Life After Covid?

Subject: Life After Covid? Cullerlie Sing
From: Malcolm Storey
Date: 27 Jul 21 - 06:21 PM

Just returned from Aberdeen after attending the Cullerlie Singing Weekend which was cancelled in 2020 and condensed to a single day this year.
But what a day!
The organisation was brilliant meaning that the event could happen with the utmost safety and included a far bigger marquee than in the past and a strict limit on numbers attending.
The smaller number in no way hindered the atmosphere and the guests were of the usual high calibre backed in turn by a plethora of other fine singers ensuring the marquee billowed.
Thanks and congratulations to Norma and Ian Russell, Scott Gardiner and Farm Hosts Tracey and Eric Walker.
What a joy to spend time with like minded friends old and new, so obviously delighted to share some sort of normality.

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 28 Jul 21 - 02:39 AM

sigh! we are in lockdown as Delta runs riot.

Back in May when things were better I attended a May Day concert & had tears in my eyes to part of a singing audience - everyone was singing the old songs after a few months of silent audiences - Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Joe Hill, International ...

A memorial concert 2 weeks later was watched by a masked audience & the following June, July & August concerts have been cancelled.

keep up the good work, Scotland/UK, & roll on 2022.

sandra (singing along with an old revolutionary song on a CD)

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: leeneia
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 11:14 AM

Its sounds like a wonderful festival, Malcolm. I'm glad you could attend.

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 11:53 AM

Schools and organizations were preparing to open fully this fall, with or without mask requirements (here in Texas a Trump-toady governor issued by fiat that no one may require masks in public or state settings; the federal government begs to disagree and federal employees must wear masks in federal facilities.) The feeling of "it's over" is beginning to falter with the rapid spread of the Delta variant. As a general population many of us never stopped wearing masks in public buildings, and many businesses are going back requiring masks in rooms with other people.

This isn't over, and while the middle part of 2021 felt like pressure was lifting, I think it will descend upon us again by fall.

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Malcolm Storey
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 05:44 PM

I am sure most sensible people would agree with you.
I personally think we will be dealing with this for a long time - there is no sign of a cure for this dreadful contagion other than trying to isolate it.
That is why it was such a pleasure to be able to return to a little normality in a safe environment.
What worries me most is that on a quick shopping trip today I noted that about a third of shoppers were not wearing masks. All under 40 by the way!

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: JennieG
Date: 30 Jul 21 - 07:41 PM

Young people have grown up not having to live through the dreadful illnesses that many of us older folk have. When I was a child polio was still a thing - although we were given the fairly new Salk polio vaccine, a thick pink liquid on a little spoon. We were given tests for T.B., and I seem to recall an innoculation (as it was then called) for diphtheria and whooping cough. That was it. No immunisation for measles, mumps, chicken pox, all those 'childhood' diseases; we just had to take our chances, and take them we did.

When my own children were young new vaccines were slowly being added to health care, so we made sure they were given protection as it became available.

I have trouble wearing a mask, I can't breathe then have a panic attack. My childhood was physically and emotionally abusive and, although it was a long time ago, some things never leave your mind. Himself is happy to do the shopping and general household running around, and I am happy to let him. It is possible to get a medical exemption but to do that one has to see a doctor......and to do that, one has to wear a mask! Next time I am due for a general visit to have prescriptions renewed, in a few months, I will ask the question then.

Before you ask, I have already had one A-Z shot and will have the second next Thursday.

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Mr Red
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 02:53 AM

a far bigger marquee than in the past and a strict limit on numbers - the new norm

Have a thought for dancers. Organisers wary of running lowly attended events. Dancers that are still able, and with us will be out of practice and uncertain. Singletons will struggle to find partners. Partner dances like Eurobal are on tarmac, open to the weather. Limit on numbers, and in my case 1.5 hours away in sunny Brumagem if I am lucky. If you call that lucky!

Fer me! Brum is not a new norm. I escaped by getting an upgrade to Malvern. (since upgraded further.)

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Felipa
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 09:16 AM

In Northern Ireland there is a big push now to get the 18-35 year olds vaccinated, but they are not coming forward in droves the way their elders did.

I came across a new Covid parody, a rewrite of Peter Hame's "I'm an Ordinary Man" (a song about lay-offs and unemployment). "I'm a vaccinated man" is a song about emerging from lock down.

It's not in very good taste, but may be just the sort of song to help inspire the younger crowd to go and get the Covid jab. [need however to parody whatever type of music they do listen to ...]

Among the things we can look forward to post-pandemic, this struck a chord with me!: "We can cough without being death-stared in the aisles."

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Malcolm Storey
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 07:26 PM

Mr Red
The dance weekend Judy and I run has always had a limit on participants in order to ensure the dancers have sufficient room to dance properly.
I would expect other events to apply similar parameters - but then we do it because we enjoy organising things and the enjoyment others get from them and not for any financial gain.
This has always been my ethos going right back to school days.

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: robomatic
Date: 31 Jul 21 - 08:44 PM

Anchorage just elected a Mayor who will not impose mask nor vaccine requirements. But, I notice more people of all ages wearing masks in public once more. As am I.

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Rain Dog
Date: 01 Aug 21 - 09:31 AM

It will take a good while for things to get back to 'normal'. I am a regular pub goer and have noticed that people have not flocked back to the pub whenever restrictions have been eased. Each of us has to make our own minds up as to what constitutes a safe environment.

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Malcolm Storey
Date: 01 Aug 21 - 08:36 PM

So Anchorage has joined the trend for electing loonies!!!!!!!!
The lunatics have certainly taken over the asylum.

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Mr Red
Date: 02 Aug 21 - 02:39 PM

Malcolm Storey

Dances with just 30 people is quite meagre. Under our turncoats strawhead's restrictions, hitting limits is easy and oversubscribed. But in the distant future after the third peak of infections (history tells us it will happen), saying an event has a limit will turn people away, unless there are few alternatives.

As the re-instating of Adderbury Morris in the 1960s found, returnees from WW1 had more important things to deal with than reviving a male only custom with a dirth of able men.

Times they are a-changing, and we do not know what delights will fall off the genre. When finally COVID immunology means just another ingredient in the yearly jab.

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Malcolm Storey
Date: 02 Aug 21 - 06:56 PM

Mr Red
I agree with you regards the history of what used to be called epidemics and feel another lock down is more likely than not.
With regards to limits on numbers all events have limits if only because of the space available.
If an event is attractive enough then usually the knowledge of numerical limits tends to sell tickets quicker.
Glastonbury is a case in point and on a far smaller scale the singing weekend I and others run sells out in one day.
Incidentally a figure of 32 makes more sense as I am sure you will agree?

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Donuel
Date: 03 Aug 21 - 08:33 AM

Much like the flu we may probably require a covid vaccine yearly as new variants emerge. However instead of guesswork with a flu vaccine Covid vccines will be using more specific m rna and new artificial protien vaccines.

Subject: RE: Life After Covid?
From: Mr Red
Date: 03 Aug 21 - 05:42 PM

Incidentally a figure of 32 makes more sense as I am sure you will agree?

Wot? County Bumpkin with 3 full sets leave 2 sitting down and a lot of space on the dance floor. 100 to a ceilidh has a better feel. But if you mean Irish Set, then 32 would get everyone off the dance floor, if the gender ration is 50% (rarely is).

And have you tried Socially Distanced Irish Set? Well it just isn't the same. The best you can say is that is is a right larf - the caller is inventing "no touching" moves during the run through and forgets what he has explained and reverts. Which isn't helped by "house" having meanings in context like House Around, House Inside or House Across. Irish being fast and furious they just shout HOUSE. (think polka)

Irish Set Dance is changing during COVID. And I see a watershed.