Please be careful and prepared my friends ...

[Mathew James]

https://dynamicmedia.zuza.com/zz/m/o...r_Portrait.jpg

[Chip Gelmini]

Rednecking.........

[Graham Ritchie]

Well its been a pretty awful week regarding the spread world wide. It did remind me though of some of the terrible disease, which left its mark on the world. It wasn't that long ago, in fact 1973 that I had to have a smallpox vaccination and to show the certificate when boarding the old Australis at Southampton back in 1973. That requirement did change soon after, but at the time Smallpox was still considered a risk, especially if you were to be on a ship for 4-5 weeks. I don't no how many of you remember getting the sugar lump? that contained the vaccine for Polio when you were a child. I remember it, and it was a huge leap forward to dealing with that terrible crippling world wide disease. I also remember a friend of mine I went to school with had to deal with TB, that was another nasty one'

We have come along way since then and hopefully continue to do so.

[Lee Mannering]

Other than that we are fine..sort of cough sneeze

Renown Pictures have cancelled the St Albans film festival but are taking bookings for Stockport later in the year. I do hope we see a healthier picture by then for the world.

[Chip Gelmini]

Lol!!

[Brian Fretwell]

BFI have just cancelled their BFI Flare Festival "due to the scale and complexity of running a large international film festival, with filmmakers due to travel from across the world". Other showings are not affected (at present).

[Paul Adsett]

Thanks for that Chip, it gave me a much needed laugh.

[Dominique De Bast]

A Belgian institute has just announced that they found an antibody capable of fighting the virus but of course further experiments are needed before putting our champagne bottles out of the fridges.

[Steve Klare]

Well, today I went out to work, gathered up my plants, and headed home.

Even though it really felt like it, I didn't actually lose my job. In order to reduce the possibility of spreading the virus, the Lab made it a goal to have 50% of the staff work from home. Since we aren't hands-on with he machine most of the time and can monitor it from anywhere, the Engineering staff was the first out the door!

It worked out a lot better than I thought it would: I expected to have nothing to do all day, but e-mails came at me often and I helped people out like I usually do. My 2:00 meeting turned into a teleconference with the exact same people I usually sit around a table with.

So we are an engineering office here today and a High School too. My son went to school on his laptop and I was back at the PC. My wife is retired and says she gets lonely sometimes. (Problem solved!)

Today was day #1. What comes day #12 or #65 I haven't the slightest idea, but life keeps moving on!

[Chip Gelmini]

Even more

[Brian Fretwell]

I have just received this email to say the BFI Southbank is closing for a while:-

It is with great regret that, due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, and following Government’s updated advice on 16 March, we have taken the decision to close BFI Southbank effective immediately, and all forthcoming events and screenings are now cancelled or postponed.


Our priority is first and foremost the health of our staff and of our audiences and visitors to BFI Southbank.



Our teams work incredibly hard on developing our programmes, and the decision to close the venue and cancel all events has not been taken lightly, particularly as the financial implications on us as a charity are considerable.


Please be assured that all ticket holders for cancelled events have options on refunds and we will be contacting people in due course, however by not requesting a refund you would be making an exceptionally generous and much appreciated charitable donation to the BFI during these unprecedented times.


We will update regularly on the situation and look forward to welcoming you back to the BFI soon.

Stay well.

[Mark Silvester]

Hi all,

as a front line member of Mental Health/NHS

I will give you a bit of feedback U.K. wise.(17/05/20)

I have had patients in my job for 21 years and 93% of my patients/clients are members of the NHS from nurses to consultants. I am also a HR consultant for to major companies in the U.K.

In fact today I am not seeing anyone face to face anyone for the foreseeable but just doing telephone consultations. It makes sense when you are part of a medical team of 75 plus and working between 2 sites.(plus the hospital)

It will also mean I wont get to the U.S (Florida May 1st this year). I will rearrange though.

Key to this is to just keep safe and clean and not clear shelves off food..toilet paper..pasta... I have and know friends who have the virus now...its feeling like a heavy cold most of time. Unfortunately, it finds and exploits weakness and vulnerability as in old age people with underlying health issues.

So we just have to focus - be strong...supportive of one another as riends worldwide - but not reactive.

Best to all - and put your feet up and watch a good movie!!

Mark

Moderator's Note: I have deleted a line that refers to a post that is no longer in this thread.

[Janice Glesser]

The SF Bay Area counties today declared residents to "shelter in home" for the next 3 weeks. This is totally doable... however the problem is getting enough food to last that long. Last Friday I ordered groceries to be delivered...but most of the essential foods like vegetables and meat were not available. Difficult to make a meal with one onion There have been some very good people offering to shop for us old folks... but it looks like they are being discouraged from shopping also. What a predicament!

[Kenneth Horan]

Yes, San Francisco is under a "Shelter in Place" mandatory order which started at midnight and is to last through April 7th. I stocked up at Safeway on Market Street last Sunday and the store seemed normal. I found everything I needed and the shelves were even stocked with toilet paper. Since the "order of the health officer" permits "essential activities" such as "walking, hiking and running", I am O.K. and my lifestyle continues pretty much as usual. The city is quiet and seems peaceful. Everyone please keep well!

[Douglas Meltzer]

I realize it is difficult not to involve politics in writing about this important topic, however our "no politics" rule is still in place. I have deleted posts and a reference to one of those posts in this thread.

Doug