridiculous when most people are a mix.

if we are going on politics then i would say that ben, eddie, quill, jules, andy, les, are all more left than right. i support some left policies and some on the right as does didge and others. tommy gets the label of ''far right'' when in reality he isn't.

most people are just a mixture but human beings who have different opinions on different issues regardless of politics.

Andy wrote:Vic didn't like me and a few others........for our political leanings.
Too many times he basemented lefties for no other reason than they were arguing against posters whose politics he supported.
Many left wing posters quit as a result, never to return.

So you only came back after he died?

I have fallen out with many people Andy

But its pointless

We have one life and yet you go off a person now dead?

As the reason you came back

How much hate do you actually hold mate?

Get over it, we have a short life and you being perpetually stuck with such tribalism solves nothing

You want to continue to hate or move on?

Andy wrote:Vic didn't like me and a few others........for our political leanings.
Too many times he basemented lefties for no other reason than they were arguing against posters whose politics he supported.
Many left wing posters quit as a result, never to return.

Yes. Sassy was first among them. Sassy and Victor started Speak Freely, which Vic closed down because of a feud with Sassy. Then they reappeared here, and again Sassy leaves. I mention it because Sassy was a person who people rallied around; she took a load of lefties when she left (alliteration not intended).

I think vic may have basemented me in the past, i can't remember.  i know i got a couple of sharp warnings from him about something or another.  I called him Lord Big Balls.  As I recall he was always fair and didn't hold grudges.

Didgee wrote:

Andy wrote:Vic didn't like me and a few others........for our political leanings.
Too many times he basemented lefties for no other reason than they were arguing against posters whose politics he supported.
Many left wing posters quit as a result, never to return.

So you only came back after he died?

I have fallen out with many people Andy

But its pointless

We have one life and yet you go off a person now dead?

As the reason you came back

How much hate do you actually hold mate?

Get over it, we have a short life and you being perpetually stuck with such tribalism solves nothing

You want to continue to hate or move on?

I  never left,  Didge, just got fed up with cycle of posting, getting banned by Vic, then getting released by Ben. It was like Groundhog Day.
I was posting here regularly when Vic passed away - I was amongst the first to post my commiserations.
There is only 1 poster I hold a grudge with, he rarely if ever posts on here or on his failed flop forum.

gelico wrote:I think vic may have basemented me in the past, i can't remember.  i know i got a couple of sharp warnings from him about something or another.  I called him Lord Big Balls.  As I recall he was always fair and didn't hold grudges.

He put me in time out too.

Andy likes to whine.

Maddog wrote:

gelico wrote:I think vic may have basemented me in the past, i can't remember.  i know i got a couple of sharp warnings from him about something or another.  I called him Lord Big Balls.  As I recall he was always fair and didn't hold grudges.

He put me in time out too.

Andy likes to whine.

Bullshit. Vic put you in the basement for a half a day.  Even I landed on him for that.  There was no cause.

When Ben saw what had happened, he lifted your sorry ass up out of the depths...made Vic restore you.  Other than that, you're the RW-profa hope around here.

well, being placed in the basement by a mod is a time out

whether its half an hour, half a day or longer

how was it bullshit?

gelico wrote:well, being placed in the basement by a mod is a time out

whether its half an hour, half a day or longer

how was it bullshit?

I already told you: Even I opposed Vic doing that. It was a 'dick' move, and Ben turned it around. So, I doubt that Red was in the basement for more than an hour or two.

Original Quill wrote:

gelico wrote:well, being placed in the basement by a mod is a time out

whether its half an hour, half a day or longer

how was it bullshit?

I already told you: Even I opposed Vic doing that.  It was a 'dick' move, and Ben turned it around.  So, I doubt that Red was in the basement for more than an hour or two.

It's irrelevant who opposed it or who turned it around

Vic gave Maddog a time out which was true and you said it was bullshit. that's all i was questioning.

it just confirms that vic was a fair minded person and didn't play favourites

and that's how i remember him

gelico wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

I already told you: Even I opposed Vic doing that.  It was a 'dick' move, and Ben turned it around.  So, I doubt that Red was in the basement for more than an hour or two.

It's irrelevant who opposed it or who turned it around

Vic gave Maddog a time out which was true and you said it was bullshit.  that's all i was questioning.

it just confirms that vic was a fair minded person and didn't play favourites

and that's how i remember him

Um...but you forgot one thing. MD didn't deserve the time out. It was fake...phony... Ben had to intervene.

If you think that was "fair minded", I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'll sell you. Vic was a great old guy, but he made mistakes.

Original Quill wrote:

gelico wrote:

It's irrelevant who opposed it or who turned it around

Vic gave Maddog a time out which was true and you said it was bullshit.  that's all i was questioning.

it just confirms that vic was a fair minded person and didn't play favourites

and that's how i remember him

Um...but you forgot one thing.  MD didn't deserve the time out.  It was fake...phony...  Ben had to intervene.

If you think that was "fair minded", I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'll sell you.  Vic was a great old guy, but he made mistakes.

I was going to reply but realised you had replied for me in your last sentence

being fair minded (which i think he was) doesn't make you immune from making mistakes or ever being wrong about anything

they are two completely different things

if he wasn't fair minded he wouldn't have listened to ben

you think what you like though

Original Quill wrote:

gelico wrote:

It's irrelevant who opposed it or who turned it around

Vic gave Maddog a time out which was true and you said it was bullshit.  that's all i was questioning.

it just confirms that vic was a fair minded person and didn't play favourites

and that's how i remember him

Um...but you forgot one thing.  MD didn't deserve the time out.  It was fake...phony...  Ben had to intervene.

If you think that was "fair minded", I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'll sell you.  Vic was a great old guy, but he made mistakes.

Everybody makes mistakes, if Vic was here I am sure he would agree...but he sadly isn't.

I doubt he, or any other mod would be swayed by posters hinting that so and so should be basemented, banned, publicly flogged... whatever..

gelico wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Um...but you forgot one thing.  MD didn't deserve the time out.  It was fake...phony...  Ben had to intervene.

If you think that was "fair minded", I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I'll sell you.  Vic was a great old guy, but he made mistakes.

I was going to reply but realised you had replied for me in your last sentence

being fair minded (which i think he was) doesn't make you immune from  making mistakes or ever being wrong about anything

they are two completely different things

if he wasn't fair minded he wouldn't have listened to ben

you think what you like though

No, I agree with you.

gelico wrote:

Syl wrote:

He always seemed pretty fair to me, though tbh I didn't have many dealings with him.
There are still some lefties on here, not extreme ones, but maybe that's for the best.
I have found that people with extreme views, be they right or left, north or south, are quite intolerant of others...better to be middle of the road of whomever you support and listen/hear everyone with an open mind.

i don't like the fact that posters are seen for there 'political leanings' and labelled as left or right, it's ridiculous when most people are a mix.

if we are going on politics then i would say that ben, eddie, quill, jules, andy, les, are all more left than right.  i support some left policies and some on the right as does didge and others.  tommy gets the label of ''far right'' when in reality he isn't.

most people are just a mixture but human beings who have different opinions on different issues regardless of politics.

I couldn't care less how far left or right anyone is as long as they don't judge everyone else for being/not being, the same as they are.
It's a very odd trait a minority of posters here seem to have.

Syl wrote:

gelico wrote:


i don't like the fact that posters are seen for there 'political leanings' and labelled as left or right, it's ridiculous when most people are a mix.

if we are going on politics then i would say that ben, eddie, quill, jules, andy, les, are all more left than right.  i support some left policies and some on the right as does didge and others.  tommy gets the label of ''far right'' when in reality he isn't.

most people are just a mixture but human beings who have different opinions on different issues regardless of politics.

I couldn't care less how far left or right anyone is as long as they don't judge everyone else for being/not being, the same as they are.
It's a very odd trait a minority of posters here seem to have.

Some of the nicest, and best people I know are on the left of the political spectrum.

And so are some of the nastiest.

Maddog wrote:

Syl wrote:

I couldn't care less how far left or right anyone is as long as they don't judge everyone else for being/not being, the same as they are.
It's a very odd trait a minority of posters here seem to have.

Some of the nicest, and best people I know are on the left of the political spectrum.

And so are some of the nastiest.  

Exactly.

I detest labels. I don’t wish to be called left or right (despite taking an online test that placed me further left than even Wolf).

It’s like being in a gang and it can also warp your view.