General Chat

I wonder whether Trump has made Branson's day for him by the announcement of a $25m rescue package for airlines of which Delta is one of the beneficiaries?

Now he needs to lobby the Dutch and French governments to help save Virgin instead of asking us to help. He seems to over-value the brand name of Virgin; with the rail line too, Virgin was by far the minority holder.

I wonder whether it's an ego thing? It surely can't be a brand thing cos I think the whole world and his dog know the situation now as far as ownership is concerned.

That's like Trump who said 2 weeks ago that he'd have the vaccine ready for use in a month :-S

Then he was trying to get a German company to move to the US to produce a vaccine "only for Americans" :-S :-S

Better not type my first thought, Island. Haha.

His 12 weeks will be like the proverbial country mile, I think. :-D

Even better news Joy - Boris is going to "get on top of it in the next 12 weeks".
Brexid19? :-S

A piece of good news!

Did anyone see on this morning's news that Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs who have two hotels in Manchester (I think it was) are opening the rooms, free of charge, in both to NHS staff who are working through the crisis? They said that both will have staff working there throughout too.

Apparently, Roman Abramovich is doing the same in London.

He has, Sharron, like everyone else. But I wonder whether the governments of the major shareholders have been asked?

Come to think of it they may be registered in some nice little tax haven. I wonder what the response from that country's government is/would be?

Possibly, pay little tax, save what you save for hard times.

Well,he could sell an island or two, or use some of the money he didn't pay tax on that is now stashed abroad.
He has the audacity to flout our tax laws, then asks the taxpayer to bail him out!

Like everybody else, Richard Branson is having to think on his feet at the moment.

He does need to try to make sure there is still a company to provide work for a great number of people at the end of the current crisis.

Well, Branson sued the NHS when he didn't get a contract he applied for.
Whatever happened to the 'You didn't get it, tough luck' point of view?

Also he wants the staff to go without pay for months.

In my opinion one of the greedier people around has got to be R Branson.

Fancy asking our govt for money for Virgin Air.

Has he asked Trump or the Dutch or French governments? (VIrgin Airlines is 49% owned by Delta Airlines and 31% by Air France and KLM.)

I'd love to hear Trump's response to such a request - the mildest I'd expect would be 'On yer bike mate.' :-|

My sister's not sure whether they can keep the campsite open or not.
First group are arriving this weekend - the next group aren't due until April.
They've suspended the DofE scheme.

Maggie, will your sister's campsite be closed because of the virus?

Like me, my bestie is over 70 although she does not enjoy the best of health nor does her brave-faced OH.

Self-isolation means they will not have their grandchildren over Easter so they'll find their stock of stuff may last a bit longer - she believes it will see them beyond the time they usually stock up for summer holidays. Unlike me, they don't have a child living within spitting distance so I am pleased she shopped before they went away.

We are lucky that Dtr lives across the park from us and she has been a brick so far. Newspaper delivery and treats popped in the porch every morning after she drops Gndson at school - a few crossword and puzzle books this morning. She is also collecting OH's essential prescription items.

I've told her once they close schools (fewer than fifteen in Gndson's class yesterday) there is no need for her to drop a paper in as we can read online.

We sit each evening with a coffee or a drink while we Skype and chat for ten or fifteen minutes - probably so she can see that we are OK lol. :-D

I used to do online Sainsbury’s shop occasionally when hubby was at home as he couldn’t be left safely

I have an online account with them so decided yesterday not to go shopping but to do an online shop guessing that delivery will be delayed

Well yes it is NO delivery spots for 3 weeks !

Did have an email this morning saying tomorrow over 70,s will have priority for the first hour tomorrow morning so guess it will be an early out as they open at 7am!

From Monday too they are giving priority to the over 70,s for online shopping

Future generations will surely look back with incredulity on this unexpected historical uncertainty - or maybe not.

JoyLouise, I understand that - but you and I both know some people are just stockpiling for the sake of it! :-(
Sister runs a campsite, and realised she was running out of hand cleanser for the site.
She normally goes into Lidl's and buys 20. She can't/won't do this now, but still needs hand cleanser :-S

Maggie, my friend stocks up two or three times a year at a warehouse where loo rolls are sold in packs of 64.

Luckily for her she she shopped before she went away as she had thought of leaving it until she got back.

If she had waited there may have been shortages of everything in the warehouse.

Don't know whether to feel guilty or not but OH and I have just discussed what we might try to buy to see us through. We do a wholesalers card

it boils down to flour so we can make pastry, biscuits and some cake, sultanas, a tub of fat, some cheese if we can get it. Bread flour if we can get it and porridge oats so I can make some oat milk if milk runs out. That will need a few dates and I bet they won't be all gone. There is already pasta in the cupboard and rice in the tin because there always is and I can make something resembling pasta with the flour if we run out.

If we can get fruit and veg, I think we can survive because we already have a sack of spuds.

Island
:-D :-D :-D :-D

Daughter has just got in, after popping into a Sainsbury's. Just about every fresh food shelf was empty.
She says we have probably more cheese in our fridge than they have, although not a vast amount.
That's only because I bought cheese for a lunchtime function last week, which got cancelled due to the ongoing situation. It has long dates, so will be gradually used up or given to someone, if I hear that they can't get any.

Sister in Hampshire says she went to pay the papers bill in her little nearby shop and noticed they had toilet rolls for sale.She didn't need them, so left them where they were.
The shopkeeper says he has had people he's never seen before who have driven in from many miles away just to buy them.