Bulletguy Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 slowdriver - 2020-03-17 4:12 PM Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 3:39 PM 3) I totally agree but would also take it a stage further by compulsory testing every returning Brit before allowing entry back into UK. That boat sailed five days ago when the Chief Scientific Officer stood up and said: "“There are currently 590 cases that have been identified in the UK and there are more than 20 patients in intensive care units. “If you calculate what that really means in terms of the total number, it is much more likely that we have between 5,000 and 10,000 people infected at the moment." Those five to ten thousand were not returning from anywhere they were in the community, and infected in the community. In addition comprehensive testing has yet to occur in the UK. Compulsory testing has yet to occur. Yes i realise that. I was responding to Stuarts suggestion that if already out of UK in mh, to "work out whether and how to try to get home or ride out the pandemic elsewhere." I'd rather they stay put rather than add to what we already have. If that means hospitalisation in whatever foreign country they've been staying, then so be it. The government chose not to introduce either as part of Boris Johnson "striking a balance".(5th March 2020). I doubt that introducing it now would make a jot of difference. I have friends, fortunately recovering, who tried to register and get tested and could not. The South Koreans have tested 200,000 and are tracing as well. Our maximum capacity up until a couple of days ago was 1,500. So we are, whether we like it or not, at the beginning of an experiment based on an untested statistical model, on how herd immunity re COVID 19 can be acquired. This is a particularly callous experiment given that this is a new virus and its behaviour is insufficiently understood to be able to take such a gamble. I wish I was sufficiently knowledgeable to understand the differences between what the world scientific community considers to be the correct course of action, and the, shall we say, more adventurous course the UK Chief Medical Officer and the UK Chief Scientific Officer have recommended, albeit I suspect under a modicum of political pressure. Sadly these guys, who I quite like listening to, are the fall guys if the strategy doesn't work. Politicians will keep repeating "We are following the science", simply because they need someone else to blame and hang onto power. If you are interested in how it played out in China I recommend these sources all from the same British scientist, Daniel Falush - who works on the statistical genetics of bacteria and humans. (NB Not a virologist) who is Professor, Institute Pasteur Shanghai. He has lived through the outbreak in China. The three following pieces are informative, and no doubt can be argued with. Several of you are better placed than I am to make a judgement on the scientific arguments. But the social policy stuff is pretty accessible. There are three pieces, a Blogpost, an audio interview and some comments on his twitter feed. 1) His blogspot here: https://paintmychromosomes.blogspot.com/?view=classic Just scroll down from most recent to earlier posts. The three from March are the only pertinent ones. including: - We need our fear and anger to tackle COVID-19 - *Especially* Delay is not a viable strategy. Contain Contain Contain. (or The postmodern dynamics of COVID-19) *Especially* - Coronovirus will curtail your freedom. Your only choice is when and how. 2) There is an extended audio interview here which provides insight into life in China and how lockdown works. It’s helpful, to me anyway, (apart from the blathering American interviewer, who should take a course in identifying what he is trying to ask before opening his mouth!) https://brownpundits.libsyn.com/british-scientist-in-shanghai-talks-coronavirus 3) And lastly a twitter thread here which critiques the UK government approach, and questions one particular point in Prof. Whitty's evidence to Parliament. I recommend them all Thanks for posting those links and i will certainly take a look at each. You make some very valid points in your post and that which i highlighted is chilling to say the least. When South Korea manage to test 200,000 and UK is still dithering over closing schools, it doesn't do much for the confidence! Death toll now 71. :-( https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-coronavirus-news-latest-live-updates-a4389041.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 As an aside could I draw your attention to the headline in todays Metro newspaper. It says " TIME TO GET ANTI - SOCIAL " (This could encourage panic buying ) I think they actually meant to say " Time to get un-sociable " ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billggski Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Went into town today to pick up some paracetamol, plenty of folk wandering around, sitting in cafes and bars chatting. Most of them seemed to be pensioners! Big queue at the supermarket. No "safe" spacing. Went to a funeral this afternoon, I kept my distance, but everyone hugging and kissing. Bizarre when my friends in France need to fill in a form to leave their house. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowdriver Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Billggski - 2020-03-17 5:15 PM Went into town today to pick up some paracetamol, plenty of folk wandering around, sitting in cafes and bars chatting. Most of them seemed to be pensioners! Big queue at the supermarket. No "safe" spacing. Went to a funeral this afternoon, I kept my distance, but everyone hugging and kissing. Bizarre when my friends in France need to fill in a form to leave their house. Such a form may be deployed in the UK if we decide to move into alignment with the French and Italians. I am not sure if the Spanish have a form? but they do have similar restrictions. This article in thelocal.fr describes the form and associated conditions: https://www.thelocal.fr/20200317/lockdown-permission-form-what-is-it-and-where-do-you-find-it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 laimeduck - 2020-03-17 4:21 PM……………………. Sodium Lauryl or Laureth Sulfate is not a very pleasant chemical. It is a surfactant added to liquid soaps to make them froth. It also can be an agent in causing sebborrheic dermatitis which commonly shows as Dandruff! In the big scheme of things though, there is no contest between Covid-19 and Dandruff! Besides, who is going to see the Dandruff if we are all self-isolating? See this article for more on SLS https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1DjRTHSCZK3h7V6dlxyHRdP/are-my-wash-products-damaging-my-skin Thanks for this, Jeremy. Interesting. Needs to be used with care, I think! Perhaps we should isolate the virus and wash just it with soap. Now, where's my magnifying glass. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Billggski - 2020-03-17 5:15 PM Went into town today to pick up some paracetamol, plenty of folk wandering around, sitting in cafes and bars chatting. Most of them seemed to be pensioners! Big queue at the supermarket. No "safe" spacing. Went to a funeral this afternoon, I kept my distance, but everyone hugging and kissing. Bizarre when my friends in France need to fill in a form to leave their house. I really don't know why just as i cannot understand why people are still supermarket shopping when it can all be done online. Very simple and far less hassle. Cafes and bars should have been shut down but it seems it's being left up to the owner. I imagine they are the ideal paces to go if you want to pick up a dose. :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmold Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 7:09 PM Billggski - 2020-03-17 5:15 PM Went into town today to pick up some paracetamol, plenty of folk wandering around, sitting in cafes and bars chatting. Most of them seemed to be pensioners! Big queue at the supermarket. No "safe" spacing. Went to a funeral this afternoon, I kept my distance, but everyone hugging and kissing. Bizarre when my friends in France need to fill in a form to leave their house. I really don't know why just as i cannot understand why people are still supermarket shopping when it can all be done online. Very simple and far less hassle. Cafes and bars should have been shut down but it seems it's being left up to the owner. I imagine they are the ideal paces to go if you want to pick up a dose. :-| Have you tried to get a delivery slot. Some are full for three weeks ahead. Supermarket home delivery is not set up for the increase. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 We can only shop online so if all others do the same it prevents us and those like us from being able to move around and buy anything with the result that we have nothing to eat. Maybe It would work if the online system set up a rationing program. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 paulmold - 2020-03-17 7:28 PM Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 7:09 PM Billggski - 2020-03-17 5:15 PM Went into town today to pick up some paracetamol, plenty of folk wandering around, sitting in cafes and bars chatting. Most of them seemed to be pensioners! Big queue at the supermarket. No "safe" spacing. Went to a funeral this afternoon, I kept my distance, but everyone hugging and kissing. Bizarre when my friends in France need to fill in a form to leave their house. I really don't know why just as i cannot understand why people are still supermarket shopping when it can all be done online. Very simple and far less hassle. Cafes and bars should have been shut down but it seems it's being left up to the owner. I imagine they are the ideal paces to go if you want to pick up a dose. :-| Have you tried to get a delivery slot. Some are full for three weeks ahead. Supermarket home delivery is not set up for the increase. Yes Paul. I've been grocery shopping online for the past four month actually so before Covid broke and usually do my order on Sat/Sun for Wednesday delivery. This week was the first time the slots had gone and the first available left was Saturday (21st) so that's sorted now. To get back to my usual Wednesday delivery i've also booked a slot on the 25th which was simple enough to get......yesterday. Today all those have gone but my order for that date is secured because i 'checked out' on it. I use Morrisons and to get the slot you want at the moment you need to be working at least a fortnight ahead. Once you've booked your slot you need to make an order and checkout within 50 mins, otherwise you lose your slot. You HAVE to hit checkout. Payment isn't taken until the point of delivery. It doesn't matter if you forgot something because you can go back on to your account anytime to edit and add stuff to your order. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Will86 - 2020-03-17 7:29 PM We can only shop online so if all others do the same it prevents us and those like us from being able to move around and buy anything with the result that we have nothing to eat. Maybe It would work if the online system set up a rationing program. Will....the only items being 'rationed' are toilet roll packs, limit of two per customer. So if you're a bog roll collector it doesn't take much to figure how you can get more than your allowance! (lol) Morrisons put this out today; The safety and well-being of our customers and colleagues is always our number one priority - and never more so than now, during the Coronavirus outbreak. Responding to the latest guidance and advice from the World Health Organisation and the Government, we’ve made some practical changes to our delivery service in order to protect the wellbeing of our customers and our colleagues. You may notice that delivery slots for our online groceries service are becoming less readily available as demand for home deliveries increases. We’re working hard to facilitate as many orders as we can, however please be aware that you may need to book your slot further in advance than usual. You will also discover that there is a maximum order number on selected products so we can make sure our customers still have access to essential products. On the doorstep & self isolating When it’s time for your order to be delivered, it’s essential that you let us know if you are self-isolating so our delivery drivers can take the necessary precautions when fulfilling your order. This will include placing your order on your doorstep and contacting you via telephone to ensure it’s received. As such, please make sure your contact details are up to date in your account, and update us on your isolation status under the ‘delivery instructions’ section of your account. Carrier bag return Please also be aware that, as a temporary measure, our delivery drivers will be unable to bring your shopping into your home, or to take your bags away with them. Please hang onto them and return them to us in due course, when we’ll ensure you’re refunded for them as usual. Thank you for your ongoing support as we work through these challenges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 7:54 PM paulmold - 2020-03-17 7:28 PM Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 7:09 PM Billggski - 2020-03-17 5:15 PM Went into town today to pick up some paracetamol, plenty of folk wandering around, sitting in cafes and bars chatting. Most of them seemed to be pensioners! Big queue at the supermarket. No "safe" spacing. Went to a funeral this afternoon, I kept my distance, but everyone hugging and kissing. Bizarre when my friends in France need to fill in a form to leave their house. I really don't know why just as i cannot understand why people are still supermarket shopping when it can all be done online. Very simple and far less hassle. Cafes and bars should have been shut down but it seems it's being left up to the owner. I imagine they are the ideal paces to go if you want to pick up a dose. :-| Have you tried to get a delivery slot. Some are full for three weeks ahead. Supermarket home delivery is not set up for the increase. Yes Paul. I've been grocery shopping online for the past four month actually so before Covid broke and usually do my order on Sat/Sun for Wednesday delivery. This week was the first time the slots had gone and the first available left was Saturday (21st) so that's sorted now. To get back to my usual Wednesday delivery i've also booked a slot on the 25th which was simple enough to get......yesterday. Today all those have gone but my order for that date is secured because i 'checked out' on it. I use Morrisons and to get the slot you want at the moment you need to be working at least a fortnight ahead. Once you've booked your slot you need to make an order and checkout within 50 mins, otherwise you lose your slot. You HAVE to hit checkout. Payment isn't taken until the point of delivery. It doesn't matter if you forgot something because you can go back on to your account anytime to edit and add stuff to your order. A friend has been trying to arrange deliveries for his 92y.o. mother, slots are shown for the next three weeks, all full, BUT, on phoning the supermarket customer services he got told there will be an announcement soon on this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpstart Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 7:54 PM paulmold - 2020-03-17 7:28 PM Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 7:09 PM Billggski - 2020-03-17 5:15 PM Went into town today to pick up some paracetamol, plenty of folk wandering around, sitting in cafes and bars chatting. Most of them seemed to be pensioners! Big queue at the supermarket. No "safe" spacing. Went to a funeral this afternoon, I kept my distance, but everyone hugging and kissing. Bizarre when my friends in France need to fill in a form to leave their house. I really don't know why just as i cannot understand why people are still supermarket shopping when it can all be done online. Very simple and far less hassle. Cafes and bars should have been shut down but it seems it's being left up to the owner. I imagine they are the ideal paces to go if you want to pick up a dose. :-| Have you tried to get a delivery slot. Some are full for three weeks ahead. Supermarket home delivery is not set up for the increase. Yes Paul. I've been grocery shopping online for the past four month actually so before Covid broke and usually do my order on Sat/Sun for Wednesday delivery. This week was the first time the slots had gone and the first available left was Saturday (21st) so that's sorted now. To get back to my usual Wednesday delivery i've also booked a slot on the 25th which was simple enough to get......yesterday. Today all those have gone but my order for that date is secured because i 'checked out' on it. I use Morrisons and to get the slot you want at the moment you need to be working at least a fortnight ahead. Once you've booked your slot you need to make an order and checkout within 50 mins, otherwise you lose your slot. You HAVE to hit checkout. Payment isn't taken until the point of delivery. It doesn't matter if you forgot something because you can go back on to your account anytime to edit and add stuff to your order. Both last night and this morning sites kept crashing and you get timed out. So not always quite as easy as you think. Cafe’s and pubs are doing take away services and deliveries locally so good innovation there,no reason to close them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 colin - 2020-03-17 8:40 PM Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 7:54 PM paulmold - 2020-03-17 7:28 PM Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 7:09 PM Billggski - 2020-03-17 5:15 PM Went into town today to pick up some paracetamol, plenty of folk wandering around, sitting in cafes and bars chatting. Most of them seemed to be pensioners! Big queue at the supermarket. No "safe" spacing. Went to a funeral this afternoon, I kept my distance, but everyone hugging and kissing. Bizarre when my friends in France need to fill in a form to leave their house. I really don't know why just as i cannot understand why people are still supermarket shopping when it can all be done online. Very simple and far less hassle. Cafes and bars should have been shut down but it seems it's being left up to the owner. I imagine they are the ideal paces to go if you want to pick up a dose. :-| Have you tried to get a delivery slot. Some are full for three weeks ahead. Supermarket home delivery is not set up for the increase. Yes Paul. I've been grocery shopping online for the past four month actually so before Covid broke and usually do my order on Sat/Sun for Wednesday delivery. This week was the first time the slots had gone and the first available left was Saturday (21st) so that's sorted now. To get back to my usual Wednesday delivery i've also booked a slot on the 25th which was simple enough to get......yesterday. Today all those have gone but my order for that date is secured because i 'checked out' on it. I use Morrisons and to get the slot you want at the moment you need to be working at least a fortnight ahead. Once you've booked your slot you need to make an order and checkout within 50 mins, otherwise you lose your slot. You HAVE to hit checkout. Payment isn't taken until the point of delivery. It doesn't matter if you forgot something because you can go back on to your account anytime to edit and add stuff to your order. A friend has been trying to arrange deliveries for his 92y.o. mother, slots are shown for the next three weeks, all full, BUT, on phoning the supermarket customer services he got told there will be an announcement soon on this. Colin....undoubtedly it will vary according to locality but just looking at Morrisons slots for my area the first available showing is Sunday 29th 9am - 10am, two slots at midday, and then seven hourly slots from 1600 - 2300. The announcement is probably what i posted at 8.05pm. In addition to that there is also this on their website now; An important update on Coronavirus The safety and well-being of our customers and colleagues is always our number one priority - and never more so than now, during the Coronavirus outbreak. Responding to the latest guidance and advice from the World Health Organisation and the Government, we’re making some practical changes to our delivery service from 13th March in order to protect the wellbeing of our customers and our colleagues. You may notice that delivery slots for our online groceries service are becoming less readily available as demand for home deliveries increases. We’re working hard to facilitate as many orders as we can, however please be aware that you may need to book your slot further in advance than usual. You will also discover that there is a maximum order number on selected products so we can make sure our customers still have access to essential products. On the doorstep & self isolating When it’s time for your order to be delivered, it’s essential that you let us know if you are self-isolating so our delivery drivers can take the necessary precautions when fulfilling your order. This will include placing your order on your doorstep and contacting you via telephone to ensure it’s received. As such, please make sure your contact details are up to date in your account, and update us on your isolation status under the ‘delivery instructions’ section of your account. Thank you for your ongoing support as we work through these challenges. Your Morrisons Team Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 17, 2020 Share Posted March 17, 2020 jumpstart - 2020-03-17 9:26 PM Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 7:54 PM paulmold - 2020-03-17 7:28 PM Bulletguy - 2020-03-17 7:09 PM Billggski - 2020-03-17 5:15 PM Went into town today to pick up some paracetamol, plenty of folk wandering around, sitting in cafes and bars chatting. Most of them seemed to be pensioners! Big queue at the supermarket. No "safe" spacing. Went to a funeral this afternoon, I kept my distance, but everyone hugging and kissing. Bizarre when my friends in France need to fill in a form to leave their house. I really don't know why just as i cannot understand why people are still supermarket shopping when it can all be done online. Very simple and far less hassle. Cafes and bars should have been shut down but it seems it's being left up to the owner. I imagine they are the ideal paces to go if you want to pick up a dose. :-| Have you tried to get a delivery slot. Some are full for three weeks ahead. Supermarket home delivery is not set up for the increase. Yes Paul. I've been grocery shopping online for the past four month actually so before Covid broke and usually do my order on Sat/Sun for Wednesday delivery. This week was the first time the slots had gone and the first available left was Saturday (21st) so that's sorted now. To get back to my usual Wednesday delivery i've also booked a slot on the 25th which was simple enough to get......yesterday. Today all those have gone but my order for that date is secured because i 'checked out' on it. I use Morrisons and to get the slot you want at the moment you need to be working at least a fortnight ahead. Once you've booked your slot you need to make an order and checkout within 50 mins, otherwise you lose your slot. You HAVE to hit checkout. Payment isn't taken until the point of delivery. It doesn't matter if you forgot something because you can go back on to your account anytime to edit and add stuff to your order. Both last night and this morning sites kept crashing and you get timed out. So not always quite as easy as you think. Cafe’s and pubs are doing take away services and deliveries locally so good innovation there,no reason to close them. Have to admit j/start i've never had it crash. I usually do an order Sat/Sun afternoon. Morrisons times out after so long if you don't hit the 'checkout' tab. Important to do that otherwise you lose your order and possibly slot the rate things are going, that why i'm trying to drive home the fact you need to 'checkout'. You can always add stuff later to your order by editing....but remember to hit 'checkout' asap! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted March 18, 2020 Author Share Posted March 18, 2020 Over the past couple of days I’ve found myself saturated as far as any more news about the virus; I’d just had enough. We’d done what we could to prepare and then started to self-isolate, so I think I needed a break from worrying about it all. But you can’t really get away from it, can you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
23addy46 Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Hi Laimeduck - and thank you for yesterdays explanation of just how (Proper soap ?) destroys the Covid19 virus when soap contains these Sodium Laureth, Sulfate's chemicals - just attempting to find out what various 'well know' soap brands DO actually contain when my wife came out with a comment that had me smile - She stated "do you remember as children (late 1940s early 50s), when the only soap we all had to use was that horrible 'Red Carbolic Soap' that came in (what seemed) the size of a brick, that our parents cut 'bar sized' pieces off - bet that stuff would kill any virus if it was still available eh?" I had completely forgotten about it ! Anyone else remember it ? Dave A. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulletguy Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 StuartO - 2020-03-18 6:30 PM Over the past couple of days I’ve found myself saturated as far as any more news about the virus; I’d just had enough. We’d done what we could to prepare and then started to self-isolate, so I think I needed a break from worrying about it all. But you can’t really get away from it, can you? Hopefully it won't lead to complacency but the seriousness has taken a long time to sink in with some folk. 32 more died today which has been the largest single amount now taking the total to 104. It's also just been announced on news it may eventually lead to mass burials/cremations which is a pretty depressing thought. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-32-more-covid-19-patients-die-in-england-taking-uk-total-to-104-11959809 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpstart Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Bulletguy - 2020-03-18 7:46 PM StuartO - 2020-03-18 6:30 PM Over the past couple of days I’ve found myself saturated as far as any more news about the virus; I’d just had enough. We’d done what we could to prepare and then started to self-isolate, so I think I needed a break from worrying about it all. But you can’t really get away from it, can you? Hopefully it won't lead to complacency but the seriousness has taken a long time to sink in with some folk. 32 more died today which has been the largest single amount now taking the total to 104. It's also just been announced on news it may eventually lead to mass burials/cremations which is a pretty depressing thought. https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-32-more-covid-19-patients-die-in-england-taking-uk-total-to-104-11959809 Basically around 1500 people die each day in the uk, so we are not anywhere near it being mass burials yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plwsm2000 Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 I think we all need to drink more tonic water [url=] https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/03/17/an-effective-treatment-for-coronavirus-covid-19-has-been-found-in-a-common-anti-malarial-drug/ [/url] Seems there is a large correlation between countries with high Malaria cases and corresponding low levels of Covid-19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 23addy46 - 2020-03-18 7:42 PM Hi Laimeduck - and thank you for yesterdays explanation of just how (Proper soap ?) destroys the Covid19 virus when soap contains these Sodium Laureth, Sulfate's chemicals - just attempting to find out what various 'well know' soap brands DO actually contain when my wife came out with a comment that had me smile - She stated "do you remember as children (late 1940s early 50s), when the only soap we all had to use was that horrible 'Red Carbolic Soap' that came in (what seemed) the size of a brick, that our parents cut 'bar sized' pieces off - bet that stuff would kill any virus if it was still available eh?" I had completely forgotten about it ! Anyone else remember it ? Dave A. Yep. I remember red carbolic. … even worse was Izal toilet paper - 'hard' paper and shiny on one side ! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 plwsm2000 - 2020-03-18 9:15 PM I think we all need to drink more tonic water [url=] https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/03/17/an-effective-treatment-for-coronavirus-covid-19-has-been-found-in-a-common-anti-malarial-drug/ [/url] Seems there is a large correlation between countries with high Malaria cases and corresponding low levels of Covid-19 So that's why on another forum I read that tonic water was sold out, the fact it contains just a minuscule amount won't have registered with the morons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robinhood Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 malc d - 2020-03-18 9:20 PM … even worse was Izal toilet paper - 'hard' paper and shiny on one side ! ;-) I've posted this on here before, but in the interests of lightening the debate a bit, here it is again: Last Saturday radio documentary literally scraped the barrel of the bottom, with Sally Goldsmith’s Now Wash Your Hands (Radio 4). It was a tribute to the medicated Izal toilet roll — now sufficiently a part of history for us to get nostalgic about it rather than hating it as much as we did at the time. For those too young and fortunate not to have experienced it, the Izal loo roll was a sort of shiny white thing with the consistency of lino (it was best to scrunch it up before use, make it a bit more malleable) and smelling of coal tar. It didn’t do its job properly, tending to — how to put this delicately — spread the work rather than clean it up. Put another way, it … OK, maybe better not put it another way. Ask an older person if you’re that interested. But by God it made for a jolly half-hour documentary on a weekend morning. From the middle of the 19th century, where the British Empire went it had a rifle in one hand and a weapons-grade bogroll in the other. Johnny Foreigner was invited to share in the Izal disinfectant experience, a miracle cure for tuberculosis, cholera, diptheria, typhus — everything short of baldness, really. Back home, the growth of the inside lavatory meant many more people went for the Izal and its cheaper, non-medicated competing brands than the more traditional forms of tending to your bitt-bott, such as torn up newspapers and string sacks that had formerly contained oranges. A cunning marketing campaign whereby municipal buildings were given free rolls in exchange for placing bulk orders of the disinfectant made going to a public lavatory an ordeal by fire for decades. By the Sixties, though, a more sophisticated clientele demanded a toilet roll that wouldn’t do untold damage to the perineum, and by the Eighties the Izal roll was no more. The surprising thing was that it took that long to die off. But that was not the meat of Goldsmith’s programme. Rather it was the people who spent their lives in the Izal factory in Chapeltown, a suburb of Sheffield, making the things. A woman named Maggie Holmes, who ran one of the huge roll-making machines, handed over a cherished cutting from a local newspaper that honoured her and her colleague and best friend, Patricia for having produced 268 boxes of rolls — 72 rolls in a box — in a single eight-hour shift during “the busy time before Christmas”. Why Christmas should lead to an increase in toilet roll demand was not explained. “It was a record that broke all other records,” Holmes said, proudly. And, yes, she and Patricia had set out to set the record. “If I could have my time over again,” she reflected, “I’d do it all over again. I loved it.” As did the woman who once had the job of taking rejected rolls and making them fit for human consumption, as it were. If the tops of the roll weren’t flat she would sandpaper them flat. And the quality control supervisor who would select rolls at random and count the number of squares to make sure that the public wasn’t being shortchanged. That’s consumer care of an order you just don’t get these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted March 18, 2020 Share Posted March 18, 2020 Robinhood - 2020-03-18 10:36 PM malc d - 2020-03-18 9:20 PM … even worse was Izal toilet paper - 'hard' paper and shiny on one side ! ;-) I've posted this on here before, but in the interests of lightening the debate a bit, here it is again: Just to add that Izal was used extensively as tracing paper, and was an absolutely vital constituent to make music! What I hear you say? A sheet of Izal wrapped around a comb, which every young lad had in his back pocket, made the perfect kazoo. Used in many a skiffle band I remember! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 This 2013 link may amuse http://wisewebwoman.blogspot.com/2013/10/leather-arse-or-how-i-survived-izal.html and I note that the ‘musical comb and toilet paper’ and tracing paper uses are mentioned in the comments. Wikipedia provides a history of the company that manufactured IZAL-branded products https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton,_Chambers_%26_Co. and the attached image is of a circa 1890 poster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jumpstart Posted March 19, 2020 Share Posted March 19, 2020 Sort of interesting that they have to state..” non poisonous “ yikes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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