RDQ 15/12 - will the government hold its nerve on Christmas?

I think they know they are on a losing wicket there. What are they going to do? Lock everyone up?

I think the 5 day period of allowing a 3 house bubble was bought in on the basis that mass rule breaking would happen otherwise and the police don't have the resources to stop it. Any they did deal with would likely be reported to the press with headlines about how they were playing the role of the Grinch.

I think a lot of people will break even the loosened rule and will 'bubble' with 2 other households on Christmas day, another two households on boxing day etc. Which is not the point but how do you prove who is in soneones bubble from one day to the next.

Were doing the sensible thing and keeping to ourselves. The kids are at school until friday and my wifes a teacher so it's not worth the risk.

Another piece of pointless pap from a US rep on the beeb news, he suggested that people limit social gathering to the minimum possible. So the minimum possible for the family is 150 then. Do these folk not realise that some people will decide just that as the minimum possible to do what they want. Yes we have talked about that a LOT.

If the nhs is overwhelmed, so will we be and it would be a lottery who was treated with triage being order of the day with all that brings. Nasty.

Several Chief Constables have said they would not instruct officers to enter homes on Christmas Day and break up family lunches - long before the 5-day announcement.

Given that families will meet at Christmas the best the government can do is remind everyone to be sensible and that it’s the younger ones that will kill grandparents silently. Or not so silently if it’s Stewie from Family Guy.

I’m sure there are more than a few disillusioned sons and daughters in-law that are rubbing their faces up against public toilet doors and licking food wrappers in public waste bins prior to a visit to their partners’ parents.

This. Whatever is dictated we won’t be changing our plans one iota.

We're the same, we've got our (sensible) plans and I'm not changing them.

As of this morning I'd have said they won't fold. Now, with all the press screaming for a reversal as well as Labour, the BMJ, SAGE and all the usual suspects, I reckon if the devolved administrations cave the UK government will for England too. 

Like michael I'm fed up of being told to protect the NHS. It's had 9 monthws to get its shit together. It's about time it did what it was supposed to do and became a health service. 

I'm going to see what there is tbh, I might get a Turkey crown but I might not. Perhaps a nice piece of Beef but seeing as it will be me on my toddy I will get something decent whatever it is and it will be MY choice. Not a single sprout to be seen despite my knowing how to cook them I find them to be poison.

Now distant memories of my mother telling me "...but you LOVE sprouts"!

Parboiled but still firm, dry and add to a hot salted pan with some ginger and sugar for a few minutes. Garlic (Smoked by preference) the oil first if you like that sort of thing. Slight sprinkle of lemon juice in a bowl with pepper and serve.

Thanks for reminding me, Mike, I need to start cooking my Xmas sprouts tomorrow.

As long as you're being very careful when you go to your parents having had your first bubble to visit the day before then you might be ok but I wouldn't be doing what you are regardless of how much your parents will surely love to see their latest grandchild. I'm assuming the boxing day bubble involves your sons who will have been at school less than 10days before, in which case maybe you should rethink. I'm not trying to criticise but knowing how much the virus seems to be spreading in schools, I can't say you're right. But I'm no scientist so I'm probably not right either. But then perhaps that's the problem. No one knows who's right or wrong. My wife works as a teacher so has contact with all school years so maybe we're right not to visit anyone as shes at much higher risk of spreading the virus.

No, both visits excludes my sons, we won't be seeing them until the NY weekend this year unfortunately.  If we did have them, the plans would probably be different.  

My parents are getting all rebellious over Christmas and we've had to refuse to be part of a wider get together on the Sunday

Yes, particularly since London is 10+ million people across a large area with significant variation.

Where we live on the border of Fulham and Chelsea appears at the moment to have London's lowest rate of infection (around a third of the worst affected parts, which are over on the other side of the City near Essex). Of course that can change, but a blanket approach to such a large city seems heavy-handed and unjust.