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Coronavirus in the UK - news, lockdown and discussion

Artaxerxes said:
Big changes at the V&A, partly blamed on the Rona of course.

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London will undergo a radical restructuring across its curatorial and research departments in order to reduce costs by at least £10m by 2023 in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. It will also cut around 140 posts out of its complement of 980.
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www.theartnewspaper.com

V&A to say goodbye to departments by material—woodwork, metalwork etc—and 20% of its curators

Museum's director Tristram Hunt says that government help has not been enough to cover all costs incurred by pandemic and admits “curators will be more stretched”
www.theartnewspaper.com www.theartnewspaper.com

Back office curators and the inevitable front of house staff losses.
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That's grim news :(
That article by Anna Somers-Cox (formerly at the V&A , many more years even before I was!) seems pretty good.

But I intend to chat with ex-colleagues to see their take on it -- I have a good friend still working there, and others I know who are still there. For now! :(

Not really sure what general staff opinions were about Hunt since he was appointed, it'll be interesting to find out.
 
PS to the above, here's an early Guardian version about prospective redundancies, but this story, from September, does quote PCS :

The redundancy proposal is for 103 roles in retail and visitor experience to be cut, which is 85 full-time equivalents. More, as yet unquantified, job losses will follow in phases involving “staff at all levels across every department”.

The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) said : “Management’s decision to immediately enter a consultation for compulsory redundancy for front-of-house workers, while running a voluntary-only redundancy scheme for all other departments, is a direct attack on the most diverse and some of the lowest-paid workers at the museum.
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“It is a disgrace that the V&A has chosen not to use the government job support scheme when jobs across the museum, even with reduced visitor numbers, are sustainable.

“PCS will not accept the museum’s current approach and call for an immediate end to compulsory redundancies and to engage constructively with PCS, Prospect, and FDA unions.”
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And here's yesterday's update :

One insider expressed dismay that the curatorial division may have to make 20% cuts. They said: “We’re expecting curatorial redundancies to be announced in the next few days. The conservators are already being restructured. Conservation departments are in negotiation. The museum has already done a scheme for applications for voluntary redundancy and retirement.

“The selection of those people was made by three individuals who don’t have any curatorial or conservation experience, the head of human resources, the financial director and the chief operating officer.”
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:( :mad:
 
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That situation at the V&A stinks to high heaven in the state of denmark ...

I know the "science museum" had a similar bash the staff restructuring a few years ago, equally suspect and smelly ...
 
StoneRoad said:
That situation at the V&A stinks to high heaven in the state of denmark ...

I know the "science museum" had a similar bash the staff restructuring a few years ago, equally suspect and smelly ...
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Tates done it as well.

Waiting on the British Museum to get in on it but I know that management structure holds itself somewhat at arms length from South Ken museums even if it does maintain links with them
 
cupid_stunt said:
The good news continues, with todays' figures.

Vaccinations - 1st dose almost 19.18m & 2nd dose 736k, over 520k jabs yesterday. :thumbs:

New cases - 8,523, down -16.8% in the last week, bringing the 7-day average down to under 9,690. We were seeing drops of around -25%, then it dropped almost as low as -10%, so good to see new cases dropping faster again. :thumbs:

New deaths - 345, down -31.3% in the last week, and down 188 on last Friday's 533, bringing the 7-day average down to around 356. :thumbs:
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More cracking news on figures today. :thumbs:

Vaccinations - 1st dose over 19.68m & 2nd dose almost 770k, almost 538k jabs yesterday.

New cases - 7,434, down -17.5% in the last week, bringing the 7-day average down to under 9,263. :thumbs:

New deaths - 290, down -32.3% in the last week, and down 155 on last Saturday's 445, bringing the 7-day average down to around 335.
 
Cid said:
As I understand it lateral flow testing has major flaws, especially as applied to recalcitrant teenagers... staggered return is good... But seems to be for only 2 weeks? :confused:

Iirc schools are projected to bring R well into the low 1.x range (I think I've read 1.1-1.5), so there is that as a quantifiable risk. Though I'm not sure which measures that takes into account.
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Remember when.....
Scientists: Pubs or schools?
Boris Johnson: Let's confuse the public so much nobody knows the rules and do both, it'll be fine.

At least there is a big gap between them this time.

I also wonder who in school hasn't had it already? 1st day at school, either a massive wave or nothing.
 
StoneRoad said:
Those figures are very promising ...

People (in general) just need to hold their nerve and not drop their guard for that little bit longer.
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oh, buggarrrrr.

just having typed those optimistic words, thinking that my local area was still white (ie 0-2 cases) as it has been for a couple of weeks or so ...
decided to check.

bugggarrrrrr.
My local patch, and some of the surrounding area are having a few new cases (backdated - to the 7 days before 22nd February)

So, obv some burrkkkks can't follow the rules until we've all had our jabs.
 
cupid_stunt said:
More cracking news on figures today. :thumbs:

Vaccinations - 1st dose over 19.68m & 2nd dose almost 770k, almost 538k jabs yesterday.

New cases - 7,434, down -17.5% in the last week, bringing the 7-day average down to under 9,263. :thumbs:

New deaths - 290, down -32.3% in the last week, and down 155 on last Saturday's 445, bringing the 7-day average down to around 335.
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It's really looking very good. Reading only had one death last week. We are basically back to where we were in July 2020.
 
editor said:
That wasn't the scene in the park in Brixton today...
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Outdoors is essentially safe, we knew this before COVID-19

www.theguardian.com

How the beach 'super-spreader' myth may have hampered UK Covid reaction

News that no outbreaks were linked to beach trips highlights important message about outdoor transmission, says expert
www.theguardian.com www.theguardian.com

We can calm down with the horror reaction of people in parks and on beaches. I think understanding this is how we safely get through the next 6 months without going crazy.

The issue will be how they got there if they used public transport or not, this is where the risk is.
 
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Bournemouth beach was busy, lots of families building sandcastles, but no obvious social distancing rule breakers.

Except for the packs of teenagers who really don't care. I don't suppose I would either if I was 15, but there is an element of bravado about it, it's like they huddle together and breathe on each other on purpose.
 
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Looking through camping chatter, some talk of campsites opening but with no shared facilities.
I hope they can as I have a loo in my van. So can go camping with a friend or two. It's not clear if this will happen from the 12th of April, but it would be a nice option for me.
 
Went to the park today to read a book in the lovely sunshine. Bagged the best bench in the park for sunshine & peace. within the first hour an old lady asked to share the end of my 5ft bench & got the hump when I said no I am social distancing. Followed by two others. There were empty benches just not in the sun.
What the fuck is wrong with people. You might have been jabbed but I haven't. Get up earlier if you want the best seat in the park. There was a time when a tinny & a fag put people off wanting anything to do with you now a bit of sunshine seems to embolden them. I will stop showering to make me more antisocial. I can't believe I was actually asked let alone how upset people seemed to be when I told them to do one. :mad:
 
MrSki said:
Went to the park today to read a book in the lovely sunshine. Bagged the best bench in the park for sunshine & peace. within the first hour an old lady asked to share the end of my 5ft bench & got the hump when I said no I am social distancing. Followed by two others. There were empty benches just not in the sun.
What the fuck is wrong with people. You might have been jabbed but I haven't. Get up earlier if you want the best seat in the park. There was a time when a tinny & a fag put people off wanting anything to do with you now a bit of sunshine seems to embolden them. I will stop showering to make me more antisocial. I can't believe I was actually asked let alone how upset people seemed to be when I told them to do one. :mad:
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Ignoring the fact that you shouldn't even be sitting on a park bench reading a book under the current lockdown rules, the fact that infection outdoors is a very low risk, and that a 5ft bench almost reaches the 2m social distancing guidelines, you come across as somewhat mean to those poor old ladies :(
 
cupid_stunt said:
Ignoring the fact that you shouldn't even be sitting on a park bench reading a book under the current lockdown rules, the fact that infection outdoors is a very low risk, and that a 5ft bench almost reaches the 2m social distancing guidelines, you come across as somewhat mean to those poor old ladies :(
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When I sit on a 5ft bench I take up at least a foot. If someone sat at the other end then It would be about three foot in between. Plus I don't want any fucker sitting near me. :thumbs: Plus old ladies smell of piss.
 
MrSki said:
When I sit on a 5ft bench I take up at least a foot. If someone sat at the other end then It would be about three foot in between. Plus I don't want any fucker sitting near me. :thumbs: Plus old ladies smell of piss.
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I was going to come out in some support of you with a potentially helpful suggestion, but then I read your old ladies smell of piss addendum.

You probably needed to add some sort of emoji if you were making a joke that doesn't reflect your true feeling.
 
Mation said:
I was going to come out in some support of you with a potentially helpful suggestion, but then I read your old ladies smell of piss addendum.

You probably needed to add some sort of emoji if you were making a joke that doesn't reflect your true feeling.
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;):facepalm::eek::thumbs:


They were of a similar age to my mum who certainly does not smell of piss.
 
Mation said:
I was going to come out in some support of you with a potentially helpful suggestion, but then I read your old ladies smell of piss addendum.
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Obviously, any honourable Urban needs to stand up for the rights of old ladies stinking of piss, gents too! :)

And wherever they want to as we!! :) :cool:

Fucking hell, piss stink has happened, by me and for me ;), at festivals, even when I wasn't all that old! :thumbs:

No ageism on Urban :D ;) :beer:
 
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