Getting recreation and leisure up and running again.

You can do a lot with camera angles to cheat things (as they are doing for filming soaps etc)

Or you just cast people who are already living with each other!    

Thank you for feeling the need to put me in my place, in that wonderfully dismissive manner you’ve got going on. No wonder you feel confident getting on the underground.

TFL confirmed a reduction in capacity due to staffing levels and the BBC news showed footage of commuters packing into carriages during the height of the pandemic. Frightful is exactly what they were - seeing people put their live at risk to get to work.

Of course I never suggested there wasn’t a quieter period, but I thought I’d be okay not clarifying every view point in my every post. As it stands, today’s announcements about businesses and recreation opening suggest an increase in public transport usage as more people need to get to work - so wave goodbye to those quieter times you’ve observed outside of rush hour.

When you consider you still need to maintain a 1m distance from people on the underground, space is limited. You’re talking someone sitting in every other seat. Maybe 5 people stood in the standing space at 1m comfortably. The underground is not designed for social distancing - train or platforms - and I don’t see how it could be used safely.

I wasn't intending to be dismissive, just pointing to my own experience as someone who has on occasion commuted during this pandemic rather than simply commenting on news reports which by their very nature will focus on the worst, as that is the story.

You don't need to maintain a 1m distance on the underground - as you say, that is impossible. That is the whole point of making sure everyone is wearing masks - masks are for places where social distancing is impossible. If both you and those standing near you are wearing masks that substantially reduces transmission risk. You're never going to be 100% safe doing anything that involves walking out of your front door.

And my last paragraph in my other post is just the truth - if you don't feel comfortable using the Tube you have the choice of finding ways around it or just not going out, and nothing is ever going to change that as no mode of travel is designed for social distancing. That is why reduced social distancing comes with additional protective equipment requirements.

I make no apology for choosing to be pragmatic having assessed my risk level and that of those around me, and the fact that I am capable of contributing to restarting the economy. That to me is preferable than the long term effects to millions of leaving the economy to collapse and thousands more losing their jobs. If others wish to be more cautious, that is their choice, but I don't intend to live in fear when the only high risk people I come into contact with are those who have chosen to go out. I can be far more use working and contributing to consumer spending than sitting at home waiting for a vaccine, and if that means donning a mask and getting on the Tube at some point then then that is what I will do and the risk I choose to take.

Thank you

It confounds me the people who do not wear masks, it enhances our economic freedom, it doesn’t curtail it - gets the economy open quicker and makes that opening more sustainable.

Also many people who have suffered abuse in it's many forms will possibly/probably have had their mouths covered at some point to prevent then screaming/shouting - wearing a mask could be impossible for them. Of course there are selfish people thinking they can do as they please but let's not judge that this is automatically the case, we don't know everyone's story

Just remember you're not wearing a mask to protect yourself.
You're wearing one to prevent the spread of the virus you may well be unknowingly hosting and thereby protecting any number of vulnerable people around you.

This is the biggest thing to get sorted. I am sure that one of the reasons my local sea front has been so busy is that word got around that the public toilets are all open (they were never closed, in fact), so it's one of the few places you can comfortably spend more than an hour or two outside. 

Even some of the local parks that have been open the whole time haven't had their toilets open.

The petition I signed last week has now got a debate in the House of Commons tomorrow.At least ti shows you can have some effect by signing such things. Details here:

You recently signed the petition “Offer more support to the arts (particularly Theatres and Music) amidst COVID-19”:
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/320711
The Petitions Committee, which is the group of MPs who oversee the petitions system, has agreed to schedule a debate in the House of Commons Chamber on Thursday 25 June on petitions calling for support for UK industries in response to Covid-19.
The debate is being held in response to the huge number of petitions, including the one you signed, that call for the Government to provide support for UK industries in response to Covid-19.
The start time of the debate will depend on other parliamentary business, but you can follow the Petitions Committee on Twitter @hocpetitions, where we will post updates on when we expect the debate to start.
You will be able to watch the debate live here: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/a7b6db44-6101-42c7-b2a0-32abd08b80ef
A transcript will be published the following day here: hansard.parliament.uk

I work in a science institution; I'm more than aware of the hows, whys and wheres of masks.

An actor friend of mine made me laugh last night by describing Worzel’s announcement on theatres re-opening as similar to visiting an aquarium and being told-
‘There’s no fish but you are very welcome to admire the water’😂😂

The reason theatres can't open normally is because socially distanced performances are not really possible right now.

We don't want the government stipulating which shows can be done and how they should be performed. That is not the role of the state. There are no live performances scheduled for the next couple of months anyway - so keeping the 'no live performance' rule in place at the moment isn't depriving anyone of theatre they can actually attend.

Unless such time that casts and crew can assemble to make theatre safely, we won't see a return to anything like normality. And yes, there are pieces that can be done safely - but not enough to sustain the industry.

Theatres can, as far as I understand it, show recorded performances - assuming they have the projection capability. This may bring in some useful revenue. Perhaps NTLive could make things available that have not been shown on YouTube to make that an attractive possibility

Theatre bars/cafes can open up - again bringing in some income where that is possible.

The reality is that live performance with more than a very small number of people on stage is just not safe enough to be worth the risk. Theatres can learn from how cinemas manage audiences to be better prepared when they can start staging events.

I don't understand why the blanket ban also extends to very small scale concerts. A solo piano recital, an evening with a well spread string quartet or a recital by a vocalist (or instrumentalist) with a pianist would perfectly safe.

This could extend to 'An evening with' type theatre events - such as Sir Ian was doing on his big tour.

I suspect the restrictions will be reduced further in a few weeks time and there will be more of a road map towards at least a partial reopening for live performance. But we just aren't there yet. You only have to look what happened with the small scale tennis events that Djokovic started up - with the very best of intentions and unfortunate outcomes. We don't want any theatre to reopen only for this to happen under similar circumstances.

I know it is frustrating. I know the industry is in need of support - but finding the right way to provide that takes time. It has to be focused very carefully to deliver maximum benefit. I don't want it in the hands of ACE.