Summer Plans?

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
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mattheus
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by mattheus »

simonhill wrote: 6 Apr 2021, 1:52pm Re campsites, you need to be careful (or lucky). Last year I booked a site that had toilets, wash, wash up and showers. Due to spacing 'rules' they closed the showers. Fortunately all other facilities still available. No reduction in price.

Hopefully after June 21st all facilities will be open, but any glitches could see selective facilities being closed. You can then up paying top dollar for a field and tap.
Most campsites are showing "showers/toilets closed until May 17th earliest " on their websites. I phoned a small place in Devon and they confirmed that by May 1st they will have showers+toilets open with Covid measures in place, just like when they opened last summer.

I would not have paid £15/20 a night just for a space in a field!
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Traction_man
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by Traction_man »

mattheus wrote: 6 Apr 2021, 3:19pm
simonhill wrote: 6 Apr 2021, 1:52pm Re campsites, you need to be careful (or lucky). Last year I booked a site that had toilets, wash, wash up and showers. Due to spacing 'rules' they closed the showers. Fortunately all other facilities still available. No reduction in price.

Hopefully after June 21st all facilities will be open, but any glitches could see selective facilities being closed. You can then up paying top dollar for a field and tap.
Most campsites are showing "showers/toilets closed until May 17th earliest " on their websites. I phoned a small place in Devon and they confirmed that by May 1st they will have showers+toilets open with Covid measures in place, just like when they opened last summer.

I would not have paid £15/20 a night just for a space in a field!
Just looking at the latest from C&CC some good clear inf on their sites across the four nations and stages of their reopening here

https://www.campingandcaravanningclub.c ... ronavirus/

Cheers,

Keith
Jdsk
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by Jdsk »

Guardian summary of likely restrictions on international travel:
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/202 ... d-from-may

(It would be so much better if the Government openly shared its working papers.)

Jonathan
willem jongman
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by willem jongman »

Interestingly the report only mentions UK restrictions, as if it is up to the UK to allow people to enter other countries. Simillarly, it mentions an NHS document to prove vaccination, but no reference to compatibility with the EU green card system that will be implemented.
pwa
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by pwa »

willem jongman wrote: 9 Apr 2021, 9:04am Interestingly the report only mentions UK restrictions, as if it is up to the UK to allow people to enter other countries. Similarly, it mentions an NHS document to prove vaccination, but no reference to compatibility with the EU green card system that will be implemented.
I think it is recognised that crossing borders takes understandings on both sides, but obviously the UK authorities can only speak for their end of things. That is one reason why this whole issue is so complicated and hard to predict. We can begin to imagine how we would like to organise things on our side, but each and every other state will have their own situation to deal with. Wherever you cross a border you will be looking at two sets of regulations. Personally, I think this year is a write off for foreign travel and the sanest thing is to find things to do in one's own country until perhaps 2022.
willem jongman
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by willem jongman »

Precisely, it takes two to tango. Until a few days ago I was quite optimistic about travel within the EU by mid summer, but the various restrictions on the use of the Astra Zeneca vaccine will delay the moment when large proportions of the population will have been vaccinated.
Apart from this, I note some progress with the EU Green Pass, but no references anywhere to the UK joining the system.
willem jongman
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by willem jongman »

I am still troubled by the news about restrictions on the use of the Astra Zeneca vaccine, but EU supplies of all vaccines are obviously ramping up, and hence the prospects for some EU travel look a bit brighter, even though perhaps more for the late Summer rather than the early Summer: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/ ... s-brussels
Here in the Netherlands we will receive the first 80K doses of the one shot Janssen vaccine tomorrow, with much more to follow soo after, while Pfizer/Biontech continues to supply large their contracted quantities with clockwork reliability. So lets hope we can all tour, even if perhaps not exactly when and where we would like.
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mjr
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by mjr »

Sadly the Janssen vaccine is also suspected of blood clots in younger people, so while it helps, it may not help richer countries as much as poorer ones where they have yet to vaccinate many and a single-shot vaccine is much easier to deploy.

I saw a chart of deliveries for Belgium today. Only Pfizer has committed to deliveries from next month yet. That sucks. But things are accelerating across the EU, as noted. Late summer may indeed be possible, but I wait to book.
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PaulaT
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by PaulaT »

mjr wrote: 11 Apr 2021, 4:38pm Sadly the Janssen vaccine is also suspected of blood clots in younger people
As many will have read elsewhere, the US have temporarily halted the use of the J&J vaccine. Whilst it won't significantly affect their vaccination programme (they now have access to huge quantities of vaccines) it's potentially going to impact some vaccination programmes in the EU. For instance, I believe Spain are restricting the use of the AZ vaccine to some of the older generation and are planning to give younger people the "safe" J&J vaccine instead. So that's that problem sorted.
willem jongman
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by willem jongman »

The Janssen vaccine is technically similar to the Astra Zeneca one, so may well suffer the same issues. We are expecting a news conference from the Dutch government tonight about the entire vaccination strategy and the timing for outdoor eating and drinking, but I fear we are in a squeeze between the desire to reduce restrictions, rising infection rates because people are ignoring the rules, and vaccine supply issues. I have seen the pictures of loony Brits drinking outdoors yesterday evening without any social distancing, and we should really try to avoid that, but how do we do that? We live in the North of the Netherlands, where people are by and large law abiding and hence the infection rate continues to be quite low, but elsewhere the loony bin of ultraright indifference to science or other people's health has become the new social plague.
On the vaccination front, the only option is probably to delay second Pfizer/Biontech doses, and using the rapidly growing supply to innoculate as many people as possible for the first time. The good news is that Pfizer/Biontech have proved to be highly reliable suppliers, and are delivering increasingly large quantities. My wife will get her first Astra Zeneca jab this Saturday, and I am supposed to get a Pfizer/Biontech one in a few weeks' time.
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foxyrider
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by foxyrider »

willem jongman wrote: 13 Apr 2021, 5:34pm The Janssen vaccine is technically similar to the Astra Zeneca one, so may well suffer the same issues. We are expecting a news conference from the Dutch government tonight about the entire vaccination strategy and the timing for outdoor eating and drinking, but I fear we are in a squeeze between the desire to reduce restrictions, rising infection rates because people are ignoring the rules, and vaccine supply issues. I have seen the pictures of loony Brits drinking outdoors yesterday evening without any social distancing, and we should really try to avoid that, but how do we do that? We live in the North of the Netherlands, where people are by and large law abiding and hence the infection rate continues to be quite low, but elsewhere the loony bin of ultraright indifference to science or other people's health has become the new social plague.
Have to say that the 'loony Brits drinking outdoors - without any social distancing' that i've seen the last two days have pretty much all been in the over 50 age band who are mostly at least at 1st jab level in the UK. I think the queues to use 'non essential' stores who opened yesterday, Primark, IKEA etc, with a large % of under 40's, very few of which have had any jab, is actually of more concern. We saw similar scenes last summer but whilst teens and students are currently getting infected at quite high levels they are the least likely age band to adhere to advice / act sensibly / consider others.

I have about a 6 week wait for my second AZ dose unless it gets moved up but I'm a mere youngster having only arrived the same year as Dr Who!
Convention? what's that then?
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al_yrpal
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by al_yrpal »

Had a great pub lunch and a couple of pints today, a real pleasure. The pub was very well prepared observing all the sensible precautions. Our plans dont include any visits to the European mainland this year, the bungling vaccine rollout there doesnt give one any confidence and we have so many wonderful safe spots to choose from here in Blighty

Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
francovendee
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by francovendee »

al_yrpal wrote: 13 Apr 2021, 10:38pm Had a great pub lunch and a couple of pints today, a real pleasure. The pub was very well prepared observing all the sensible precautions. Our plans dont include any visits to the European mainland this year, the bungling vaccine rollout there doesnt give one any confidence and we have so many wonderful safe spots to choose from here in Blighty

Al
I think you are right to stay at home, I hope everyone does the same. It will be safer for all.
The actual roll out once vaccine is available is working well. I think the max done here in a day was over 400000 and this is only a quarter of the possible numbers but...... as usual vaccine or lack of is the snag.
More worrying is the growing reluctance to have the AZ vaccine.
The company produces a safe vaccine but their approach to PR just adds to peoples worries.

A friend who normally holidays with us in June can't come. Normally in August he spends 2 weeks renting a cottage on Exmoor but told me he had trouble getting a booking and the price has nearly doubled. Good old capitalism, supply and demand working well.
markjohnobrien
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by markjohnobrien »

al_yrpal wrote: 13 Apr 2021, 10:38pm Had a great pub lunch and a couple of pints today, a real pleasure. The pub was very well prepared observing all the sensible precautions. Our plans dont include any visits to the European mainland this year, the bungling vaccine rollout there doesnt give one any confidence and we have so many wonderful safe spots to choose from here in Blighty

Al
You are so lucky having a nice lunch and a few pints.

Fully agree with not going abroad at present.
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al_yrpal
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Re: Summer Plans?

Post by al_yrpal »

I will be firing up Rusty our VW Camper and will probably be staying at Britstops. There is a French equivalent, often vineyards, but we wont be trying that this year. Britstops are usually friendly pub car parks. You can get a pub meal and a pint, use the toilets in the evening and avoid noisy campsites. Some are in peoples gardens. The Camper fits in a normal car park space. Because Rusty was 40 last year I will shortly be applying for Historic Vehicle status...no tax and optional MOT. Its still a great van though, slower but bigger than current VW vans.
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Al
Reuse, recycle, thus do your bit to save the planet.... Get stuff at auctions, Dump, Charity Shops, Facebook Marketplace, Ebay, Car Boots. Choose an Old House, and a Banger ..... And cycle as often as you can......
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