Details of Government Travel Traffic Light System published

[Snow Hill]

8 hours ago, tring said:

 

I totally agree with Wowzz, that is absolutely ridiculous!  I can understand a day or two, but for no government news to be put out at all in that time is going much too far, especially when there are things that have been promised like the news on holidays which has been very long awaited.  It does not need endless politicians speaking at every opportunity and certainly does not need the drip feed of bits and bobs for a number of days before, but the basic information could and should be given.  There should also be some sort of update regards how the covid situation is doing.  

 

Bah.

The Covid figures will still be released daily along with vaccination figures but no press conferences. The decision on foreign holidays isn’t due until 17 May. When the overseas travel ban is due to be lifted.

 

I agree it is ridiculous situation but very convenient for the government currently given what is going on in a number of areas. Parliament returns on Monday no plans to suspend its sitting, although Monday’s Commons session appears to be for tributes to Prince Philip. From Tuesday normal business resumes. 
 

 

[Beckett]

13 minutes ago, Dermotsgirl said:

The trouble is, we don’t know what is normal for when a Prince Consort to a reigning Queen dies, as the last time it happened was in 1861.

 

But it does seem incongruous that the government has gone quiet in the middle of a global pandemic and everything else that is going on.

 

As for TV, I’m not particularly bothered as there are always things to watch on Netflix, or I read or do puzzles.

 

However, if Line of Duty isn’t shown tonight, I will kick off, big time! 

 

Me too Dermotsgirl. A week is already too long to wait! J.x

[onlyslightlymad]

9 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

The Queen is from a different generation, and that's how things were done when her father died.

Avril

Apparently, when the Queen Mother died the BBC was roundly criticised for not being differential enough.  

[Snow Hill]

11 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

The Queen is from a different generation, and that's how things were done when her father died.

Avril

Maybe the case, but 69 years have elapsed since then, things change there is no need for this ridiculous government embargo on meetings, interviews etc or for TV newsreaders to wear black for 8 days. 

[Adawn47]

14 minutes ago, onlyslightlymad said:

Apparently, when the Queen Mother died the BBC was roundly criticised for not being differential enough

9 minutes ago, Snow Hill said:

Maybe the case, but 69 years have elapsed since then, things change there is no need for this ridiculous government embargo on meetings, interviews etc or for TV newsreaders to wear black for 8 days. 

 

The Queen Mother is different than a ruling Monarch and his or her Consort, so coverage wouldn't be expected to be the same. The precedent for the death of a Monarch was set years ago and it is tradition. Many find it unusual as it's something that they have never experienced, but I can remember our house being dark when the curtains were closed for a while as a sign of respect when George VI died.

Avril

[zap99]

10 hours ago, wowzz said:

Thanks for that. 

We watched a couple of episodes of Spiral (we are only on series 4) and my knowledge of French swesr words is improving all the time, followed by an old episode of DiP, for a bit of sunshine.

Apart from sport, we never watch "live" TV anymore. 

So wall to wall PoE and it seems millions were watching Netflix, catch-up, or Al Jazeera. Sunday brunch this morning🤔

[Beckett]

42 minutes ago, Adawn47 said:

The Queen Mother is different than a ruling Monarch and his or her Consort, so coverage wouldn't be expected to be the same. The precedent for the death of a Monarch was set years ago and it is tradition. Many find it unusual as it's something that they have never experienced, but I can remember our house being dark when the curtains were closed for a while as a sign of respect when George VI died.

Avril

That's interesting Avril and I suppose that was replicated in streets all over the UK.  This is my first experience of the death of a Consort so was somewhat surprised at the coverage initially. However, I decided to go with the flow and have watched and learned. I realise I knew so little about Prince Philip  and have been quite amazed by the stories of his upbringing, losses, his innovations, and the fact that he gave up such a promising future to become the Queen's Consort. I should have known more and am glad I've now paid attention. Jane.x

[Cathygh]

2 hours ago, onlyslightlymad said:

Apparently, when the Queen Mother died the BBC was roundly criticised for not being differential enough.  

Yes a newsreader - Jonathan Dimbleby? didn't wear a black tie and the Bbc were in trouble over it. 

 

[tring]

9 hours ago, Adawn47 said:

The Queen Mother is different than a ruling Monarch and his or her Consort, so coverage wouldn't be expected to be the same. The precedent for the death of a Monarch was set years ago and it is tradition. Many find it unusual as it's something that they have never experienced, but I can remember our house being dark when the curtains were closed for a while as a sign of respect when George VI died.

Avril

 

I am not old enough to remember that, but in the late 50's early 60's it was normal for curtains to remain closed on the morning if a funeral was to take place from a house later in the day.  I also remember my mum would leave our curtains closed before any funeral due to take place from a neighbour's house.  That was in Liverpool, but my husband (from the Portsmouth area) does not remember that.  Perhaps it was partly because the coffin was often left in the front room until the funeral and would be brought out to the hearse when the residents left the house for the funeral.  I remember that happened when my Gran died in 1960.  Mum stayed behind to look after me and my brother and she opened the curtains after she had cleared the front room of newspapers that had been put on the floor under the masses of flowers.  My aunt still lived in the house and it smelt badly for a long time after that.

[yorkshirephil]

53 minutes ago, tring said:

 

I am not old enough to remember that, but in the late 50's early 60's it was normal for curtains to remain closed on the morning if a funeral was to take place from a house later in the day.  I also remember my mum would leave our curtains closed before any funeral due to take place from a neighbour's house.  That was in Liverpool, but my husband (from the Portsmouth area) does not remember that.  Perhaps it was partly because the coffin was often left in the front room until the funeral and would be brought out to the hearse when the residents left the house for the funeral.  I remember that happened when my Gran died in 1960.  Mum stayed behind to look after me and my brother and she opened the curtains after she had cleared the front room of newspapers that had been put on the floor under the masses of flowers.  My aunt still lived in the house and it smelt badly for a long time after that.

When my dad died in 1967 the front room curtains were left drawn until after the hearse had gone. I remember asking my mam why the curtains were drawn and she said it was a mark of respect, I was only 10 so didn't really understand.

[tring]

19 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

When my dad died in 1967 the front room curtains were left drawn until after the hearse had gone. I remember asking my mam why the curtains were drawn and she said it was a mark of respect, I was only 10 so didn't really understand.

 

I was ten when my Gran died, times have changed a lot, it is something I would not have thought of doing after we were married, though if I know there is a funeral from a neighbour's house I would not leave or return home when they were likely leaving their house and would stay well away from my front windows. 

Edited April 11, 2021 by tring

[Adawn47]

40 minutes ago, yorkshirephil said:

When my dad died in 1967 the front room curtains were left drawn until after the hearse had gone. I remember asking my mam why the curtains were drawn and she said it was a mark of respect, I was only 10 so didn't really understand.

I was almost 5 when George VI died so I don't remember how long the curtains closed, or if it was just on the day of the funeral, I only recall crying because it was dark and mum wouldn't open the curtains. Strange the little snippets that stick in your mind from a young age.

Avril

[nosapphire]

A few years back we were on holiday in Italy, visiting a small village in the Naples area.

We were browsing inside a souvenir and china shop, when the shop keeper closed the doors and drew the shutters across the window.

He explained that there was a funeral and the coffin was due to leave the house of the bereaved, so all homes and shops closed their doors and blanked the windows as a mark of respect.

[wowzz]

45 minutes ago, nosapphire said:

A few years back we were on holiday in Italy, visiting a small village in the Naples area.

We were browsing inside a souvenir and china shop, when the shop keeper closed the doors and drew the shutters across the window.

He explained that there was a funeral and the coffin was due to leave the house of the bereaved, so all homes and shops closed their doors and blanked the windows as a mark of respect.

Our next door neighbour in Spain (he was Spanish of course) died unexpectedly one day. He was buried the following day, as per the custom,  with a Mass following in due course. Without being indelicate, in hot countries you need to inter bodies as quickly as possible.

[tring]

2 hours ago, wowzz said:

Our next door neighbour in Spain (he was Spanish of course) died unexpectedly one day. He was buried the following day, as per the custom,  with a Mass following in due course. Without being indelicate, in hot countries you need to inter bodies as quickly as possible.

 

Yes, true.

 

The longer time was useful for my mum's grand father though.   His family heard a bump from the front room, when he was there in his coffin.  Yes, he was alive and lived for a year after that.  Kept his coffin under the bed - you never know when you are going to need one of those.