Nobody is pressured to conform, and that's the third time I've said that. The nub of this issue here, denied by pfr who is usually so honest and straightforward, is that he attacked the actions of the millions who went out to applaud as vacuous, short-term and populist (blimey, "populist" fer chrissake!). As if he knows why we went out and did it, which he patently doesn't. I personally don't give a flying shite about "the practical value" of the Thursday night applauding. I for one don't turn out to do it for any "practical value". I do it to show support for and solidarity with the health workers, care workers, supermarket workers and school workers who are all putting themselves in harm's way for the good of others, including me, which happens to be a damn sight more than I'm doing. I'm not going to judge the motives of anyone else who turns out to applause. There's way too much bloody judging going on as it is. I hear judging of people sunbathing in parks by people with private gardens the size of football fields. I hear tut-tutting of people sitting on the beach by people with massive balconies with panoramic sea views. You can shove your judging where the sun don't shine as far as I'm concerned. I'll be out there next Thursday and I happen to have a gorgeous dustbin lid to bang. Join me if you want or don't bother. But if you're too "embarrassed," or you think we're all being a bit stupid and vacuous, well just shut yer gob about it. You have seriously got better things to whine about.