The Huntley - where has she gone ?

[Iambananas]

Here in Belfast, the cruise ships have returned. Not as many of course and on the local news it said instead of just letting the passengers off in one go they are only letting a hundred at a time. The bus tours have started again too around Belfast and the Antrim coast, Giants Causeway.

The past few weeks when in town just after 9 am, I am seeing loads of 20 something wandering pulling their trolley suitcases after them. English accents usually, so they must be coming over for the weekends again.

Look out for my sister. She's had to postpone her original cruise three days before she was due to leave as our mum took a turn for the worse and died on the day she was supposed to go.

She postponed it to a year later to April 2020 and we all know what happened there. Because the first cruise was paid for she had booked another one in Sept 2020. After trying to rearrange on multiple occasions they are trying again in 2022 for the first cruise and changed the second booking to a UK cruise which had various stops and excursions (four or five in Scotland which were cancelled two weeks before they left.)

Between the disappointment and uncertainty she was so stressed. Then they gave her £800 discount to still go so she's a bit happier. Text to say kids in the next cabin were already driving her mad. Second text said everyone was double vaccinated so all was good. So asked what about the kids!

Her reply...

 

[Silver Fox]

It's been lovely here since June apart from one or two days when it hammered it down. Ideal for a holiday, the Borders has everything - including me

CC

Many years ago I lived and worked in the Borders.Are the Common Ridings still going strong? I was once involved in the proceedings, given special dispensation being English! I would spend hours on the bus going up to Edinburgh for a days shopping even in the middle of winter with Princes St. gardens coated in frost and snow.Lovely days & the view of the Eildon Hills from Abbotsford.

 

[Suki 1]

I think Catherine is harmless and probably a very kind person in life, at least that's the impression I get but she is also very self-effacing. I thought she and the boyfriend were a done deal. I didn't know Rylan and his partner had split though, were they not married?

Yes for 6 years.

 

[candycane]

Many years ago I lived and worked in the Borders.Are the Common Ridings still going strong? I was once involved in the proceedings, given special dispensation being English! I would spend hours on the bus going up to Edinburgh for a days shopping even in the middle of winter with Princes St. gardens coated in frost and snow.Lovely days & the view of the Eildon Hills from Abbotsford.

Yes, they still have the Common Ridings and village Civic weeks and Gala Queens. It's a bit different from Edinburgh but the Borders has a lot going for it. I was back in Edinburgh last week to meet a friend and it is changing so fast. Wall to wall people. You can get the train now from Tweedbank and it only takes 50 minutes.

CC

 

[iloveshopping]

Unfortunately Biden has not opened the borders yet perhaps someone needs to remind him they are still closedwe desperately need to go back and it isn’t just for pleasure.

It must be possible for US citizens to travel to the U.K. as neighbours’ son and daughter in law are here visiting. Been here about a week.

 

[donna255]

Yes, as I said the cruise ships are coming into Belfast, usually American or Chinese, not noticed the latter.

I once had the misfortune to go into Castlecourt shopping centre toilets when about 20 of them had got in before me. Usually the ladies pretty empty not then! They were all chatting taking their time even when they came out of a cubital before the next one went in. I really felt like shouting hurry up I need to pee!

 

[lynnonthelake]

It must be possible for US citizens to travel to the U.K. as neighbours’ son and daughter in law are here visiting. Been here about a week.

Yes I believe a Americans can still visit here, I’ve known a lot of people go to stay in Mexico for to weeks then fly into the USA from there, I don’t fancy doing that.

 

[boffy]

My neighbours mother and mother in law is here from New Zealand she's been here at least 6 weeks. Lovely lady. a wee bit nosey though lol

 

[Twilight]

My neighbours mother and mother in law is here from New Zealand she's been here at least 6 weeks. Lovely lady. a wee bit nosey though lol

I though NZ was cut off from the rest of the world & wasn't letting anyone in, even nationals.

 

[donna255]

But, they must be letting them out.

 

[Sazza]

They are letting them in somehow, know of someone who is here in UK who is currently in NZ.

 

[candycane]

Yes, as I said the cruise ships are coming into Belfast, usually American or Chinese, not noticed the latter.

I once had the misfortune to go into Castlecourt shopping centre toilets when about 20 of them had got in before me. Usually the ladies pretty empty not then! They were all chatting taking their time even when they came out of a cubital before the next one went in. I really felt like shouting hurry up I need to pee!

As you probably know I went on a cruise and cruise people seem to be the most inconsiderate people on the planet (apart form me of course!). It's all "I'm first and you don't count". Would someone snatch the last croissant out from under your nose? You bet your life they would! As a Brit I would politely say "oh, only one left, would you like it/may I have it?" You can tell that croissant was to me what Strato's crown is to him

CC

 

[Silver Fox]

I am sick and tired of listening to where we can go or rather can’t and how many hoops we have to jump through.I am sticking to breaks in the U.K. for the foreseeable future and when I get home shall not be circulating until I am confident I am COVID free so would not pass any infection on.

 

[Mazza]

I am sick and tired of listening to where we can go or rather can’t and how many hoops we have to jump through.I am sticking to breaks in the U.K. for the foreseeable future and when I get home shall not be circulating until I am confident I am COVID free so would not pass any infection on.

I too am sick and tired of all these rules and then added variations. It’s not that I mind complying, it’s that things aren’t explained clearly. When Prince Harry came over and only quarantined for 5 days I was livid! Then someone explained the Test to Release system…. News to me! And all these test events confuse me too. I’m staying in for the foreseeable I think. I was hoping to get to the theatre but on the news today we will now need a vaccine passport. Well excuse me for dropping a rather large F-Bomb here but WTF? Why didn’t they get this all sorted out when they started to give us the vaccines in the first place? They are just ****** useless at organising stuff, imvho.

Rant over.

 

[Deleted member 21102]

/Rant alert/
Even more irritating is the BBC giving my money to Dominic B C* Cummings for biting the hand that fed him for so long while he helped formulate the policies he now despises. I won't be watching his latest bitter offering and I've lost faith in all politicians of all parties.
/End of rant/

*Barnard Castle

 

[Twilight]

They're making it up as they go along. An absolute shower.

 

[Mazza]

I was listening to the radio earlier and someone said you can get a hard copy covid pass letter, as they call it, either by phoning 119 or going via the NHS website. So as I had been wondering how this would work if you couldn’t get an internet signal, say, (and I know several mobile black spots in Central London) and we’re holding up a queue of theatregoers, I sent off for one just now and I’ll see what I get, if anything!

 

[Toril]

I can’t understand why they’re going to impose a vaccine passport to anyone who wants to go clubbing (certainly not me) and they’re waiting until September. Surely, as the infection rate is going up the passport should be brought in now. They were the same with closing the borders. They faffed about and in came the Delta virus. They’re also discussing introducing the passports for sporting events with 20000+ attending. Why leave things so late?

 

[Twinkle]

I can’t understand why they’re going to impose a vaccine passport to anyone who wants to go clubbing (certainly not me) and they’re waiting until September. Surely, as the infection rate is going up the passport should be brought in now. They were the same with closing the borders. They faffed about and in came the Delta virus. They’re also discussing introducing the passports for sporting events with 20000+ attending. Why leave things so late?

Same old story all through this pandemic. Too late reacting in everything they've done. No excuse for not bringing the passport in with immediate effect.

 

[donna255]

Someone on QVC Facebook asking where Huntley is? No answer.