Hello
Hope everyone is coping well.
I am supposed to go for a meal, but in all honesty, just don't feel safe, somewhat worried sitting in to eat with this virus still looming and no real practical resolve, now with the masks - are we suppose to even wear those at the table?
My question is, has anyone been to a restaurant or plan on going anytime soon?
Hessie 😌
I have been invited out for a meal at the beginning of August . I have decided to decline. I feel guilty life long friends and 2 50th birthdays.
I can’t get my head around the safety issues. If I go to the shops I have to wear a 😷 I can’t have dental treatment or any f2f medical appointments where these are clean and sterile .if I go for a meal or a pub I cannot wear a mask to eat or drink in an enclosed environment where my glass and plates and cutlery will have been handles by others which I then handle etc can’t see how that’s safe. That’s me others may feel different. It’s a personal decision and if your questioning it already you are obviously dubious.
I am supposed to go tomorrow but excuse the pun I have reservations - you are right.
I have to decline. Thanks for your feedback and have a lovely weekend J1707. 😌
I think everything is really contradictory. I feel exactly the same as you. I have managed to get my eyes tested and my tooth filled but it was a real pain to get the appointments. So you can go for a meal and have your hair done which is fine but try and get health care and you're on a hiding to nothing. I've got to be honest I despair at the moment. All my clinic appointments have been cancelled. Apart from RA I have diabetes, osteoporosis and sleep apnoea, cataracts and high eye pressures but all these things take second place in the new normal ☹️
It’s a tough decision and we need to weigh up the risks and set our own boundaries.
I’ve not been inside a shop yet and I’m not ready to go inside anywhere when I don’t have to. I would go to a restaurant or pub but sit outside. It’s so hard when you want to be with your friends and they may not understand your concerns.
Hi Lolabridge - I agree it's a toughee. It didn't help as woke up with right elbow flare and thought okay give it a miss! Not sure when I would ever venture out.
I guess I shall make a uniformed decision this evening - right now its stands at a no 😁.
Have a good weekend. Hessie
We all have to decide what we feel comfortable doing & get back to some sort of normality.
If you are wary of restaurants you probably wouldn’t enjoy the experience would you?
Re face covers/masks...if you go in to any sort of food shop/restaurant/ takeaway to buy food that you will NOT eat on the premises....you DO have to wear a face cover/mask.
If you are going to eat on the premises you DO NOT have to wear a mask.
When I ate out recently none of my group bothered, the serving staff wore masks.....& some people did take their masks on & off.....during courses. We all thought that was a bit pointless....to keep touching your mask is not a good idea....& it’s very messy to try to drink your wine !🥂
PS......If anybody decides not to keep a restaurant reservation PLEASE make sure you tell the restaurant .....at the moment they are reporting 50% + no-shows. If that continues to happen none of us will be able to eat out ever again, as all the restaurants will have gone broke.I understand some will be nervous....but we need our restaurants!
Hi Hessie....It was lovely to see friends & not to have to cook ! But I would add I was the only one in the group who has had to isolate.....the rest were disgustingly healthy for oldies!
Big Day tomorrow....HAIRCUT!
Hi,
I won’t be going to any eateries for the foreseeable future. I can’t see any change in my behaviour until we have a vaccine.
I have been in two shops since lockdown began, and will continue to avoid them as much as possible going forward. I wore mask and gloves - people seem to forget how many people have touched things in shops. What concerns me most is someone can be asymptomatic.
We all have to do what we feel comfortable with and I am going to put myself at as reduced risk as possible.
I don’t think you will be looked upon badly by your friends.
Follow your gut feelings x
Yes, I was in one last night! All staff had visors, gloves etc. One way system in place, paper menus which were then binned, cutlery and food placed at the end of the table etc. Felt safe and comfortable. You do not need to wear a mask in a restaurant. Perhaps call the restaurant and ask what measures are in place before you go to reassure you?
Had a lovely take away Indian last night from the local restaurant. All precautions were taken and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tables had been removed and they were wiping down door handles etc. So will go to sit in after 1 August as then no washing up either and I did feel it was safe.
It is a lovely restaurant. I shall call them as suggested by Dobcross1 just for reassurance - then I shall make a final decision this evening 😁. It sounds like you had a great time, enjoy your weekend, Hessie
Iv been in and shielding all this time, well apart from a few walks on my own of late. I have now formed a bubble with my partner and we have decided to go for a meal in August to our favourite restaurant, very pricey, so normally only on special occasions. We only go lunchtimes, their hygiene and service was extremely high before Covid. We live in a low infection area. I think you have to weigh many factors up and if you feel comfortable going then go. X
Thanks Gigi71 for your story - it is a lovely restaurant and think outside would be my best bet although the forecast is for rain. With my current mindset, I am 50:50 on this now due to the weather forcing us indoors 😏
Take care - good weekend, Hessie 😌
The weather certainly doesn’t look very promising today. If you are only happy with sitting outside, maybe postpone for now. I haven’t been to a shop or had a takeaway yet. My family and grandchildren are frequent visitors to my garden. My partner plays golf, that’s very well organised and has made so much difference to his well being, I want to ease into the remainder of the summer and do a few more things, it’s going to be a long winter otherwise. Take care and have a good weekend whatever you decide. X
I'm in Scotland where the easing of shielding has been a few weeks later than England. I'm just beginning to go out and about a bit more, I've been for petrol, visited the fish van, bought a take away coffee from an outside service window and a few other things.
I'm not ready to go into a restaurant / pub and don't think I will be for a wee while yet.
I’ve been out for dinner in 3 different restaurants. All had very good protocol in place (staff wore masks, tables spread out, one way, shields between tables etc). Depends where you live UKs a pretty big place some areas have next to no infections, others quite high.
Hi Rashford, appreciate your feedback. Where I live there is a low infection rate. I did phone, and the chap said they all wear visors. Would prefer to sit outside but rain is forecast! Take care enjoy your day. -Hessie 😌
I did eat out last week but was outside as did not want to sit indoors. I took my own cutlery.
I did not wear a mask outside and would not use toilets.
However 2 weeks later I am fine.
However I also know I was not in a large group eating just me and a friend.
Hi Deeb - hope all’s well. Now I want to eat outside, but it is going to rain all day drats, tempted to organise for a better day.
A good idea of bringing cutlery! I wasn’t going to eat just have a cup of herbal tea but would want my flask too.
Have an enjoyable weekend. Hessie 😌
I know so weather dependent! Yes take your own mug, I now do this when out mug/cutlery and it might make the bag a bit bulkier but stops me from not getting worried but also to join in where I can!x
A good idea to take your own cutlery! I might do that.
Hi, we are just out of shielding in Scotland, I was feeling a bit nervous going into restaurants but as I was out a run down the coast, my daughter asked if we could in for a snack, we didn’t book but they had one table, inside they had plastic shields between each table, it was a large restaurant and not all tables were occupied, the waiters didn’t have masks on which I thought was worrying, but the strange thing was, they brought the drinks and food on a trolley and you had to pick them off it, same when we were finished, we had to put everything on the trolley, thing is who put the plates on the trolley? We didn’t give them our names or phone numbers either, seems they are all unsure and doing things differently. My daughter went out last night to a lovely Chinese restaurant and she had her temperature taken and had to leave names and numbers, waiters had masks on as well but they served the food to the table. I felt really uncomfortable when I was out, maybe not yet adjusted to our new freedom. Will maybe try a coffee next time I go out.
Hi - thanks for sharing, although I understand your apprehension. I called the restaurant today they said all staff wear mask although still feeling somewhat anxious decided I shall go if only for an hour. I am going to stick to a hot drink may not eat 😌. Take care. Hessie
I have been shielding since the beginning of March and on Wednesday my husband and I went with friends for lunch at a country pub. We sat outside in the sunshine and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. We all have to set out the parameters that we feel comfortable with. No shops for me or hairdressers but I feel comfortable outside. Throughout, we have been out for a walk every day as we live in a rural village and recently have met friends for coffee/tea in our garden or theirs.
Have also formed a bubble with our son, his wife and our little granddaughter of 18 months so we can help out with childcare as they are working from home. Not seeing our granddaughter for 8 weeks at the beginning of our lockdown was the hardest thing. We have made our own informed decisions as this situation has progressed and feel happy with our situation in an area of low incidence of the virus.
Best wishes everyone Pam
Went out last Sunday , booked a table and when we got there, we had our temp taken and were asked to sign in. Staff were all wearing masks or Shields. There was plenty of space between the tables and every thing (including drinks) was table service. I felt safe at all times and really enjoyed going out and not having to cook and wash up.
Firstly, a huge thanks for all those who fed back - great responses! I decided to go due mainly as I felt somewhat guilty to cancel and had a good time. It's so easy to get lost in the moment and forget about the virus, only when my friend starting coughing did I think, Dear Lord 😕.
The staff wore visors, antiseptic wipes on the table but they didn't wear any gloves, so they were touching the plates 😬 I was also surprised how busy it was.
I still don't feel people are taking it seriously in all honesty. It's back to normality for many, and as for masks well forget that.
I came home and showered and prayed that I did not contract it!
All the best, have a lovely week 😌 Hessie 💫
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