On 5/1/2020 at 4:48 PM, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Makes a change from the other one that annoys me - "going forward". Anyway, going forward I hope we don't see the use of either phrase being ramped up!😀

I'm afraid this is the new normal in these unprecedented times. 

 

4 hours ago, zain611 said:

Funny also this pandemic came when I'm doing a masters to do with bacteria, viruses, epidemiology and immunology 😂

Do you have to pick a topic for the final exam?  If so, Corona is probably a pretty good one! 

 

2 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Do you have to pick a topic for the final exam?  If so, Corona is probably a pretty good one! 

 

There was actually a presentation I had to do to choose a virus of my interest and talk about it. I picked HIV however because this university likes mentioning it so much 😂

So, end of the month is insurance renewal time. 
I've been looking around at quotes and once again, prices are quite high even though I have an extra years NCD now (4 years). 
The quotes I was getting were £600+ without any add-ons like breakdown etc (on both direct websites and comparison sites). 
The only decent quote I have got is from the same company I'm with now and that's £7 more than I paid last year with an extra years NCD and all the add-on extras through their auto-renew system (up from £477 to £484).
I don't know how much higher it will go if I ask to put protected NCD on the policy. 
If I get a quote using their normal system it's well over £550 without extras. 

At 36 with 18 years of driving experience, no accidents and no claims in the 18 years, you'd think the insurance would be a lot cheaper than that. 

@Nick Y could see if calling them might help decrease the premiums. A friend of mine told me that telling them on the phone if they could do any better or saying you found it cheaper elsewhere might help. For me money supermarket gives the best quotes plus saying on the comparison site to include quotes with a extra on it like legal cover sometimes the quotes that come up are cheaper compared to adding that extra through the insurers site. 

 

12 hours ago, zain611 said:

There was actually a presentation I had to do to choose a virus of my interest and talk about it. I picked HIV however because this university likes mentioning it so much 😂

If you can find a vaccine for HIV, you'll never have to worry about money again!!  

12 hours ago, Nick Y said:

So, end of the month is insurance renewal time. 
I've been looking around at quotes and once again, prices are quite high even though I have an extra years NCD now (4 years). 
The quotes I was getting were £600+ without any add-ons like breakdown etc (on both direct websites and comparison sites). 
The only decent quote I have got is from the same company I'm with now and that's £7 more than I paid last year with an extra years NCD and all the add-on extras through their auto-renew system (up from £477 to £484).
I don't know how much higher it will go if I ask to put protected NCD on the policy. 
If I get a quote using their normal system it's well over £550 without extras. 

At 36 with 18 years of driving experience, no accidents and no claims in the 18 years, you'd think the insurance would be a lot cheaper than that. 

That does seem a lot tbh.  Have you tried Hastings?  Mine dropped a bit this year, was about £300 with protected NCD.  I buy breakdown separately, roadside & recovery for £25 this year.  The Fiesta is a more stealable car though, so will always attract a higher premium.  What's the post code like that you live in?  Does it include many undesirables lol?  Also, how many miles do you put down?  I found it was cheaper to put 6k than 4 or 5k, but then starts to climb again above 6.

I don't like planning this week around today being a Bank Holiday...and then finding out it's not a Bank Holiday as it's been moved to Friday this year!   

Also don't like trying to order some hair clippers for C&C at Argos inside Sainsburys when I'm going shopping tomorrow...to find they haven't got any in stock!  Tried a few different models and they're all sold out, not available for delivery either.  Will have to look elsewhere, Amazon maybe lol.

Couple of things bugging me at the moment.

Firstly, I understood the lockdown had to be reviewed/approved by Parliament at 3 week intervals. It started Monday 23 March, but the second wave was not announced until Thursday 16 April. That should run out this Thursday 7 May but it looks likely to be delayed until Sunday 10 May. So they've snuck in an extra week of lockdown, in effect.

Second thing, which seems to rile everyone I've spoken to, is the 15,000 people who are entering the country unchecked every week, and the government are still only "thinking about" quarantining arrivals. By my reckoning that's over 600,000 potential carriers who have entered the country in the last 6 weeks or so, and gone who knows where. 

2 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Couple of things bugging me at the moment.

Firstly, I understood the lockdown had to be reviewed/approved by Parliament at 3 week intervals. It started Monday 23 March, but the second wave was not announced until Thursday 16 April. That should run out this Thursday 7 May but it looks likely to be delayed until Sunday 10 May. So they've snuck in an extra week of lockdown, in effect.

Second thing, which seems to rile everyone I've spoken to, is the 15,000 people who are entering the country unchecked every week, and the government are still only "thinking about" quarantining arrivals. By my reckoning that's over 600,000 potential carriers who have entered the country in the last 6 seems of so, and gone who knows where. 

The "lockdown" didn't become law for a few days, hence why the 3 week review wasn't due until 16th April.

I would expect the next one to be 7th May though...

12 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

The "lockdown" didn't become law for a few days, hence why the 3 week review wasn't due until 16th April.

I would expect the next one to be 7th May though...

I've also heard that it's being bumped to the 10th...but a Sunday seems an odd day to do it!

I reckon they're waiting until after the bank holiday weekend.

 

Just found out I can no longer delete photos from my phone, probably since the update to Android 10.  It's exactly the same problem as the one here, only that fix doesn't work.  There's no 'clear access' under my photos app.  Any ideas?  Don't want the photo of me in a Mankini to get into the wrong hands! 😮

https://amp.reddit.com/r/MotoX4/comments/8gc4fe/photos_doesnt_have_access_to_delete_from_sd_card/

1 minute ago, TomsFocus said:

I've also heard that it's being bumped to the 10th...but a Sunday seems an odd day to do it!

I reckon they're waiting until after the bank holiday weekend.

 

Yeah I did think, they'd probably not want to "release" (abeit only a bit), right before a bank holiday weekend.

I guess it will be "reviewed" on Thursday with another theoretical 3 week extension, but then make changes on the Sunday. 🤷‍♂️

58 minutes ago, alexp999 said:

I guess it will be "reviewed" on Thursday with another theoretical 3 week extension, but then make changes on the Sunday. 🤷‍♂️

Could be. Since originally posting I've seen something to the effect that the PM wanted to review any evidence that comes up this week before announcing any changes. Guess we'll just have to see if it happens Thursday, Sunday, or a bit of both!😀

From what I've seen, quite a few have decided to relax there own lockdowns.lots in queues at b&q, b&m , the range and none seem to have essentials. 

Depends how you define essential. Of course if you get an essential item you're then free to pick up non essential ...

My neighbours went out the other night just for vodka and crisps...not sure if they're essential?

I have seen an awful lot more people out and about locally over the last few days though.  Just hope Sainsburys isn't any more crowded tomorrow than it's been in recent weeks.

32 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

My neighbours went out the other night just for vodka and crisps...not sure if they're essential?

I have seen an awful lot more people out and about locally over the last few days though.  Just hope Sainsburys isn't any more crowded tomorrow than it's been in recent weeks.

what about these chancers? Getting a feed is essential, but the journey involved here not reasonable!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-52532267

31 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

Just hope Sainsburys isn't any more crowded tomorrow than it's been in recent weeks.

Can't seem to figure out a pattern to things these days. Popped into my nearest Sainsbury's the other day and I was the only customer - last time I tried it the queue was about 200 yards!

Certainly seeing more people out and about as you say. I have the impression a lot of people are thinking where's the harm in having more than an hours exercise more than once a day? They do seem to be adhering very diligently to distancing though.

Some of my local supermarkets are enforcing the one person per household rule, and others aren’t and one even seems to change its policy based on who’s running the door that day! Frustrating lack of consistency round here. 

@TomsFocus Vodka and crisps are essential for me 🤣

4 minutes ago, The Finance Guy said:

what about these chancers? Getting a feed is essential, but the journey involved here not reasonable!

Yeah, that is pushing it a bit, though Whitby is a great place for fish and chips!😀 I found a receipt in a pocket for Whitby fish and chips the other day from our last visit (we spent Xmas there- seems like years ago now.)

 

13 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Can't seem to figure out a pattern to things these days. Popped into my nearest Sainsbury's the other day and I was the only customer - last time I tried it the queue was about 200 yards!

Certainly seeing more people out and about as you say. I have the impression a lot of people are thinking where's the harm in having more than an hours exercise more than once a day? They do seem to be adhering very diligently to distancing though.

I'm still yet to see a supermarket queue outside but have been going in as early as I can.  Tomorrow might be different though...

They're not all socially distancing here any more, got quote annoyed on Friday tbh, I'm only going for one walk a week atm and saw lots grouping up to coach each others dogs on paths and verges and big family groups stopped chatting that can't all live together.  It's bad enough getting together but doing it on paths so the rest of us either have to walk past or get run over walking on the road isn't really fair.  Road traffic is also considerably higher than it had been, though a huge amount are cop cars...I do live near the station but still never seen so many about before!

9 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

That does seem a lot tbh.  Have you tried Hastings?  Mine dropped a bit this year, was about £300 with protected NCD.  I buy breakdown separately, roadside & recovery for £25 this year.  The Fiesta is a more stealable car though, so will always attract a higher premium.  What's the post code like that you live in?  Does it include many undesirables lol?  Also, how many miles do you put down?  I found it was cheaper to put 6k than 4 or 5k, but then starts to climb again above 6.

Hastings, Admiral and Direct Line were the worst for quotes this time. They obviously don't like people who can't work due to illness or disability. 
The postcode where I am is actually not too bad. It's certainly not in a rough area or in the middle of a housing estate. 
I put 6k down for mileage as I know I don't do that much (barely scraped 1k this year). 

18 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

a huge amount are cop cars...I do live near the station but still never seen so many about before!

I think they are using the quiet roads to do some extra training where I live. Seeing about 15 cars with blue lights  and sirens on heading for the exact same innocuous place has become a very regular occurrence since the lockdown. Normally there would only be 2 or 3 and they would be well spaced out and coming from different directions for any incidents.

1 hour ago, Nick Y said:

Hastings, Admiral and Direct Line were the worst for quotes this time. They obviously don't like people who can't work due to illness or disability. 

Aren't you a professional aeroplane builder?  No need to tell them the scale...   

I've been with both Hastings & Admiral group and it hasn't been an issue though, don't really understand why yours should be so much more than mine.

 

1 hour ago, Nick Y said:

Hastings, Admiral and Direct Line were the worst for quotes this time. They obviously don't like people who can't work due to illness or disability. 
The postcode where I am is actually not too bad. It's certainly not in a rough area or in the middle of a housing estate. 
I put 6k down for mileage as I know I don't do that much (barely scraped 1k this year). 

It's annoying trying to figure out why they price insurance the way they do,
On my first car a 1996 Escort LX I was with Elephant (Admiral Group) for the full 8 years, I think they were the second cheapest,
But they didn't like my next car, a 2009 Focus Zetec S as they nearly disappeared off the Comparison List, so I went with Tesco,
I was with Tesco for the full 6 years on that car, as soon as I quoted for my 2015 Focus ST they didn't want to know and fell down the list,
Strangely Elephant jumped back up the list to say hello for my ST, which is worth a lot more and higher risk than the Zetec S they didn't want to know,
and I'm still in a 'bad' area.