Penguin68

Wonder if such trees are derived from cuttings, like apple trees. Specific and named varieties will, as cloning is the way to achieve this, and it's also a very quick way to propagate - new varieties will be grown from seed (from specific crosses). Hazels also throw root suckers - and are very easy to strike from cuttings. Twisted (Corkscrew) Hazels are grafted onto normal hazel root stocks. They are of course naturalised by cob nuts being planted by birds and squirrels as food storage.

What you have to remember is that there are thousands, possibly tens of thousands of hazelnuts which haven't started to grow. For, probably, everyone that has (unless spefically planted by a horticulturist.

Masks?

The vaccination roll out is looking great at the moment, and the possibilities are that things will be massively improving shortly and perhaps as early as Easter for a significant easing of the lock down. This will lead (a) to an increase in road traffic and road usage as people start to travel again and (b) a reduction in the needs to create a 'safe (i.e. with a capacity for huge distancing) environment for pedestrians. So many of the pedestrian inspired restrictions now placed on roads will not be needed for pedestrians to be able to use pavements safely - and the impact of diverted traffic onto a few roads will become more marked as air quality plummets for those living, working and walking on those roads. I wonder how quickly, when things are back to normal (or as close as they will ever be) will the council move to restore roads and parts of roads now sealed off for the benefit of pedestrians who will no longer need, or use, such benefits?

Even with the new more transmissible variant someone passing you quickly in the open, even with less than a 2 metre gap is unlikely (though it's not impossible)to pass on the virus - but it is a courtesy to give proper gaps as a reassurance, even where that may not be clinically necessary. The level of viral load (how much virus is there) seems important in transmission, and in breezy outdoor conditions this will be low with quickly passing strangers.

Given that Covid infection is transmitted by breathing in minute airborne particles of virus It can also be caught by transfer - hence the emphasis on hand-washing. The wearing of (non NHS) masks is as much (if not more) to protect others from your airborne particles (which they may then convey to their noses/ mouths through transfer) than to protect you. Whilst blocking the nose may certainly help, it will not by any means block all routes. Social distancing, mask wearing in indoor/ enclosed spaces, hand washing and, when available to you, the vaccine is your surest protection.

Should of got my Vaccine weeks ago. You are getting your vaccine on Thursday, from what you posted, and you would qualify I think in Tier 4 - with over 70s and those under 70 who are severely at risk (although I think that should mainly be those required to self isolate). Those were promised a first vaccine by mid February - which you will be getting. Those ahead of you were those in Care Homes, much older or who are front-line health workers, including those working in Care Homes. My reference to 'out of sequence' is to those who wouldn't have qualified in the first 6 Tiers but who were available to use up a deteriorating vaccine that would otherwise have been wasted. But who would have been vaccinated at some time.

Which suggests (come that day) they had Pfizer spare which would have had to be junked otherwise. Better to vaccinate out of sequence than to throw the vaccine away.

Adders are vipers Though plus-adders are early calculators...

This is not a bad time to close (when you have other branches open, some quite close). Footfall is still limited (with couples discouraged to shop together) and purchasers tend not to browse, but are more purposeful. Getting the shop in good order before the brakes are released (assuming they ever will be) would be a good plan. Opening in good time for Easter, with the discretionary spend on eggs and flowers etc. an opportunity that season brings, would be a good strategy, if it can be achieved.

Someone may be medically exempt from mask wearing, but not from bringing their own cup with them, or indeed their own thermos. And there are many repair etc jobs where mask wearing is an H&S requirement outwith any Covid issues. This person should not be being employed in this sort of role if they will not employ proper protection. Your landlord should be ensuring that workmen employed by them are working safely.

No one-shot vaccine has yet been approved for use in the UK or the EU. (Or possibly anywhere, I don't know what the Chinese or Russian vaccines require). All current 2 shot vaccines offer protection 21 or so days after use (much like the flu jab), the second jab slightly improves and extends cover is all. The government intention is for all those over 50 to have been offered their first jab by the end of March. We will probably need (as we do with flu) annual vaccination - Covid-19 is going to with us for the foreseeable.

It is to be hoped that within the next 4-5 weeks all those locally in the riskiest groups (Tier 1-4) will have been offered and had a vaccine, and then the vaccine has had time to become effective. So those risking themselves in any Northcross Road market huddle will not then be putting the most vulnerable, locally, at such risk. Even those vaccinated who do still then develop symptoms (3 weeks after being vaccinated) are unlikely to fall severely ill or need hospitalisation, it would seem. This does not mean we can then move into an open house situation, but the risks we run and ask others to run will be considerably lessened. It is still true that for most of those infected, Covid-19 is neither life threatening, particularly debilitating or even noticeable. It is also true that for a very small number of people out of any at-risk group the disease can still be dreadful, and at times fatal or at least with very long-lasting impact. Over time there may be a genetic component discovered which puts people at much greater risk, although the costs of general screening for such markers is probably prohibitive. Hopefully by the end of April (assuming they complete initial vaccination by end March) all those over 50 will have some protection.

Interestingly I've finally had the general NHS letter to people in my Tier - rather late in the day as my GP, and Kings, both also got in touch earlier. But the NHS asks you to book both vaccination slots - there's a web site to do it on, it seems (I didn't check). Presumably they set a limit for how long (and how short) you must wait between jabs.

If the stall holders were all in cars they'd be stopped pronto - Southwark knows where its priorities lie - 4 wheels bad and cause all problems - two wheels (or two feet) - safe as houses and to be encouraged in droves.

In Tessa Jowel they are booking people back for the Astra Zeneca after 11 weeks. I'm guessing that's probably the routine for both, although different centres may be operating differently. My daughter, a health worker is waiting 12 weeks for her next Pfizer from the centre she had the first one.

I also had a jab at the Tessa Jowell yesterday afternoon - very well organised and safe and the lapsed time to get through was about 45 minutes. The stewards were very good and helpful and I'm glad that they have been redefined (today I think) as front-line NHS workers and will be eligible for jabs now. They did collect probably more information than they needed, but that shouldn't be an issue for the 2nd jab as few things will have changed (just your current state of health, perhaps, and whether you've had any other recent vaccinations). Much more time costly in terms of data collection than the seasonal flu jab, but of course they know far less about the Covid jabs and what impact they might have.

I just hope you can cut-over the history into the new site - being able to search and reference what went on before is often useful as things do tend to come around again in one guise or another.

No DF - your list isn't correct - Tier 4 is those over 70 and under 75 and those clinically very vulnerable - i.e. those asked to shield, I believe, 65 and over. Tier 1 also includes I think NHS front-line staff and those in care homes and care home staff. It is confusing as the Tiers have changed - and I think the age criteria is a single one at the top of over 80. Tier 6 was showing as "All individuals aged 16 years to 64 years with underlying health conditions which put them at higher risk of serious disease and mortality" but I think some at least of these have been taken back into Tier 4. Tier 5 is for those over 65, and Tier 7 those over 60. The government hopes that all those over 50 will be offered vaccinations by the end of March, and the whole adult population by September.

at least one was not adhering to the basics In what way? Not wearing a mask? (may have been clinically exempted). Too close? May have been in a bubble. Many, perhaps most professional film crews are tested before coming together to work - and during a job if it lasts over a day; so the risk may have been quite low. This is a very different set of circumstances to a bunch of people meeting randomly together. Most crews are freelance, so if they get infected they are losing work and pay - so they have a huge incentive not to - as they will be tested for it.

that the very fact that they are being allowed to work in this way, when many are not We are being asked to work from home where that is possible, but if not, to go to work. I doubt whether location work like this is possible from the various homes in which the crew will live, so they are not just being 'allowed' to work - but it is a necessity. People working on e.g. building sites (or on the very many road works around the borough) are also being, in your words 'allowed' to work 'in this way' although I would suggest 'required' might be a better verb. Many film crews (or elements thereof) will 'bubble' - that is form a close working group and not mix with others - think of the way they managed Strictly - this often means that for the duration of the work they will be separated from their families. Unless you believe that if you were working like this it would lead to your complacency etc. (remembering that this is a work, not a social situation) I don't think you have much to worry about here. I am sure they will be policing each other as regards work safety.

Off topic perhaps but nationalising what is now a private service can be expensive if you are to recompense the new owners, and quite damaging to future government financing if you don't. Royal Mail's problems are patchy - some areas are still well served, even when ours isn't. There are service standards which Royal Mail is meant to meet - it isn't in a number of areas, and there is a regulator which is meant to hold them to these. However, significant failure might lead to fines, which the current owners wouldn't like. Our problems are at least partly those of mismanagement at a local level, and it is not clear that any change of ownership would remedy this. Nor that there would be a bottom-less money pit to fund what's needed if it was nationalised. Indeed in current circumstances definitely not! Pressure from local and national politicians (and we know Helen Hayes is very definitely on the case) is our best option here. And now Helen isn't on the Front Bench she has more time on her hands!

I also know someone who is on an immuno suppressing treatment who has been advised not to have the vaccine at the moment - he had imagined it was because of the treatment but it may have been because of the particular condition he is being treated for (or perhaps the particular stage of his treatment). Either which way, following the advice of your doctor must be the best course of action.

I seems the 70+ is taking priority over the clinically extremely vulnerable. If you are over 70 you are clinically vulnerable. At least based on death rates. And some of those who are asked to shield are indeed very vulnerable, but are not able to be vaccinated (e.g. they may be on immuno-suppressant medication). It is one group of vulnerable people being prioritised against another, although it ought to be said that both over 70 -75s (well those over 70 and under 75) and the under 70 extremely clinically vulnerable are both treated as being Tier 4 for the vaccine - so technically they are grouped together - how individual NHS groups actually invite patients from within one group is not being mandated, as I understand it.

As an answer to the question posed by the OP - I believe most local GP surgeries are 'offering' the vaccine, but not administering it - this seems to be done locally via the Tessa Jowell centre - which is where DMC is based, but is not, in and of itself, DMC. People registered at local GPs are also getting vaccines at Guys, Thomas's and Kings possibly based on where they may also be being treated. I suspect most local surgeries are not equipped to store and administer the Pfizer vaccine - Astro-Zeneca, when it becomes locally available, may be different. As it (Pfizer) is delivered in large batches pooling demand from local GPs seems sensible. My wife and I are at the Forest Hill Road practice and are booked into the Tessa Jowell.