Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Chat

[Excalibur]

I thought I was pushing my luck, but it is likely to influence (rightly or wrongly) the approach and time line for reopening the country.

Correct, and correct. ;) Other factors will influence these decisions of course, hopefully to a greater degree.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

We'll find out for sure in a week... https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/may/03/revealed-year-six-primary-school-pupils-may-return-on-1-june



I had to go into my building today to quickly grab some evidence for SQA qualifications. It was like being in the jail:

I had to get permission from my head who then informed the facility staff that I'd be in.

I was given a small window to use - if I was late, tough, try again next week.

I'd to sign in on 3 separate forms and let them know exactly where I was going in the building.

I was escorted through by a nice dude who nonetheless sprayed down every door and handle he touched en route and made sure I kept way further than 2m away from him.

I had to use a computer and the photocopier, I had to let them know this on my way out so they could be disinfected.

Usually with these sorts of things, you sign out and you're gone but I'd to actually wait until the guy came back to the facilities office to let him know I was physically leaving.


That was for me, 1 person, an adult with a reasonable understanding of personal hygiene and how we should be protecting ourselves and others here to be in the place for about 15 minutes...


How we're going to go from that to having the schools even a 3rd full in a few weeks is beyond me. I work in special needs so extrapolate all of the issues - you can't social distance kids who will run and jump on you at any opportunity or ones who needs intensive medical interactions or help going to the toilet, by and large their hygiene is very poor and even in better times there were classes I'd spend half the period telling them to go and wash their hands after putting them in their mouth or nose or coughing all over them.

I'm not in it but our largest union is having a meeting with teaching staff tomorrow. Pretty sure it'll be half communication from union HQ about where we're at just now and what we're meant to be doing and half the staff letting the shop steward know what they'll be expecting to be put in place before they're happy to return to work.

[DJ Jules]

How we're going to go from that to having the schools even a 3rd full in a few weeks is beyond me. I work in special needs so extrapolate all of the issues - you can't social distance kids who will run and jump on you at any opportunity or ones who needs intensive medical interactions or help going to the toilet,

My youngest is at the PMLD end of the special needs scale and we've been catching up with the head of her school and her teachers weekly so they know what our expectations are and if we need any support. Their usual capacity is about 60 kids and they've got 3 in there at the moment to support key workers. With lots of the kids falling into the extremely vulnerable category, the expectation is that most of them won't be back in until Sept (at the earliest). One of my 4 kids might physically set foot back in a school building before Sept, but I don't have high hopes of that happening (and neither does she).

Julian

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

My youngest is at the PMLD end of the special needs scale and we've been catching up with the head of her school and her teachers weekly so they know what our expectations are and if we need any support. Their usual capacity is about 60 kids and they've got 3 in there at the moment to support key workers. With lots of the kids falling into the extremely vulnerable category, the expectation is that most of them won't be back in until Sept (at the earliest). One of my 4 kids might physically set foot back in a school building before Sept, but I don't have high hopes of that happening (and neither does she).

Julian

It wouldn't surprise me if some of our kids just never return, particularly the seniors who are either a. vulnerable or b. "done" with school.

I don't want to be defeatist but I'm practically writing off the next academic year before it's kicked off - even if we get kids back into school in August and crack on as were, it's going to take months to get them back on track, motivated and try to get the kids who didn't engage with online learning back up to speed (if that's even possible, there's a good chance it isn't since it's already the more able and supported kids who are doing the work, the less able / supported aren't ).

Then you've got to factor in behaviour and the fact most of our kids can't really process any of this, it's going to be hard to get them settled and back onside.

That's best case scenario and it won't look anything like that when we reopen. I'll be glad if we've achieved some sort of normal by Christmas break but I'm not even confident that's going to happen.

[ppentertainments]

It wouldn't surprise me if some of our kids just never return, particularly the seniors who are either a. vulnerable or b. "done" with school.

I don't want to be defeatist but I'm practically writing off the next academic year before it's kicked off - even if we get kids back into school in August and crack on as were, it's going to take months to get them back on track, motivated and try to get the kids who didn't engage with online learning back up to speed (if that's even possible, there's a good chance it isn't since it's already the more able and supported kids who are doing the work, the less able / supported aren't ).

Then you've got to factor in behaviour and the fact most of our kids can't really process any of this, it's going to be hard to get them settled and back onside.

That's best case scenario and it won't look anything like that when we reopen. I'll be glad if we've achieved some sort of normal by Christmas break but I'm not even confident that's going to happen.

I had similar thoughts about universities too. Although students normally 'want' to go to uni, having been off so long with many getting jobs, it will be very difficult mentally to return again.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I had similar thoughts about universities too. Although students normally 'want' to go to uni, having been off so long with many getting jobs, it will be very difficult mentally to return again.

Apart from that, and this is very much a hot tub musing so take it for what it's worth, I was having a think the other day about a kid I used to teach who had Oppositional Defiance Disorder as a result of early childhood trauma. I read up quite a bit on this and it all made sense for this kid -

He'd lost his dad very suddenly at a young age and without counselling, kids and to a lesser extent adults who go through a traumatic, life changing experience, can develop a fatalistic outlook on life - he didn't make friends and cared about no one, not even himself because he might die any minute too so what's the point of making attachments or doing anything of note.

That's very layman of course but, and it is an extremely different beast to what this kid had to deal with, what happens come August or September or whenever when kids are supposed to go back to school or uni.

From nowhere their whole life has been turned upside down, what's the point of bothering about school if it might get shut down for months again? What's the point of spending years working towards an exam when it gets cancelled and all your effort was for naught? Why bother going to uni? the world is :Censored::Censored::Censored::Censored:ed it would be a better use of my time, effort and money to do something that I want to do.


Not saying that is going to be the case for everyone but I do think a lot of people will really struggle with whatever the new normal is.


Sidenote: I had another cancellation today with no new date on the horizon. I did not and will not be returning their booking fee and I don't care what Terry Lewis thinks of that ;)

[rth_discos]

Sidenote: I had another cancellation today with no new date on the horizon. I did not and will not be returning their booking fee and I don't care what Terry Lewis thinks of that ;)

I think Martin Lewis makes the situation quite clear when the client cancels:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08cgbcp

[Imagine]

I think Martin Lewis makes the situation quite clear when the client cancels:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08cgbcp

We're mixing up two different Lewis's here :daft:

[rth_discos]

We're mixing up two different Lewis's here :daft:

The two Lewis's seem to have very different attitudes towards it!!

[Benny Smyth]

Well...that announcement threw in an unexpected time frame.

Pretty simple to understand (despite what the Facebook experts say):
- Stay at home for now
- If your job cannot be done at home, you can now go to work (but avoid public transport if you can)
- If you can work from home, then you keep doing that
- Get as much fresh air as you like, but stick to social distancing rules
- If you're really well behaved, everything goes right, the moons align and life decides to give us a break, we might be allowed to go to the pub in July. Maybe. Best case scenario.

[Imagine]

Well...that announcement threw in an unexpected time frame.

Pretty simple to understand (despite what the Facebook experts say):
- Stay at home for now
- If your job cannot be done at home, you can now go to work (but avoid public transport if you can)
- If you can work from home, then you keep doing that
- Get as much fresh air as you like, but stick to social distancing rules
- If you're really well behaved, everything goes right, the moons align and life decides to give us a break, we might be allowed to go to the pub in July. Maybe. Best case scenario.

In principle, nothing's changed really.

* I can now "officially" exercise more than once a day without the village curtain twitchers getting edgy (always could unless you live in Wales)
* I can now officially travel to my lockup to fetch kit to bring home and service/test etc. Again, always could - I had it in writing from Mr Plod but avoided as didn't want the hassle of having to explain when pulled over.

The BIGGEST problem now is with the venues re-opening. Many venues with weddings booked for July are going to keep the couples dangling because they might still be able to go ahead. And YES, technically, they might, but with much reduced numbers, social distancing and everything else that goes with it. They've now sadly put the onus on the brides and grooms to cancel and lose money again from where I'm standing (and no, I'm NOT taking notice of what's in various DJ Facebook groups......DJing by July..... :rofl::rofl:)

[Benny Smyth]

The BIGGEST problem now is with the venues re-opening. Many venues with weddings booked for July are going to keep the couples dangling because they might still be able to go ahead.

Whichever month was mentioned that was always going to be the case. Nobody can say "Right, everything is shut until 19th July 2020 and then we can definitely and unequivocally allow the hospitality sector to open their doors for business." People wanted to see the plan and that is what they got: a plan. And like all plans, things are subject to change based on circumstances.

I honestly don't know what people want or expect. "When can we start working weddings again?" "Let's sack everything off until July and then closer to the time, we'll see where we are." Seems pretty simple to me. :wub:

[Imagine]

Whichever month was mentioned that was always going to be the case. Nobody can say "Right, everything is shut until 19th July 2020 and then we can definitely and unequivocally allow the hospitality sector to open their doors for business." People wanted to see the plan and that is what they got: a plan. And like all plans, things are subject to change based on circumstances.

I honestly don't know what people want or expect. "When can we start working weddings again?" "Let's sack everything off until July and then closer to the time, we'll see where we are." Seems pretty simple to me. :wub:

Maybe I wasn't quite clear with how I worded that part ;) (maybe what I say below will be no clearer :daft:)

Yes, it IS simple (or it is to me....gatherings aren't coming back for a good while yet and the reopening of some of the hospitality sector ain't going to include weddings).....but

Yet, there are venues out there who are refusing to let couples cancel "just in case".
I'm not suggesting for one moment that we can put a definite date on things like weddings restarting (my Gawd I wish I had a magic wand at the moment). What would have been helpful though would have been to say that social gatherings of any kind were out of the question until [insert month here] for definite. Obviously as things move along (and July is still too early I'd say), then it'll get easier to give some sort of prediction of when things can resume.

It's social gatherings that are going to be the last thing back, we all KNOW that, and that will sadly include what we do.

[Excalibur]

Well...that announcement threw in an unexpected time frame.

Pretty simple to understand (despite what the Facebook experts say):
- Stay at home for now
- If your job cannot be done at home, you can now go to work (but avoid public transport if you can)
- If you can work from home, then you keep doing that
- Get as much fresh air as you like, but stick to social distancing rules
- If you're really well behaved, everything goes right, the moons align and life decides to give us a break, we might be allowed to go to the pub in July. Maybe. Best case scenario.
That's how I heard it too, Benny. I have to say that if it pans out, it's better than expected. If.


In principle, nothing's changed really.

The BIGGEST problem now is with the venues re-opening. Many venues with weddings booked for July are going to keep the couples dangling because they might still be able to go ahead. And YES, technically, they might, but with much reduced numbers, social distancing and everything else that goes with it. They've now sadly put the onus on the brides and grooms to cancel and lose money again from where I'm standing (and no, I'm NOT taking notice of what's in various DJ Facebook groups......DJing by July..... :rofl::rofl:)


Whichever month was mentioned that was always going to be the case. Nobody can say "Right, everything is shut until 19th July 2020 and then we can definitely and unequivocally allow the hospitality sector to open their doors for business." People wanted to see the plan and that is what they got: a plan. And like all plans, things are subject to change based on circumstances.

I honestly don't know what people want or expect. "When can we start working weddings again?" "Let's sack everything off until July and then closer to the time, we'll see where we are." Seems pretty simple to me. :wub:
Got it in one, Benny. You're on fire. :)



It's social gatherings that are going to be the last thing back, we all KNOW that, and that will sadly include what we do.
And anyone with a brain cell still functioning can see that. Agreed conditionally.
Condition being to add the word " unrestricted" after " It's". I reckon that functions on private land, village halls, and other " invite only" venues, will start up first, with low numbers, and restrictions relevant to social distancing. ( However they will be drawn up, or applied). :daft:

Big weddings in posh pubs and hotels are unlikely to happen before Christmas. Yours, Cassandra. ( But not with such a negative slant as Our Man In The Fens). :p:D

[Imagine]

Hmmm....won't hold my breath just yet but.... Coronavirus: Changes to wedding rules 'under consideration' (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52611849)

[rth_discos]

Hmmm....won't hold my breath just yet but.... Coronavirus: Changes to wedding rules 'under consideration' (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52611849)

I think that's more enabling the ceremony to go ahead.

Whatever happens in the future, it's clear that any relaxation will still require social distancing to be in place.

So when our pubs and restaurants re-open, it'll be with social distancing in place, and the way they talk about it, sounds like it could be a long term requirement.

If this is what the future holds, I don't hold out much hope for an evening disco at a wedding: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-52581175/coronavirus-what-could-a-socially-distanced-bar-look-like

[Excalibur]

I think that's more enabling the ceremony to go ahead.
Looks that way to me, too.There's a lot of difference between allowing the paperwork to take place, and sticking two hundred people in a barn to celebrate the event.




If this is what the future holds, I don't hold out much hope for an evening disco at a wedding: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-52581175/coronavirus-what-could-a-socially-distanced-bar-look-like

See above. I think any functions before Christmas will be small and low key, or larger numbers of reckless idiots.

[Imagine]

See above. I think any functions before Christmas will be small and low key, or larger numbers of reckless idiots.

I was kinda clutching at straws.

I've already heard from several local colleagues who are getting calls and emails from the remainder of this year's weddings after last night's announcement.

Time to become a key-worker of some sort to sit this out methinks

[Excalibur]

I was kinda clutching at straws.

I've already heard from several local colleagues who are getting calls and emails from the remainder of this year's weddings after last night's announcement.

Time to become a key-worker of some sort to sit this out methinks

I've got one wedding in July who haven't cancelled yet, and one in August who are convinced theirs will happen, not to mention one mid June with the same mindset. I've been avoiding contacting the July one, as it was booked for 2019, and moved back to 2020 after bride's pregnancy. What are the odds on 2021, or cancelling altogether? :confused:

[Imagine]

I've got one wedding in July who haven't cancelled yet, and one in August who are convinced theirs will happen, not to mention one mid June with the same mindset. I've been avoiding contacting the July one, as it was booked for 2019, and moved back to 2020 after bride's pregnancy. What are the odds on 2021, or cancelling altogether? :confused:

I've moved 99% of mine after sending a preemptive email when the lockdown first kicked in to everyone up to the end of August. I've also got half a dozen who are "floating". They've said this year's not happening, but until venues etc. re-open they're struggling to confirm new dates. I'm trying to accommodate them as much as possible because I'd rather hit the ground running with a full diary next year

Of those that haven't postponed yet, I have:

1 at the end of July has yet to even acknowledge the email (although I know she's read it). This is a marquee in a pub garden and I expect she's probably thinking along the lines of "if beer gardens are allowed to open....."
2 in August which are in a venue which is waiting for couples to cancel so that they can claim their full price (I'll be disassociating from that particular venue from now on I'm afraid)

I've not yet contacted anyone beyond August, although most of them got hold of me to rearrange things. So all I have left wedding-wise beyond August now are:

2 in September (one of which is at the venue alluded to above that's not letting couples cancel because there's an outside possibility that things could go ahead, even if it's only the ceremony
1 in October who is fully aware of what's going on (Mr works in the NHS) and have already got a date for 2021 "on ice"

Other than that, I've got a handful of adult birthdays, Christmas parties and kids parties which are all going to end up cancelling at some point.

2020 was going to be such a good year :(

[Excalibur]

Other than that, I've got a handful of adult birthdays, Christmas parties and kids parties which are all going to end up cancelling at some point.
Snap.


2020 was going to be such a good year :(
Wasn't looking spectacular for me, but one of my best paying customers had got a bundle of events booked. I have a sneaking suspicion that their future events will be hit hard when we reopen, as they're ticket sales events. Ah well. :(

[ppentertainments]

Hmmm....won't hold my breath just yet but.... Coronavirus: Changes to wedding rules 'under consideration' (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52611849)
I can see some of the advise circling round - "If you need to get married, get married, but keep everything low key with minimum people attending"

Can see a lot of weddings being ceremony and a meal for closest family and thats it - no party etc

[Excalibur]

I can see some of the advise circling round - "If you need to get married, get married, but keep everything low key with minimum people attending"

Can see a lot of weddings being ceremony and a meal for closest family and thats it - no party etc

Give that man a coconut. Bang on target. :thumbs_up:

[Nakatomi]

Give that man a coconut. Bang on target. :thumbs_up:

Yup, for quite a considerable amount of time too :(

[rth_discos]

So I'm probably more worried for the future now than at any time than before.

That 'hit me like a ton of bricks' feeling that I had at the beginning of lockdown has come back.

Originally, it was painted like a quick sharp shock where we'd lock down and then return to some normality over the coming months. I think most of us were hopefully of a late summer of weddings.

Now, the messaging has changed. We still need to stay at home, but the Government wants to get the economy going again, hence the gentle encouragement to get back to work. And we're getting rather close to the end of schemes like the Furlough Scheme, and the one of payments for self-employed. I can't see them wanting to implement another round of those measures. So we're going to have longer delays to getting our businesses back out on the road than expected, and a reduction in Government support.

On top of that, once Furlough ends, and the mass redundancies kick in, nervousness kicks in form consumers and spending drops, especially on discretionary items. There will be many big names collapsing over the coming months. I'm not even sure how many airlines and holiday companies will make it through this - let along high street shops. Even Burger King hasn't paid any of its April rent.

Sorry if it all sounds a bit dystopian, but for the wedding entertainment industry, I just cannot see a way out of this for a very long time.

[Imagine]

So I'm probably more worried for the future now than at any time than before.

That 'hit me like a ton of bricks' feeling that I had at the beginning of lockdown has come back.

Yup - know that feeling very well at the moment :(


And we're getting rather close to the end of schemes like the Furlough Scheme, and the one of payments for self-employed. I can't see them wanting to implement another round of those measures. So we're going to have longer delays to getting our businesses back out on the road than expected, and a reduction in Government support.

On top of that, once Furlough ends, and the mass redundancies kick in, nervousness kicks in form consumers and spending drops, especially on discretionary items. There will be many big names collapsing over the coming months. I'm not even sure how many airlines and holiday companies will make it through this - let along high street shops. Even Burger King hasn't paid any of its April rent.

Sorry if it all sounds a bit dystopian, but for the wedding entertainment industry, I just cannot see a way out of this for a very long time.

The same realisation hit me a little while back and hasn't left yet. To the extent I only managed 4 hours sleep last night (and that was actually a very good night)

I've got a storage unit full of kit which cost around £40k new (doesn't take long to add up) - it's essentially worthless now. Can't sell it, but it's costing me £110 a month just to store it.

Jobs as I'm already finding are very few and far between at the moment. There are an awful LOT of people applying for each an every job, some before they're even advertised because it's more "who you know"....
I'm too old to go back to software engineering - the tech's moved on too fast in the past year since I've been out of that game and to be honest, I'm not up for the stress of that particular arena these days. Could I start up on my own? I'm really not sure I've got the energy for that

I'm literally racking my brains on what I can possibly do to earn a living at the moment.

Who knows, maybe there will be some sort of mass re-training scheme available from the government at some point in the future to get people working again? I certainly hope so, because I can see our particular way of life being very quiet for maybe the next 18 months or even longer if I'm honest.

[rth_discos]

I've got a storage unit full of kit which cost around £40k new (doesn't take long to add up) - it's essentially worthless now. Can't sell it, but it's costing me £110 a month just to store it.

That's the kick in the teeth - I'd always worked on the basis of having some equity in my kit, which has now gone.

[Imagine]

My controller this morning :o :(

18869

[DJ Jules]

The only possible small sliver of hope I can offer is that there have been a lot of unexpected twists in this tale already and our government is pushing to re-open faster than the science might dictate. Basically, we might see restrictions easing faster than we expected. There is also talk about the furlough scheme being phased out, rather than just cut at the end of June. If it's going to happen, I'd expect to see an announcement in the next week or so (otherwise employers will once more start talking about redundancies).

[mattydj50]

Time to become a key-worker of some sort to sit this out methinks


I am a key worker in the day job and am still working, from home, but I was already doing that two days a week anyway, its now five.

The problem with that is that the day job is obviously paying my salary (and would if I was furloughed - the company are paying 100%), but because the additional self employment income from my DJing is less than 50% of my total income, I cannot recover any of the lost income from that scheme. I don't have premises so that line of funding is also out of the question.

Some might say "tough titties", as I do have a regular income, but the DJ income is a valuable supplement, especially as my wife is unable to work due to chronic arthritis. I "upgraded" DJing to a more regular and fuller time basis in 2002 to cover for her impending loss of income from her job as a teaching assistant.

Fortunately, I was able to secure a major hotel venue as their regular DJ which kept the piggy bank full. A move two years ago continued my good fortune but I have not now worked since March 14 and, with the hotel closed, there is little prospect of work for the foreseeable future. Current estimated losses are a minimum of £5k. It may be higher, but the hotel has a communication problem and many bookings that would likely have been coming my way had not arrived when they shut.

Indeed, it it wasn't for Facebook, I would not have known that they closed and would have (should have?) turned up last Saturday for the booking that was made but technically never cancelled.

A couple of weddings and a charity ball were postponed and rearranged but there is no guarantee those three will not be scuppered by lockdown extensions.

Eight e-mails and three phone calls later, I stil have no official notification as to what is going on there, other than the global announcement that "We are closed until further notice".

So we wait until Uncle Boris unlocks door number 13. I have a funny feeling we won't be having multi occupant "ticket sale" Christmas Parties this year as the advance bookings will not exist and, if it does get opened up, it will be too late to organise and promote etc. There may be single client Christmas parties if the opportunity arises as they will be easier to put on.

So its sit tight (or retire?).

[ppentertainments]

The problem with that is that the day job is obviously paying my salary (and would if I was furloughed - the company are paying 100%), but because the additional self employment income from my DJing is less than 50% of my total income, I cannot recover any of the lost income from that scheme. I don't have premises so that line of funding is also out of the question.
I feel for you and keep thinking of the time I moved over to Full Time DJ I gradually reduced my normal working days/hours. Had this hit at the wrong time (yeah it was 10 years ago but ..lol) I would really be high and dry.

Admittedly Self Employment will be a mindfield for them to work out for help, but more needs doing - mind you I have maintained that the chancellor got things wrong from the beginning when announcing the furlough scheme and grants ONLY for those with rateable premises - still can't get my head round that thinking lol

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I am a key worker in the day job and am still working, from home, but I was already doing that two days a week anyway, its now five.

The problem with that is that the day job is obviously paying my salary (and would if I was furloughed - the company are paying 100%), but because the additional self employment income from my DJing is less than 50% of my total income, I cannot recover any of the lost income from that scheme. I don't have premises so that line of funding is also out of the question.

Some might say "tough titties", as I do have a regular income, but the DJ income is a valuable supplement, especially as my wife is unable to work due to chronic arthritis. I "upgraded" DJing to a more regular and fuller time basis in 2002 to cover for her impending loss of income from her job as a teaching assistant.

So its sit tight (or retire?).


I can echo all of that, including the last sentence.

I know I'm in a very fortunate position compared to many as a teacher so my income from that is stable and guaranteed but I run the business as a business, it turns a good profit and this is going to make a serious dent in my income- potentially 5 figures of my net income...

HMRC don't give a :Censored::Censored::Censored::Censored: that I pay £5k+ tax on my DJ income on top of my PAYE every year, total kick in the balls.

[Imagine]

I feel for you and keep thinking of the time I moved over to Full Time DJ I gradually reduced my normal working days/hours. Had this hit at the wrong time (yeah it was 10 years ago but ..lol) I would really be high and dry.

And this is the position I'm in at the moment (as are a LOT of others I know in the wedding industry as a whole).

I'd been patiently waiting for redundancy last year, it wasn't a big surprise as most of you will know and it was supposed to be my time to shine. I've ALWAYS wanted to be my own boss!
Redundancy came, the cheer went up, I went full time.....for 10 months :(.

I didn't really have the opportunity for a gradual shift from PAYE to self employed - it was big bang (and to be fair, I'd never have had the guts to go it alone any other way!)

Arguably, the business in its current format has been running since 2012, but it's never really been there to make a profit. I've always filed accounts and paid tax/NIC on it, but kept things deliberately low key to a. keep under the radar of my then employers who specifically banned outside interests and b. to avoid paying too much tax (I was in the top level bracket in the day job). It paid it's way, brought the kit it needed, and gave me a little extra pocket money for my troubles. In reality it was a hobby which was waiting to pay my wages when the time was right.

Now I NEED help after 30+ years of full time PAYE - there's nothing there. Yes, the self employed are complicated - I totally get that. But surely for those that have just gone full time in the last couple of years something along the lines of 80% of the national minimum wage would have been acceptable wouldn't it? I know I'd bite their hand off even now for that!

[Benny Smyth]

Depending on what your stance on loans are, the Bounce Back Loan was really easy to apply for.

I applied on Thursday and the money was in my account today. You can apply for up to 25% of your turnover, no payments for 12 months and 2.5% interest after that. The example used on the Lloyds Bank website was that for a £25k loan, you'd pay back just over £26,500. The application took me less that five minutes (mostly to click the word 'Yes') and all I needed was my business account number and sort code.

It's not free money but as one of the few who have slipped through the cracks of available financial support, it's about as close as I am going to get.

[Imagine]

Depending on what your stance on loans are, the Bounce Back Loan was really easy to apply for.

And THIS is where I'm really struggling.

Why, when so many others are being handed money on a plate for nothing (and their chicks for free ;) ), should I put my fledgeling business into debt?
It's just so wrong in my book. I don't want to put my business into any sort of debt, no matter how cheap the interest rate is. Who's to say we'll be back and earning money in 12 months time? (I for one am not confident of this).

Don't get me wrong - it's a brilliant scheme (not!) to get we hard working, risk taking self employed out of the mire (tongue very much in both cheeks!)

I've emailed my local MP about this one (expect a reply from a flunky when it's too late). There should be more help for the self employed risk takers on this one, for no cost!

I've paid my dues for the last 30+ years and not claimed a single farthing from UK.Gov - I expect some sort of return and by Gawd...i'm fighting hard to get it!

[Excalibur]

The only possible small sliver of hope I can offer is that there have been a lot of unexpected twists in this tale already and our government is pushing to re-open faster than the science might dictate. Basically, we might see restrictions easing faster than we expected. .
But the sting in the tail I saw this morning is that pubs and cinemas, and similar venues are " not before Autumn", which to me would indicate September/October. :(


I am a key worker in the day job and am still working, from home, but I was already doing that two days a week anyway, its now five.

The problem with that is that the day job is obviously paying my salary (and would if I was furloughed - the company are paying 100%), but because the additional self employment income from my DJing is less than 50% of my total income, I cannot recover any of the lost income from that scheme. I don't have premises so that line of funding is also out of the question.

Some might say "tough titties", as I do have a regular income, but the DJ income is a valuable supplement, especially as my wife is unable to work due to chronic arthritis. I "upgraded" DJing to a more regular and fuller time basis in 2002 to cover for her impending loss of income from her job as a teaching assistant.

So its sit tight (or retire?).
Matthew, it's not till you lose that income stream, that you realise how important it was. The past couple of years, The Disco has been my main source of income. It's a hard knock to take when it's removed. Retirement for me isn't going to be an option, as a wedding has just postponed for the second year running, and it's now arrived in late 2021!


Depending on what your stance on loans are, the Bounce Back Loan was really easy to apply for.

I applied on Thursday and the money was in my account today. You can apply for up to 25% of your turnover, no payments for 12 months and 2.5% interest after that. The example used on the Lloyds Bank website was that for a £25k loan, you'd pay back just over £26,500. The application took me less that five minutes (mostly to click the word 'Yes') and all I needed was my business account number and sort code.

It's not free money but as one of the few who have slipped through the cracks of available financial support, it's about as close as I am going to get.
That one has been considered as one option. It's attractive, but there's the fear of not being able to pay it back if things don't pick up quickly enough.

[DJ Jules]

Depending on what your stance on loans are, the Bounce Back Loan was really easy to apply for. I applied on Thursday and the money was in my account today. You can apply for up to 25% of your turnover, no payments for 12 months and 2.5% interest after that.

I'm actually half tempted to do this and pay off some of the credit cards/loans I've used to finance some of the business setup as the rates are far more attractive. I've held off so far as it feels like I'd almost be taking advantage of the situation (there was a case in the media a month or so ago where a startup with significant VC funding, zero overheads and lots of cash in the bank furloughed their staff and took a grant from the state to basically put in their back pocket for a rainy day - I'm keen not to do that!)

That all said - it would effectively give me a 12 month break from repayments of those existing debts, so it would give me more breathing space in my finances.

Julian

[rth_discos]

Just a quick one on the loan.

If you're a limited company, then I'd say go for it - it's pretty risk free, even if things do go further wrong.

As sole traders though, which most of us are, it can have some nasty credit rating issues if you can't repay it. So don't be fooled by the ease of access.

That said, two good reasons to take one out:

1: We don't know how long it will be available for, nor do we know how long lockdown is going to be in place for. So even if you don't need it now, provided you know you can leave it alone, get it, and leave it in a separate bank account. All being well, you can repay it in full after 11 months and 3 weeks at no cost to you. At least you have that safety net in case you need it.

2: If you have credit cards or other loans, at 2.5% and with no repayments or interest for 12 months, it can be a great way to clear debt and reduce the interest rate on what you're paying. And if things are really bad, it means you can clear that debt, and avoid any repayments for 12 months, which can be a lifesaver for cash flow.

A couple of reasons to consider it. But, it is debt, so as always, be careful.

[DJColsie]

The problem with that is that the day job is obviously paying my salary (and would if I was furloughed - the company are paying 100%), but because the additional self employment income from my DJing is less than 50% of my total income, I cannot recover any of the lost income from that scheme. I don't have premises so that line of funding is also out of the question.

.

Snap

[ppentertainments]

It's not free money but as one of the few who have slipped through the cracks of available financial support, it's about as close as I am going to get.

I hear a lot of people 'refusing' to take out debt, however if you REALLY are stuck without any income for the foreseeable future it really is the ONLY option.

I took a few £000 less than I could (thinking it would help it go through) and it is now sitting in my bank account if/when I need it. Just looking now for a savings account that pays more than 2.5% ;););););)

[Imagine]

Just looking now for a savings account that pays more than 2.5% ;););););)

Good luck with that one :fp::fp:

I'm on top of the world today - I've got my first job interview in around 20 years on Friday :o

[Marc J]

Just looking now for a savings account that pays more than 2.5% ;););););)

Doesn't need to be better than 2.5%, just take the year's interest free loan and stick it in Marcus Bank for 1.2% - free money :eek: :p


I'm on top of the world today - I've got my first job interview in around 20 years on Friday :o

Good luck!

[Excalibur]

Good luck with that one :fp::fp:

I'm on top of the world today - I've got my first job interview in around 20 years on Friday :o

For a change, I'll forego the opportunity for a humorous jibe, and wish you good luck, too. :luck:

[Benny Smyth]

A venue near me is incredibly confident in being able to hold weddings in July. So much so that they posted on Social Media saying so on the same day that The Chancellor announced that he's planning on paying 80% of people's wages for another four months and I would imagine that is because he's anticipating people not going back to work soon over poops and giggles.

I suspect that couples getting married at this venue in July are going absolutely 'kin ape right now.

[Imagine]

A venue near me is incredibly confident in being able to hold weddings in July. So much so that they posted on Social Media saying so on the same day that The Chancellor announced that he's planning on paying 80% of people's wages for another four months and I would imagine that is because he's anticipating people not going back to work soon over poops and giggles.

I suspect that couples getting married at this venue in July are going absolutely 'kin ape right now.

THIS is going to be a major problem moving forward. There's SO much talk of weddings going ahead that it's frightening.

Sadly - it's a contractual thing and some venues just don't "get" what's going on at the moment. Yes, if the couple cancel then they're within their rights to enforce their contract terms...I completely get that, but....

I have several couples at the moment fighting with venues to reschedule their dates because, well....we all know the situation.

What the Government are talking about is the possibility of a couple of registrars with the happy couple and their witnesses, and from what I've read so far, only in circumstances such as terminal illness (might be misinformed on that point). What they're NOT talking about is full blown social gatherings (so the wedding breakfast and evening reception is out of the question!). Let's face it - the weddings that we're used to are out of the question until a vaccine or at least drugs to alleviate the symptoms in hospital are found.

We're off the road for a long time to come sadly - despite what the media are promising! We hopefully ALL get that, don't we?

From a venue's perspective (and I've got several on my patch adopting this attitude....grrrr!), weddings will be allowed so the fees must be paid. It's not the wedding that was planned, but....the legal bits will be done on their premises. They're "open" for business and the couples are still due to pay.

We all KNOW it's wrong (and hopefully the CMA will show its gums). Common sense dictates that weddings aren't going ahead as planned no matter WHAT the restrictions. They might happen in 2021, but I'm not willing to bet the farm on even that at the moment!

This thing must be serious - the government have now extended the furlough scheme until at least October. It's costing billions to do this - they're truly worried about what could happen.

BUT, the venues have their contracts, and have bills to pay (some of my local ones have multi-million pound business mortgages let alone staff costs!). If they can enforce their contracts because the wedding itself can go-ahead, they're going to do it. It's not right....but it's legal.

[rth_discos]

Just looking now for a savings account that pays more than 2.5% ;););););)

As interest earned over 11 months is going to be negligible (any decent interest earning accounts require a lengthy investment), I'd suggest popping it into Premium Bonds.

You may well come away with nothing - but it's equally not cost you anything. Or you could make something decent from it.



From a venue's perspective (and I've got several on my patch adopting this attitude....grrrr!), weddings will be allowed so the fees must be paid. It's not the wedding that was planned, but....the legal bits will be done on their premises. They're "open" for business and the couples are still due to pay.

This looks similar to the Ryanair approach. Lots of noise from them about resuming flights soon that people booked 8 months ago for the summer.

Yes, Spain may not be accepting anyone into the country without a residencia, and the UK may well be imposing a 14 day quarantine on your arrival, but the flight you booked is running, so if you choose not to travel on it, then no refunds...

[DJ Jules]

Yes, Spain may not be accepting anyone into the country without a residencia, and the UK may well be imposing a 14 day quarantine on your arrival, but the flight you booked is running, so if you choose not to travel on it, then no refunds...

My daughter is supposed to be going to Spain on a school trip at the end of June. It's not going to happen (we all know it's not going to happen) but the school are waiting for the situation to become sufficiently clear to know where we stand on refunds. It's likely to fall at just the wrong time (things will probably be sufficiently open for her to technically "go" - but probably have nowhere to stay and nothing to do when she gets there). I feel for the school having to sort that one out with 60 parents on their back...

Julian

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Well as of Sunday things have gone mental at the Badlands Ranch.

Mass reschedulings (I was doing 1 or 2 per week for impending weddings, now I'm dealing with 3 a day for way further in the year)

2021 brides panicking and trying to get everything tied down.

Hopeful, optimistic, glass half full people - the dreamer of life possibly? - who enquire as to wether I, a going business concern, would be kind enough to block off a date for them in the possible slight we don't really no but we might move our wedding type.

And worse than that, a creature I've largely managed to avoid until now:

The one sentence, Facebook recommendation person who has clearly BCC'd the 47 other DJs that were no doubt touted to her. :zip:

[Benny Smyth]

Hopeful, optimistic, glass half full people - the dreamer of life possibly? - who enquire as to wether I, a going business concern, would be kind enough to block off a date for them in the possible slight we don't really no but we might move our wedding type.

In this scenario, what I've said to clients is that while I can't hold the date due to the nature of the beast, I will pencil them in and if I get an enquiry, I'll let them know so they can make a decision.

If they want to secure the backup date, then it's a new contract and booking fee. If the original date goes ahead, then the cancellation terms of the backup date kick in. If the original date is postponed, they get a refund of the booking fee for the backup date.

That's about as fair as I can make it.

[Imagine]

In this scenario, what I've said to clients is that while I can't hold the date due to the nature of the beast, I will pencil them in and if I get an enquiry, I'll let them know so they can make a decision.

If they want to secure the backup date, then it's a new contract and booking fee. If the original date goes ahead, then the cancellation terms of the backup date kick in. If the original date is postponed, they get a refund of the booking fee for the backup date.

That's about as fair as I can make it.

Exactly what I'm doing now, and really the only fair way to handle things.

What's NOT going to help at the moment is that both the W.H.O AND the UN virus chief have said in the past 24 hours that a vaccine might never be found and what we're experiencing now is going to become the norm.....I really hope not - I can't face rescheduling next year's weddings (which were this year's weddings again), or even worse cancelling them because that sort of wedding will never be able to happen again :o

[DJWilson]

Exactly what I'm doing now, and really the only fair way to handle things.

What's NOT going to help at the moment is that both the W.H.O AND the UN virus chief have said in the past 24 hours that a vaccine might never be found and what we're experiencing now is going to become the norm.....I really hope not - I can't face rescheduling next year's weddings (which were this year's weddings again), or even worse cancelling them because that sort of wedding will never be able to happen again :o


I wouldn't buy into that too much. Even if a vaccine isn't found we will return to normal at some point - maybe up to mid next year. There's plenty of other diseases doing the rounds that could wipe out thousands of people that still don't have cures and probably never will.

Reading/watching/listening to too much 'news' isn't good for your health and will only bring a dark cloud over you. This will pass and we'll be in front of full dancefloors soon-ish.

[Imagine]

This will pass and we'll be in front of full dancefloors soon-ish.

I wish I had that level of confidence. I think we're treading very dodgy ground even with the reschedules for next year at the moment (due to social distancing probably still being here AND because....well are guests going to want to get together?). Just my personal opinion and not in any way scientifically based, but this has got a lot of people worried at the moment. Even the American DJs I know are saying they're off the road for the remainder of this year at least (and just a couple of weeks ago, they didn't think this was even a thing!)

Yes, I'm sure things will return to some sort of normality at some point in the future, but we're going to be the last thing that's allowed back into the wild (even South Korea has closed it's nightclubs again due to a sudden spike after last weekend and they've only had a fraction of the infections/deaths that we have).

[Excalibur]

I'm on top of the world today - I've got my first job interview in around 20 years on Friday :o

A little birdy tells me that one of our formerly full time number has gone back to being a part timer. Well done that man, enjoy your time driving round the Fens, unloading and reloading boxes. Almost like being a DJ, except without the adoring public. :) ( Mind you, some might actually be overjoyed to see you, so that's a moot point). :confused:

[Imagine]

A little birdy tells me that one of our formerly full time number has gone back to being a part timer. Well done that man, enjoy your time driving round the Fens, unloading and reloading boxes. Almost like being a DJ, except without the adoring public. :) ( Mind you, some might actually be overjoyed to see you, so that's a moot point). :confused:

I've got a job with a name badge!

Yes folks, I've got 30 hours a week driving Sainsbury's trucks around and delivering shopping. If anyone's looking for something to tide them over they're well worth a look.
I was upfront with my new manager - he's aware that one day once the dust settles I want to go back to doing what I do best and he's happy so long as I let him know the dates of weddings to schedule my shift around them! :o

It's a win-win in my book - at least for now! :)

[rth_discos]

I was upfront with my new manager - he's aware that one day once the dust settles I want to go back to doing what I do best and he's happy so long as I let him know the dates of weddings to schedule my shift around them! :o

It's a win-win in my book - at least for now! :)

Congratulations!

One of my first jobs was at McDonalds. It was at the same time I was getting my feet on the radio career ladder, and looking back I was very impressed at how flexible McDonalds were with me, when they let me reschedule shifts there when radio cover shifts came in!

Looking back, had I stayed at McDonalds, I could have now had a very lucrative, well paid career with them.

At the big corporates like McDonalds and Sainsburys, you'll find you can progress very quickly - their managerial roles pay very well.

[Imagine]

Congratulations!

Thank you Gavin. I never thought I'd be so chuffed at winning an unskilled job but with the likelihood of things not returning to normal any time soon (and let's face it, it could take a couple of years to get back to what was seen to be normal), I'm just glad to be ahead of the game. Think of all those currently sitting on furlough who don't yet realise they haven't actually got a job to go back to!


At the big corporates like McDonalds and Sainsburys, you'll find you can progress very quickly - their managerial roles pay very well.

Not going there. Did retail management for the first 15 years of my working life. I'm all about less stress and a better work life balance now. It's money coming in to pay the bills, the business will be hibernated with all costs now down to a bare minimum, and the pressure's off. The fact that they're so flexible in the working arrangements for when things come back online means I'll probably be more than happy staying as a part time DJ for a long time to come now.

Plus when things come back, staying with them will mean I get 6 week's paid holiday a year and a pension and sick pay without having to worry about doing that myself. I seem to have found the best of all worlds....at least for now :)

[Benny Smyth]

At the big corporates like McDonalds and Sainsburys, you'll find you can progress very quickly - their managerial roles pay very well.

You have to really earn it though. I liken it to a friend of mine who is a teacher and she says that when you look at the number, a teacher's salary is very nice. When you factor in how much work you have to put in to earn that salary, it's not really worth it. The same goes for retail.

Congrats on the new job, Wayne. I really hope that it all goes well for you. :)

B

[Imagine]

When you factor in how much work you have to put in to earn that salary, it's not really worth it. The same goes for retail.

Can't disagree with that Benny - been in retail before (not the delivery side of things) and know just how tough it is. I'm grateful to have something to get me through the next however long it's going to take before we can go out again though.


Congrats on the new job, Wayne. I really hope that it all goes well for you. :)



Ta. It'll work (I'll MAKE it work). Weddings will come back one day, and when they do I'll be ready and raring to go :). Until then though and having fallen through just about every safety net known to mankind....needs must and all that ;)

[Benny Smyth]

Here's a thought:

My barbers have announced this afternoon that based on current government advice, they have opened up to taking bookings from 4th July. They have caveated by saying that if things change, the bookings will need to be cancelled but as it stands, they're open for business in just over 6 weeks.

It's a small barber shop with just two of them working there. If both work a 10 hour day (I'm lead to believe that barbers work that length of time easily), I'm guessing that 20-30 customers would be in and out of that shop every day.

In Birmingham city centre, there's another barbers that I occasionally frequent if I decide to go meet Mrs. Benny from her work. Every time I'm there, there has been at least 11 barbers working at a time. They easily cater to a hundred clients a day.

So if a barber can be that close to a client (taking all the necessary precautions, of course), is it no wonder that there are people in our industry expecting to be back at it in August?

I don't think that we will be, but I bet if things do play out as I've hypothesised, I dare say that those in the industry with a bit of weight to them will kick off big time.

[rth_discos]

It's a small barber shop with just two of them working there. If both work a 10 hour day (I'm lead to believe that barbers work that length of time easily), I'm guessing that 20-30 customers would be in and out of that shop every day.

In Birmingham city centre, there's another barbers that I occasionally frequent if I decide to go meet Mrs. Benny from her work. Every time I'm there, there has been at least 11 barbers working at a time. They easily cater to a hundred clients a day.

I work with a barbers, and they too are hoping to be able to re-open in July.

Both staff and the customer will wear face masks, and they'll only be cutting hair (no beard trims etc).

The top example you've detailed works fine, as social distancing can be maintained, and the area cleaned between clients.

It's the babrers that all work in on small environment that will struggle, as there will be a limit to how many can work at any one time, due to the social distancing requirements in place.

However, 2 x barbers and 2 x staff in a shop is still very different to 100 x people in one room at a wedding.

That said, don't expect much notice for weddings to be back on. If it's anything like estate agents, they found out at 9pm one evening that they were back in work the next day.

So it could be very short notice from sitting around, to going back out.

Now here's the twist: if venues do get permitted to hold weddings again sooner than expected, how many venues will suddenly be getting the couples to put their wedding back to the original date?!

[Nakatomi]

I work with a barbers, and they too are hoping to be able to re-open in July.

Both staff and the customer will wear face masks, and they'll only be cutting hair (no beard trims etc).

The top example you've detailed works fine, as social distancing can be maintained, and the area cleaned between clients.

It's the babrers that all work in on small environment that will struggle, as there will be a limit to how many can work at any one time, due to the social distancing requirements in place.

However, 2 x barbers and 2 x staff in a shop is still very different to 100 x people in one room at a wedding.

That said, don't expect much notice for weddings to be back on. If it's anything like estate agents, they found out at 9pm one evening that they were back in work the next day.

So it could be very short notice from sitting around, to going back out.

Now here's the twist: if venues do get permitted to hold weddings again sooner than expected, how many venues will suddenly be getting the couples to put their wedding back to the original date?!

Oof! If anyone is under the illusion it's gonna be business as usual when hospitality reopens again in July, they might well be very mistaken. Just because a wedding is being allowed to happen, it doesn't necessarily follow that it'll be without social distancing rules. Call me a rank pessimist but I doubt we'll see dancing events being allowed til October at the earliest & that's IF the blessed R number stays low enough in the interim. All bets are off!

[rth_discos]

Just because a wedding is being allowed to happen, it doesn't necessarily follow that it'll be without social distancing rules. Call me a rank pessimist but I doubt we'll see dancing events being allowed til October at the earliest & that's IF the blessed R number stays low enough in the interim. All bets are off!

Now this is where contracts come in and get complicated.

Couple are booked for September. Wedding is on, but with severe social distancing restrictions in place. Venue can accommodate that, so couple can't cancel their wedding.

As you're booked, and can still perform (it's easy for us as DJs to socially distance), then we still need to turn up - otherwise the client is cancelling.

So we turn up and do a socially distanced disco (with no one dancing).

Those first few gigs could be a bit soul destroying, but we'll end up doing them more through contractual reasons than anything else.

Just my prediction.

[Imagine]

So we turn up and do a socially distanced disco (with no one dancing).

Those first few gigs could be a bit soul destroying, but we'll end up doing them more through contractual reasons than anything else.

Just my prediction.

Sadly though, that's one possible outcome (and it's something I've seen one of the wedding industry "bodies" lobbying for just today - complete clarification on what's what when it comes to taking the brakes off of weddings)

I'm a little more pessimistic though - I can't see anything this side of Christmas, or indeed Easter. They may well decide to allow weddings, but will possibly then stipulate that it's ONLY the wedding and no mass gatherings or entertainment as a part of it.

This is the very reason I've now gone and got a job. If nothing else, it's relieved a hell of a lot of pressure from worrying about what's going to happen in the future for now.

[Imagine]

Just had an email from one of my few remaining brides (mid August).

The venue have been in touch and it's all systems go. No mention of reduced numbers, social distancing or anything. They're assuming the attitude of business as normal and expecting a big switch to be thrown

I feel so sorry for the bride - she's sitting there planning a wedding which she knows isn't going to happen but there's nothing she can do about it.
Makes me so :Censored::Censored::Censored: angry! :mad::mad:

[ppentertainments]

Oof! If anyone is under the illusion it's gonna be business as usual when hospitality reopens again in July, they might well be very mistaken. Just because a wedding is being allowed to happen, it doesn't necessarily follow that it'll be without social distancing rules. Call me a rank pessimist but I doubt we'll see dancing events being allowed til October at the earliest & that's IF the blessed R number stays low enough in the interim. All bets are off!
I have heard through various sources that the main reason for allowing weddings so soon are for the terminally ill etc. Yes, if people want a 'just the 2 of us' wedding they can, but as far as the majority of weddings it is still a no-go. Can't see it really affecting us much and still think this year at a minimum is out.

[Benny Smyth]

The venue have been in touch and it's all systems go. No mention of reduced numbers, social distancing or anything. They're assuming the attitude of business as normal and expecting a big switch to be thrown

Maybe one for the unpopular opinion thread (http://www.forum.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?44699-The-Unpopular-Opinion-Thread), but the venue is just following current guidelines. If the Government really plan on opening hospitality services from July, is it really unfathomable for a wedding to go ahead 6 weeks or so later?

[Note that this is not my view, as my many posts in this thread will attest to]

Personally, I feel incredibly sorry for venues - as much as I do our clients. At the end of the day, they are the ones who are going to get most of the brunt of everything and for the most part, we only get involved when we receive an email saying "We've moved our wedding to X date!" (some exceptions have occurred). Imagine being as empathetic as you can be whilst having to negotiate with highly emotional clients and telling them that their Saturday in August Wedding will now be happening on a Thursday in April and if they want a Saturday next August, chances are that they will have to make up the difference. Comparatively, I'd rather stick to my position on the totem pole.

Due to my position on the totem pole, I've ended up losing four bookings due to postponements but I have found them alternative DJs to take my place, which means that I have become (albeit, temporarily) an agent - something I have never wanted to be! Again though...would still rather stick with where I am over being a wedding coordinator at a venue at the moment.

And when we are in a position to go back to work, it's going to be venues that will have to take the hard stance with clients who are still unsure whether they should go ahead now or kick the can down the road. It'll be venues that will kick start this industry again and whatever your opinions are on how they do business, we are just the tail on this dog.

[Benny Smyth]

Boris: "Well...this is a bit of a bleep storm this week. I need a distraction. I know - I'll suggest that pubs could open sooner than July (https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-johnson-hints-at-pubs-opening-before-july-as-lockdown-measures-ease-11995964)."

Benny: "I guess that my remaining July & August clients won't be making a postponement decision today."

[rth_discos]

Boris: "Well...this is a bit of a bleep storm this week. I need a distraction. I know - I'll suggest that pubs could open sooner than July (https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-johnson-hints-at-pubs-opening-before-july-as-lockdown-measures-ease-11995964)."

Benny: "I guess that my remaining July & August clients won't be making a postponement decision today."

If you thought lockdown presented some issues with regards to events being postponed, contracts, deposits and payments, just wait until what is around the corner.

Up until now, everything has been a bit black and white. Venues where weddings were held were closed. And that was it.

As things move forward, they will start to become more nuanced. Starting with what is expected to be 'very small weddings'.

But as pubs and hotels re-open, if there are social distancing measures still in place, what happens then? Do you have to accept a postponement? Or is that a cancellation, with full fee due as per cancellation terms?

What about when 'localised lock downs' kick in. If the wedding is in Hampshire, but half the family are in Birmingham, and they are in lock down, what happens then?

Everything is about to become a whole lot more complicated.

Bizarrely, we're coming to the end of 'the easy part' in terms of managing this.

[ppentertainments]

If you thought lockdown presented some issues with regards to events being postponed, contracts, deposits and payments, just wait until what is around the corner.

Up until now, everything has been a bit black and white. Venues where weddings were held were closed. And that was it.

As things move forward, they will start to become more nuanced. Starting with what is expected to be 'very small weddings'.

But as pubs and hotels re-open, if there are social distancing measures still in place, what happens then? Do you have to accept a postponement? Or is that a cancellation, with full fee due as per cancellation terms?

What about when 'localised lock downs' kick in. If the wedding is in Hampshire, but half the family are in Birmingham, and they are in lock down, what happens then?

Everything is about to become a whole lot more complicated.

Bizarrely, we're coming to the end of 'the easy part' in terms of managing this.
Totally agree and think the pub announcement is just a smoke screen.

"you can go to the pub, but you can't visit friends and relatives" lol

What would be the difference between socially distancing in a pub with 100 people, and socially distancing at a wedding with 100 people ???

A lot of the pub DJs seem to think it is going to be business as normal in a few weeks - they don't seem to understand the business and economics behind all this. Pubs can only run at a small % of people to what they normally do, hiring a DJ will be the least of their priorities. I have heard a lot of pubs looking to open but still keep staff furloughed, personally I think all staff should be off furlough before being allowed to spend on things like entertainment etc.

[rth_discos]

A lot of the pub DJs seem to think it is going to be business as normal in a few weeks - they don't seem to understand the business and economics behind all this. Pubs can only run at a small % of people to what they normally do, hiring a DJ will be the least of their priorities. I have heard a lot of pubs looking to open but still keep staff furloughed, personally I think all staff should be off furlough before being allowed to spend on things like entertainment etc.

Not sure if I've shared this previously: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/business-52581175/coronavirus-what-could-a-socially-distanced-bar-look-like

[mattydj50]

In last Saturday's SUN newspaper, the Judge Rinder Consumer Column printed the following letter and response. I thought, given the current circumstances, it might be interesting to read what a legal mind has to say on event cancellations. The letter reads:

My daughter booked her wedding before the coronavirus outbreak and paid £500 deposit for a photographer. The wedding is now likely to be cancelled but the snapper says the deposit can’t be refunded.
Is this legal, given it is effectively the Government cancelling the wedding rather than my daughter?
Alan, Brighton


Judge Rinder's reply:

I can understand the photographer’s reluctance to hand back your daughter’s deposit at the moment but he almost certainly must. He might have a contract with your daughter with some wording in it stating that deposits are not returnable in the event of hurricanes or wars or viruses – called a force majeure or act-of-God clause – but I doubt it.

Whether he does or not, the bottom line is that he will be unable to provide his services, so will be in breach of contract. He cannot perform the work as legally agreed.

Your daughter’s entitlement to a refund would apply, in my view, even if the terms of business made it very clear her deposit was “non-refundable”, as she has had to cancel because of a Government edict.

Your daughter has two options over this. She can either ask the photographer to retain the deposit (assuming she still plans on getting married) or insist on a refund within 14 days. Either way, she is legally in the right.


Reading the above, I would say that we would be skating on thin ice in keeping deposits for any event cancelled due to COVID-19. The grey areas start to come into play where events are cancelled but the cause falls outside of the "government edict", i.e. the banning of gathering events. That's yet to fully come but, as has been said, what if, on 1 June, the "ban" is lifted from say September 1st but your event you have booked in for 2nd September, your client cancels tomorrow. Is that a COVID-19 "edict" cancellation or not? At the time the cancellation is made (29 May) the ban is still in place and "indefinite", then I believe it is, so the cancellation is government edict driven and the client, according to Rinder is entitled to a full, deposit included, refund.

Judge Rinder does give a caveat that it applies to cancellations as he expects postponements to roll the deposit over to the new, revised date. I would suggest that if the cancellation of the initial date was treated as that and a new deposit charged for the revised date, then the above case WOULD apply to any retention of a deposit for the original event.

Worms. Can of? I am no lawyer, but Judge Rinder is pretty clear in his opinion.

[Imagine]

And yet the CMA who are looking into the whole thing say something completely different

https://www.abwb.org/post/covid-19-explanation-of-cma-guidance-on-weddings

[Benny Smyth]

I get all of my legal advice from Judge Rinder and The Sun. I also have Jeremy Kyle on hold should I need a marriage counsellor.

If you can justify your deposit and any subsequent payments, you do not need to refund and that is the guidelines given to us from the CMA. A DJ asking for fifty quid to build a contract, easily justifiable. Probably double that is just as easily justifiable. A venue charging 50% may have a harder time justifying it but not impossible.

Take it on the chin, not up the trumpet.

[Excalibur]

If you thought lockdown presented some issues with regards to events being postponed, contracts, deposits and payments, just wait until what is around the corner.

Up until now, everything has been a bit black and white. Venues where weddings were held were closed. And that was it.



Everything is about to become a whole lot more complicated.

Bizarrely, we're coming to the end of 'the easy part' in terms of managing this.

Absolutely correct, give that man any prize off the top shelf. :approve:

My head's hurting with the possible scenarios where the wedding goes ahead, but the disco is regarded as no longer necessary. After all, if you can't dance together, why bother? Or will we be legally obliged to play nothing but EDM and Bounce, to prevent people breaking social distance rules? More likely, will we just be putting six radio mics on stands for speeches, then playing background music for the twelve people attending the festivities? :daft: :daft:

To quote: " This is not the beginning of the end, it's the end of the beginning". :(

[DJ Jules]

In last Saturday's SUN newspaper, the Judge Rinder Consumer Column printed the following letter and response. I thought, given the current circumstances, it might be interesting to read what a legal mind has to say on event cancellations.

I don't know if Judge Rinder qualifies as a legal mind :D The kind of blanket advice that he's given here (and, to an extent, the over-simplified message that people will take away from the CMA announcement) is kind of right, but there's more to it than he's said.

I've said the same as others, life is about to get very complicated and the legal position for each industry will be different as we start to come out of lockdown. Yesterday I saw a post from a photographer who's wedding contracts only state that they are retaining him and his services for a period of x hours on a specific day. No mention of event, venue, subjects to be photographed, no of images/prints delivered, etc. This means that, technically, as soon as restrictions lifted to the point where we could meet people from outside our household, he could deliver his contract (and you could argue that he could have even delivered it during lockdown as long as social distancing was observed as he would have been unable to work from home). Would this be viewed as a fair? Probably not, but as long as he's sensible in dealing with cancellations and postponements he probably won't be called up on it.

Photographers/Videographers will probably be one of the first to be able to return to work and could have the most arguments with couples who decide to cancel/postpone after the initial restrictions are lifted and weddings could technically go ahead. I don't know if entertainment/music at gatherings is going to be explicitly restricted once they're allowed again (the rules being drawn up in Ireland include no music/entertainment) but, if it's not, we could fall into a similar trap where there is nothing stopping couples from going ahead with some form of wedding/gathering, but they want to reschedule because of the risk of issues (e.g. tracing forces a 14 day forced isolation for the groom - I don't know if this would count as frustrating the contract!) or just because it won't be the wedding they envisaged.

Julian

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Photographers/Videographers will probably be one of the first to be able to return to work and could have the most arguments with couples who decide to cancel/postpone after the initial restrictions are lifted and weddings could technically go ahead. I don't know if entertainment/music at gatherings is going to be explicitly restricted once they're allowed again (the rules being drawn up in Ireland include no music/entertainment) but, if it's not, we could fall into a similar trap where there is nothing stopping couples from going ahead with some form of wedding/gathering, but they want to reschedule because of the risk of issues (e.g. tracing forces a 14 day forced isolation for the groom - I don't know if this would count as frustrating the contract!) or just because it won't be the wedding they envisaged.

Julian

If the groom is isolated then that is a VERY specific and obvious example of the wedding not being able to go ahead.

I've a lot of international couples and travel restrictions are going to play a big part in how their day can or can't play out and I'll deal with those on a case by case basis.

A wedding where I can physically and legally perform as per the t's and c's of our contract but they want to move because it's not the big day they dreamed of, THAT is a cancellation, and I'm more than happy to rebook them under a new contract and booking fee plus give any and all help necessary with their wedding insurance for the cancelled date... ;) They're booking us to perform, quite literally that is it, we're there to hopefully make people dance, the overall outcome of the day - how magical and Disney like it turns out or how many dozen relatives turn up has nothing to do with us, nothing to do with my business or how I can provide my service and I'm not going to be pandering to it.

There's also the ones that will flat out lie and say the venue has cancelled on them, for all I know it's already happened, but aside from pestering the venue themselves, there's not much you can do in that situation.

[djeddie]

With regards to the Judge Rinder/CMA bits, I must say the CMA advice seems to use statistics to justify their case (and the businesses they represent) and it even says that it may be down to a Judge to decide. It's all to do with 'fairness', you cannot have a contract that it unfair either way. Yes, insurance companies are trying not to pay anything, but that's part of their job, and I reckon there's going to be a lot of test cases coming very soon which will set precedent. But, insurance companies know that they'll be able to hold out as long as possible where your "Joe Bloggs" won't have the funds, and legal resources, to carry on. Whether Rinder is right or wrong*, he (or whoever actually wrote it) shows the actual legal side to the argument... those test cases are going to depend on a lot of legal argument. So I think a lot of these cases are going to go on for some time... then the appeals etc etc. Don't expect an answer for several months, if not years, yet. Who can last that long?

One thing that doesn't seem to have been mentioned (but I may have missed it) is what kind of entertainment world are we heading for? Let's look at credit first, my step-daughter was looking to buy a house in March. She had 5% deposit and at the time there were nearly 400 mortgage deals on offer with 5% deposit... now there's 3 (not hundred, just 3). The 10% deposit deals have also shrunk, most mortgage deals now want a 15% deposit minimum. I honestly believe the days of 'everything on credit' have gone and won't return for many years. So how does this affect the entertainment world? Now I may be being pessimistic, but I think the days of 'OTT' weddings is over (for now); venues won't be able to have full capacity for a long time yet, the days of adding a few hundred quid for uplighting and giant 'L-O-V-E' letters (for example) are gone, etc etc. People will have to get used to much smaller affairs (in big rooms) as it simply won't be possible to pack a room full of people... meaning the venues will either have to charge more for less as it won't be economically viable for them to do otherwise... if you see what I mean.
Also, bear in mind how much debt the Government is now in and that we are going to be paying for this for many, many years to come. (Think "you paying, your children paying, your children's children paying" etc etc). Taxes are going to have to go up, VAT will more than likely go up, meaning everything is going to be more expensive. I honestly believe weddings are going to back to how they were when I first started (mid 80's), wedding in a church/civic centre, then off to the local community centre/pub back room for the reception.

Have to add that I'm glad I'm out of the business now (gave up professionally in 2010) and I really feel for anyone who does this professionally at the mo'. Now, as I said I may be the pessimist, but I've always planned for the worst and hoped for the best. Also my post could have gone on for pages and pages explaing in more detail (boring everyone to death) so it's just my thoughts very condensed!


* - I remember one of his replies to a Private Parking Company claim which I totally desagreed with; he said to pay as that's the T's & C's, I on the other hand have helped in about 50 cases against PPC's and not one has been paid and in three cases the "parker" has had monies returned to them by court order... and I'm not legally trained.

[rth_discos]

Let's look at credit first, my step-daughter was looking to buy a house in March. She had 5% deposit and at the time there were nearly 400 mortgage deals on offer with 5% deposit... now there's 3 (not hundred, just 3). The 10% deposit deals have also shrunk, most mortgage deals now want a 15% deposit minimum. I honestly believe the days of 'everything on credit' have gone and won't return for many years.

This mortgage thing is temporary, and for good reason. With everyone working from home and many people furloughed, mortgage lenders simply don't want to offer first time buyer mortgages at the moment because they are a lot more time consuming to setup than a remortgage. They will come back, and it'll only be a matter of months.



Now I may be being pessimistic, but I think the days of 'OTT' weddings is over (for now); venues won't be able to have full capacity for a long time yet, the days of adding a few hundred quid for uplighting and giant 'L-O-V-E' letters (for example) are gone, etc etc. People will have to get used to much smaller affairs (in big rooms) as it simply won't be possible to pack a room full of people... meaning the venues will either have to charge more for less as it won't be economically viable for them to do otherwise... if you see what I mean.

I fear that you may be correct. This situation will also make people reevaluate their wedding day. Do they really want such a 'flashy' wedding day? Most weddings I see were unaffordable for the people buying them. I can see that changing very quickly. As I've told many brides, *everything* after the ceremony is optional.

[DJ Jules]

This mortgage thing is temporary, and for good reason. With everyone working from home and many people furloughed, mortgage lenders simply don't want to offer first time buyer mortgages at the moment because they are a lot more time consuming to setup than a remortgage. They will come back, and it'll only be a matter of months.

There's 3 reasons why Mortgage companies have withdrawn products:
1. House prices may be very volatile in the short term, potentially leaving mortgage providers exposed if the deposit is small
2. Affordability will be very difficult to assess for the next 6 months or so due to lots of temporary arrangements around income - and the FCA enjoys kicking providers who don't do robust assessments
3. Interest rates are on the floor for the short term. It's not a good time to set rates.

All of the above are short term glitches. If house prices are stable, they'll be back and they'll be lower interest and more affordable than ever.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

My wife and I are going to luck out on the mortgage situation.

My first teaching gig was in Saudi Arabia - on paper the money was :Censored::Censored::Censored::Censored: but it was totally tax free, rent free, 3 meals a day and the only time I ever really had a reason to spend money was going to Bahrain every month or so for a blow out. In turn I was able to put a large deposit down on a house which I got for a great price because the guy was desperate to sell.

We were due to remortgage in February and have a chunk to put into it with the idea being we would be mortgage free in 3 years (I'll be 38, quite happy with that situation) but held fire to see how this panned out.

The rates were low even before this but now it's going to be buttons, we might even be able to push it to 2 years.

Every cloud and that but it does tie in with rth's comments about the cost of weddings. I'm very aware of how fortunate a financial situation I'm in, particularly for someone that grew up in a close in one of the most deprived schemes in Scotland. It's also not really been a conscious decision - I went to the middle east because I needed a job and that was all that was on the table, I got the house for this price because the market was down and the guy wanted to move back down south, my DJing income supplements my teaching income by quite a bit not because I'm desperate for the dough but because I work hard and I want to be compensated for it properly.

Anyways, to my point - for whatever reason, A LOT of teachers have booked me throughout the years so I know exactly what they're earning and when I look at their cars, houses and weddings, it's clear to me that they're spending a tonne of money on these things. Even if their partner has a well paying job, it's really not in my psyche to be driving a car that costs the same as my net income or even more than that on a wedding so I think, short term, we definitely will see belts tightening and that might be winding down time for me, we'll see.

I could of course be wrong. There's a massive FB brides group up here. It shut down for a bit when this all kicked off and people were getting worked up. As soon as it opened back up there were 3 types of post:

1. I've had to reschedule, I need to find a new something or other
2. How has everyone's insurance been?
3. Any recommendations for totally needless tat that I can waste my money on - flower arches, candy carts, printed gowns, slippers, hen do t shirts - take your pick...

[ppentertainments]

I fear that you may be correct. This situation will also make people reevaluate their wedding day. Do they really want such a 'flashy' wedding day? Most weddings I see were unaffordable for the people buying them. I can see that changing very quickly. As I've told many brides, *everything* after the ceremony is optional.

I think 'quality over quantity' will be the new norm. More sophisticated and less tat - however we never know haha.

[Nakatomi]

As I've told many brides, *everything* after the ceremony is optional.


Everything apart from the ceremony is optional. That's my view ;). If someone wants to wee money down the drain that's completely their own business.

Well that's just secured my place at the "will never win a wedding award" table :lol:. I just don't believe in 'the industry,'. A lot of it is literally just flogging TAT

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Well that's just secured my place at the "will never win a wedding award" table :lol:. I just don't believe in 'the industry,'. A lot of it is literally just flogging TAT

I've won a few awards and been nominated for others, I'm probably as anti-industry as you can get whilst still being in it...

[DJ Jules]

Well that's just secured my place at the "will never win a wedding award" table :lol:. I just don't believe in 'the industry,'. A lot of it is literally just flogging TAT

I'm forever amazed by the stuff people rank as more important than the evening entertainment. I had a conversation with a make up artist yesterday who had a deposit, but no signed contract and was struggling to get a response from the Bride. It wasn't clear what industry she was in so my first comment was "you're clearly not a DJ, otherwise you'd be used to this level of engagement :D"

Julian

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I'm forever amazed by the stuff people rank as more important than the evening entertainment.

It's partly because their general experience of DJs is probably not great so as long as they're not terrible, all is good and partly because shiny flashy things make their wedding seem better than their pals, work colleagues etc... How many candy carts have you seen still full to the gills at the end of the night and I'm sorry, if I want a prosecco, I'll buy a bottle at the bar and pour my own - I really don't need to pick up a flat no doubt warm glass of it from a little wall display :daft:

When I first got into the game there was a few guys, 3 or 4 of them really, that were WAY out there in the wedding game up here. One in particular just oozed class and was really great at what he did from promo to his website to his branding and so on plus he was a genuinely nice guy with no ego.

In the early days I really aspired to be like him. A few years back he had a family emergency and asked if I'd cover a wedding for him, which I did. I was surprised by the fee because it was actually lower than what I'd started out charging when I was aiming to be like him but hey, it's his business if he's happy to charge that.

Then I turned up they had crammed the most tat I've seen into a venue ever

Love Letters
Mr and Mrs letters
candy cart
chocolate fountain
candy floss machine
photobooth
moodlighting
massive led dancefloor
confetti shots
led lights on the ceiling

I'm sure there was more stuff crowbarred in. They must have at least 5 times the amount on that stuff that nobody actually remembers compared to one of the best wedding DJs out there. Madness, pure madness.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Interesting, in the past 24 hours I've secured 2 dates via facebook and had to knock 2 back who were chomping at the bit to book ( I usually land only 1 or 2 per year) at my new (as of January, foresight and all that :daft: ) fees I wouldn't even have thought possible to land under normal circumstances at the end of last year before going for it.

Maybe, and again I stand to be proven very wrong, maybe not everyone is going to be going for cheap and cheerful - the fact brides are aware 2021 and possibly 22 are going to be crazy busy for good suppliers creates a sense of scarcity which drives demand which drives prices...

Just a musing.

[East Anglian Discos]

I think demand will be very high for premium dates in the Summer of 2021.

People are either carrying over bookings to 2021 or have deferred any plans this year. I suspect demand will be high and this may drive up prices, given that many DJ's would have given up this year.

[Marc J]

Maybe, and again I stand to be proven very wrong, maybe not everyone is going to be going for cheap and cheerful - the fact brides are aware 2021 and possibly 22 are going to be crazy busy for good suppliers creates a sense of scarcity which drives demand which drives prices...


I think demand will be very high for premium dates in the Summer of 2021.

You also have to remember that not everyone is worse off (https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-8381005/UKs-accidental-savers-Poll-shows-better-lockdown.html). For some saving has become easier, and I imagine for those with a target (i.e. big wedding to pay for) will find it even easier.

[Benny Smyth]

Market yourself towards the deal chasers, then your customers are the ones that will be hurting the most right now.

Those providing a service for a 'recession proof' clientele will still have clients coming in.

[ppentertainments]

Has anyone heard anything about the VAT threshold being temporarily raised next year ? I can see this being a big problem for a lot.

Turnover will increase but profits will be down for many, not just DJs, but in general. I know it is something I am having to look really closely at, as taking off vat on top of other expenses will mean all this 'extra' work may not be worthwhile.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Market yourself towards the deal chasers, then your customers are the ones that will be hurting the most right now.


Hadn't really thought about it in that sense but you're onto something there - if every penny was a prisoner for your budget in January, it's even more so now.

One of the ones I had to knock back as I wasn't available has gone and booked my brother this morning for marginally less than I was charging and I suspect he could have got the same fee as me if he'd just asked.

The other one was so desperate to book she was offering to pay the full balance on the spot, to hell with the fact I had a current client to look after :D

[Benny Smyth]

Hadn't really thought about it in that sense but you're onto something there

Normally folk drop the C-Bomb at me when I say stuff like that. This is unfamiliar territory for me. :lol:

[Pazz]

Just out of interest how many bookings have you still got booked for this year. I noticed a lot artists are advertising rearranged dates for between October and November despite nobody still knowing where and what situation we are going to be in. What about Christmas New Years Eve Boxing Day are you still booked for these?

What's your latest thoughts about how thus will pan out for us DJ's with no vaccine. Any predictions and what rules and regs would you want to ensure were in place for you to be able to do your job properly instead of worrying about dangers?

I'm just trying hard to be positive hoping that we can get back out there and dj again but when I see all these large gatherings for protests, 5 mile radius for people like me in Wales along with baby steps moving forward and places like dentists unable to reopen its just hard to feel upbeat. My plans to get back out there DJ'ing might never happen and some of us here might be forced to look another career/profession.

Need some glimmer of hope from somewhere as I'm sure we all do :confused::shrug:

[DJ Jules]

Just out of interest how many bookings have you still got booked for this year.

Lots. How many will happen is anyone's guess. August and September are now slowly clearing out as people start to get a better picture of the restrictions that are likely to be in place and what that will mean for their wedding/party.


What about Christmas New Years Eve Boxing Day are you still booked for these?

Still booked at the moment - Christmas is either going to be the most drunken party season we've ever seen, or the quietest.


What's your latest thoughts about how thus will pan out for us DJ's with no vaccine. Any predictions and what rules and regs would you want to ensure were in place for you to be able to do your job properly instead of worrying about dangers?

Having seen plans coming out of other countries, I think the reality is that entertainment is going to be one of the last things to be allowed to restart and we're probably not going to be far away from vaccines by the time that happens. If we are out there while the risk level is still relatively high, it's going to be requests by text, booth mounted sneeze screens, face masks and gloves and you can forget about fist bumps.


I'm just trying hard to be positive hoping that we can get back out there and dj again but when I see all these large gatherings for protests, 5 mile radius for people like me in Wales along with baby steps moving forward and places like dentists unable to reopen its just hard to feel upbeat.

Our local dentist is re-opening next week if that makes you feel any happier. They've started publicising the procedures that are going to be in place (paperwork is done online in advance, front door is kept closed, call from your car before you enter, temperature checks on entry, limited numbers in the waiting room, limited waiting times, barriers on the reception desk, thorough cleaning of all surfaces between appointments). Honestly, it's almost a miracle, the appointments have never run to time before ;)

Julian

[Benny Smyth]

With so many variables for a wedding (venue size, number of guests, ratio of indoor to outdoor space etc.), when weddings are allowed to go ahead it will under a vague guise and that's completely understandable. Can you imagine trying to come up the rules and then working out which one applies to you as a venue? It would almost be that each venue will have to have it's own bespoke set of guidelines and no Government department is going to do that.

So that means that the onus is going to be directly on the venue and it will be almost impossible to police. I've said it previously that the Government will get to a point where they'll be a bit cavalier, and the guidance will be along the lines of "You can have weddings. Try and do as much as you can outside but if that's not possible, use your common sense and stick to social distancing where possible."

I dare say that pubs would receive a similar guideline too...

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

With so many variables for a wedding (venue size, number of guests, ratio of indoor to outdoor space etc.), when weddings are allowed to go ahead it will under a vague guise and that's completely understandable. Can you imagine trying to come up the rules and then working out which one applies to you as a venue? It would almost be that each venue will have to have it's own bespoke set of guidelines and no Government department is going to do that.

So that means that the onus is going to be directly on the venue and it will be almost impossible to police. I've said it previously that the Government will get to a point where they'll be a bit cavalier, and the guidance will be along the lines of "You can have weddings. Try and do as much as you can outside but if that's not possible, use your common sense and stick to social distancing where possible."

I dare say that pubs would receive a similar guideline too...

I think they're going to have to otherwise nothing will be able to open or run properly until a vaccine is found and dispersed en masse.

I'm officially returning to work on Monday.

What that actually looks like is a risk assessment done to the Nth degree, dozens of rules I need to follow and this is in order to facilitate 4-6 adults in the building, there's no way that's ever going to be able to be followed come August when we're trying to reintroduce kids in.

My local is applying to be able to put chairs and seats outside - this is literally in the middle of a little suburban road surrounded by flats and houses so it will be interesting to see what the outcome is - my initial thought is they'll be told where to go but if they do allow it then it's a sign that local authorities are going to be pragmatic to get businesses open and people back to work.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

:daft:

Just seen a guy on Facebook touting his DJ services for garden parties. :zip:

[Imagine]

:daft:

Just seen a guy on Facebook touting his DJ services for garden parties. :zip:

I've got one locally doing the same thing. I'm not even contemplating going there! (too much chance of gate-crashers, bad media and police breakups). And how disheartening would it be to entertain for SIX people socially distancing (OK....I know of at least one of our fold that would see that as a good night but....)

I've also got a couple of them who seem to be doing Twitch/FB/MixCloud live streams on a daily basis. The garden party idea at least makes some money - the streaming stuff??? I did a couple, didn't enjoy, it and gave up (sorry, but I thrive off the energy of the dance floor in front of me....not comments on Social Media)

What will be will be. And now - I'm going off on a tangent...

We're going to be the one of the very LAST industries allowed to work again, and my personal feeling is that we're looking at around this time next year or when a vaccine becomes available, whichever is safest. I've even seen reports from European countries with a MUCH lower infection/death rate than us where weddings will be allowed in a couple of months time, but it's been specified in law that there will be no dancing of any kind! I really hope that when weddings are allowed again in the UK that this is clarified because you just know what's going to happen otherwise!

It'll be very interesting in about 10 days time after the events around the world today with various rallies as to where the "R" number stands. The results of any spread of COVID after those rallies with a lot of people in the same place (albeit outdoors) will have a very direct impact on what we do for a living I'm afraid :(

I've long since given in to the idea that my kit's not going out for the remainder of the year, as has my local network. It's costing me to store it and it's actually gut wrenching every week when I visit the lockup to make sure all's OK, but it WILL go out on the road again and I WILL have the pleasure of entertaining again once this thing is over!

I have to keep telling myself that because driving a supermarket truck around delivering online shopping is :Censored: depressing at times (especially when it takes me around 4 weeks to earn ONE night's disco wages :o). I'm also penalised on speeding, sharp breaking, idling and sharp cornering....there's a set of LEDS in the cab that monitor EVERYTHING I do!

I need something to look forward to and once this is over, I'm definitely going for the recession proof weddings (as are a couple of my tog and DJ colleagues).

Let me tell you a story about how the general public feel about everything at the moment (it's very relevant!).

Today was a real eye opener. It was my first day out on the road as a grocery delivery driver (until now, I've been based in the car park doing click and collect).

This is based on my experience of the past 4 weeks of being employed again. I've seen the queues outside the store (long, depressing, sad, masked up, Marigold gloves, snorkel masks, even a couple of WW2 gas masks....you name it!). The demand for click and collect and online deliveries is growing by several hundred percent PER WEEK at the moment because customers are absolutely scared to be mixing with other people in enclosed spaces such as shops (they've told me this!). My own home store has taken on 57 and counting new employees since this thing started just to meet demand (trust me...supermarkets are working REALLY hard behind the scenes several pay grades above me to make sure that customers can actually EAT!)

I spent today out on the road delivering groceries (yawn...boring and blimmin' hard work for little money and I really DON'T rate Mercedes vans!), and had a realisation....the normal people are REALLY scared! I've become sort of immune to what's going on because I have to walk through the CovIdiots each and every day with their masks making them immune to catching the virus (and yes, I'm VERY careful because I really don't want to catch this thing but I DON'T wear a mask of any type...).
\
I've had very long range conversations with elderly, vulnerable and scared (even young) customers today that have been stuck indoors for 10+ weeks and not actually left their house - I was a Godsend as someone they could actually talk to (from a very long distance), and find out what's happening in the world.

NOTE - they really DON'T want to come into contact with anyone outside of their own household!

Seeing what I've seen today, people really AREN'T going to want to assemble in a sweaty function room for a party any time soon....it's the last thing on their minds!

And as an aside....interesting factoid for you all. We've all seen LOADS of DJs offering to do big deals when we're eventually allowed to play again (I really don't understand that logic...prices should be going UP not DOWN). But if you think WE'VE got it bad....I work with around a dozen ex self-employed driving instructors (they're in the same boat as us at the moment). They all reckon it costs them somewhere between £25-£30 per hour to cover their huge costs for insurance, vehicle costs, fuel etc.). They're up against pillocks that are offering lessons at £5-£10 per hour just to get business in!

How DO these people manage to make a living?

In short from what I'm seeing and experiencing at the moment in the real world from talking to real human beings - we're out of the game for a long time to come. Sorry, they're scared Sh:Censored:ss by this whole thing and rightfully so.

[DJ Jules]

And then at the other end of the spectrum we have people who still don't get what the fuss is all about : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52923321

Apparently there's an announcement coming tonight about weddings. Relaxing of rules and a limited reopening of the wedding industry from early July. Expectation is that licensing rules will be relaxed to allow outdoor weddings (should have been done years ago), but with numbers limited to 10 initially. I have a suspicion that we're going to be far more cavalier with safety than other countries have been and we're going to see restrictions lifted quite quickly (as long as infection rates stay vaguely stable). I'm not sure any of this is going to be good news for us, it might see weddings going ahead without entertainment, instead of being postponed.

I'm not sure how quickly people will adjust and actually get back into the party mood. You can count me out for a few months at least.

Julian

[rth_discos]

I And how disheartening would it be to entertain for SIX people socially distancing

FIVE people - you would be the sixth person!

That's a full dancefloor isn't it?

Looking at Spain, they are providing a roadmap for weddings - with numbers allowed to attend quickly increasing to 'normal' numbers.

However, they have also just re-opened nightclubs. Except dancing is not permitted. :daft:

[DJ Jules]

And here's the article : https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jobs-bloodbath-accelerates-easing-of-lockdown-for-pubs-restaurants-and-weddings-wgmlfzzpx

Julian

[Excalibur]

:daft:

Just seen a guy on Facebook touting his DJ services for garden parties. :zip:
Identify a market opportunity, and sell to it. Classic business strategy, well done that man. :approve:



....there's a set of LEDS in the cab that monitor EVERYTHING I do!


I bet you felt right at home, then. Every time a red LED came on, you turned the radio down. :Laugh:




However, they have also just re-opened nightclubs. Except dancing is not permitted. :daft:
Just like any normal disco I've ever done then, as far as I can see. ;)


I think 'quality over quantity' will be the new norm. More sophisticated and less tat - however we never know haha.
All right, the tablets have begun to kick in. Deep breath Peter, be serious ( for the first time in this post, in case Jim hasn't spotted that ). :)
I think it's very likely that as weddings begin to restart, they will be really small, intimate affairs, rather than the grand, lavish extravaganzas we all know and love.

I foresee my dinky wedding rig going out for the rest of 2020, quite possibly battery powered as far as possible.

[Pazz]

Lots. How many will happen is anyone's guess. August and September are now slowly clearing out as people start to get a better picture of the restrictions that are likely to be in place and what that will mean for their wedding/party.



Still booked at the moment - Christmas is either going to be the most drunken party season we've ever seen, or the quietest.



Having seen plans coming out of other countries, I think the reality is that entertainment is going to be one of the last things to be allowed to restart and we're probably not going to be far away from vaccines by the time that happens. If we are out there while the risk level is still relatively high, it's going to be requests by text, booth mounted sneeze screens, face masks and gloves and you can forget about fist bumps.



Our local dentist is re-opening next week if that makes you feel any happier. They've started publicising the procedures that are going to be in place (paperwork is done online in advance, front door is kept closed, call from your car before you enter, temperature checks on entry, limited numbers in the waiting room, limited waiting times, barriers on the reception desk, thorough cleaning of all surfaces between appointments). Honestly, it's almost a miracle, the appointments have never run to time before ;)

Julian

Thanks that's interesting to hear about how your local dentist is going about new procedures. Sounds like they got some good plans before you get to the treatment room but I wonder how they will manage when seeing a patient. I have heard talk about the drill and suction tools being an issue as apparently they could spread the virus around the room. Be good to know what they are doing in the treatment room itself.


As for around the dj booth. Do we have any ideas what types of perspex screening we could put up to protect us. Is there anything already on the market for djs?

Text messages for requests sounds a good idea. I guess cards put out on tables beforehand and maybe at the bar area. I'd imagine though there would need to be a notice put up somewhere stating not to approach the dj? Maybe some dj's could put information on their tv screens if they use those in their setups. I'd imagine the social distancing at the end of the nights could be a bit problematic even with these type of measures in place.

[Pazz]

:daft:

Just seen a guy on Facebook touting his DJ services for garden parties. :zip:

I'm hearing quite a few stories about DJ's entertaining the neighbours in their streets at the moment. The authorities are usually aware and appear to be happy for a few of these to proceed for short periods as long as it isn't causing issues. Can't imagine the dj getting paid unless he's imaginative with an optional tip box (like artists are doing with their streaming at the moment)

[DJ Jules]

I'm hearing quite a few stories about DJ's entertaining the neighbours in their streets at the moment. The authorities are usually aware and appear to be happy for a few of these to proceed for short periods as long as it isn't causing issues. Can't imagine the dj getting paid unless he's imaginative with an optional tip box (like artists are doing with their streaming at the moment)

Join the american DJ groups - they've been significantly more active in going fully "mobile" (entertaining from adapted vans from the kerb!) Their pricing is pretty visible and they're asking for about $300-$400 for a 1hr or 2hr slot if I remember right.

Julian

[DJ Jules]

Thanks that's interesting to hear about how your local dentist is going about new procedures. Sounds like they got some good plans before you get to the treatment room but I wonder how they will manage when seeing a patient. I have heard talk about the drill and suction tools being an issue as apparently they could spread the virus around the room. Be good to know what they are doing in the treatment room itself.

From what they said, these risks haven't changed significantly. The risk of spreading infection around the room from drilling is the same whether it's from Covid19 or Flu or any other bug the customer might walk into the surgery. They already use PPE (face masks, gloves, etc) compact and frequent sterilisation, rigorous cleaning routines, etc, etc to control this risk and they're just stepping up measure to ensure these practices are followed.

[East Anglian Discos]

I've been optimistic so far, but I can't see proper events taking place until next year.

I accept there will be strange parties taking place in people's back gardens etc, but I'm not interested in those type of risky events.

I've already had enquiries about social distancing small events, but do you really think that drunk people will stick to the 1 or 2 meter rule? No way!

Another point is that DJ's should be updating their terms in conditions. If you feel more comfortable with 2 meter social distancing, then put in it your T&C's. When the client signs your contract & T&C's they are bound by those conditions. Most requests/contact with the public come from people shouting across my DJ booth:(

[Benny Smyth]

Another point is that DJ's should be updating their terms in conditions. If you feel more comfortable with 2 meter social distancing, then put in it your T&C's. When the client signs your contract & T&C's they are bound by those conditions. Most requests/contact with the public come from people shouting across my DJ booth:(

Several things immediately spring to mind:

- I would love to see the moment a client will take responsibility for how far someone stands away from someone else.

- I would love to see the client ask you why you - a service provider - haven't implemented your own measures for this scenario instead of putting the onus on the client.

- I would love to see what the penalty is for Uncle Brian standing too close to you. Immediate suspension of entertainment? Court action? Reasonable and proportionate force?

Contract terms have to be reasonable and making a Bride your own personal security on her wedding day so that her guests stand far enough away from you probably falls under unreasonable.

Saying that, I would love to see anyone try to implement that term because in what I'll admit is a bit of schadenfreude, I'm going to be massively entertained by the attempted enforcement of that term falling flatter than a plate of piddle.

[rth_discos]

I've been optimistic so far, but I can't see proper events taking place until next year.

I accept there will be strange parties taking place in people's back gardens etc, but I'm not interested in those type of risky events.

I've already had enquiries about social distancing small events, but do you really think that drunk people will stick to the 1 or 2 meter rule? No way!

Another point is that DJ's should be updating their terms in conditions. If you feel more comfortable with 2 meter social distancing, then put in it your T&C's. When the client signs your contract & T&C's they are bound by those conditions. Most requests/contact with the public come from people shouting across my DJ booth:(


I'm working on September for getting back out there.

The following is about to happen within the next few weeks:

Airlines will be running foreign summer holidays, with full planes with no social distancing on the plane
Pubs and restaurants will be soon reopening
And they are looking at decreasing the 2 metre distancing to 1 metre.

Also, it looks like schools will return in September.

With the focus now on being getting the economy back up and running, the hospitality industry will be screaming out to catch the tail end of this summer's wedding season, and it looks like they are making decisions now on what can reduce job loses, rather than what is safest to reduce transmission of the virus.

I am 75% optimistic that I will perform at a wedding in September (I currently have 3 for September).

We're currently 2.5 months away from this happening. We've only been in lockdown for little longer than that time, and look how quickly things are now 'returning to normal'.

[East Anglian Discos]

Terms & Conditions need to be a 'living document' updated when there's a need to. All Discos should have one.

I recall back in 2007 when the smoking ban became law, some clients ignored it for functions on private land such as marquees. I altered my T&C and worked with the clients and had no problems. But the 'belt and braces' approach i've found helpful and have served me well.

By including a clause in my T&C I am not only protecting myself but as you rightly say also my clients. In fact, I've taken many future bookings since lockdown where the client has sought my reassurance that I won't following them around the venue v:):)

The point is, that the client signs the contract, and the behaviour of guests according to the contract remains their responsibility, the same time, threatening or abusive behaviour would also breach the T&C's. I've ended 3 functions over my 37 years of DJ'ing, 2 for abusive behaviour and the other 1 breached health and safety of my guests.

Social distancing is here for some time to come, and I think the deliberate breaches to comply with the law/guidelines would be more than reasonable to stop any event. Communication to the stakeholders is key both beforehand and at the event to avoid unnecessary issues, and for us to mitigate issues such as using a stage where possible, stating that we will take requests by text, marking out an area to comply with the law/guidance.

[Marc J]

we will take requests by text

There's an app for that!
(http://www.forum.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?42433-A-request-web-app)

[East Anglian Discos]

There's an app for that!
(http://www.forum.mobilediscodirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?42433-A-request-web-app)

Great stuff- How do I get it Marc?

[Marc J]

Great stuff- How do I get it Marc?

TBH, I'm unsure if it's in a useable / production states. Let's just say it's still in beta right now. If you set up an "ask" subdomain on your main domain (e.g. ask.mydomain.co.uk) and point the A record at 83.223.98.172 I'll see if I can setup a useable instance for you (free of charge - no warranty or liability - you're essentially a guinea pig!).

[Benny Smyth]

Terms & Conditions need to be a 'living document' updated when there's a need to. All Discos should have one.

I recall back in 2007 when the smoking ban became law, some clients ignored it for functions on private land such as marquees. I altered my T&C and worked with the clients and had no problems. But the 'belt and braces' approach i've found helpful and have served me well.

By including a clause in my T&C I am not only protecting myself but as you rightly say also my clients. In fact, I've taken many future bookings since lockdown where the client has sought my reassurance that I won't following them around the venue v:):)

The point is, that the client signs the contract, and the behaviour of guests according to the contract remains their responsibility, the same time, threatening or abusive behaviour would also breach the T&C's. I've ended 3 functions over my 37 years of DJ'ing, 2 for abusive behaviour and the other 1 breached health and safety of my guests.

Social distancing is here for some time to come, and I think the deliberate breaches to comply with the law/guidelines would be more than reasonable to stop any event. Communication to the stakeholders is key both beforehand and at the event to avoid unnecessary issues, and for us to mitigate issues such as using a stage where possible, stating that we will take requests by text, marking out an area to comply with the law/guidance.

What does your T&C's say about Measles?

[East Anglian Discos]

What does your T&C's say about Measles?

Good point ;)

[Benny Smyth]

I'm working on September for getting back out there.

The following is about to happen within the next few weeks:

Airlines will be running foreign summer holidays, with full planes with no social distancing on the plane
Pubs and restaurants will be soon reopening
And they are looking at decreasing the 2 metre distancing to 1 metre.

What I have bolded there is what has been niggling at me the most. I've predicted a return in October but have accepted 2020 being out for the count.

However...

With pubs and restaurants opening, I really cannot see the justification of only allowing a "reported" [insert pinch of salt here] ten person ceremony and then no reception afterwards. If you are allowed to eat and drink in a public place (with a bit of distancing), why can that not happen at a wedding? What is the distinction?

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

What I have bolded there is what has been niggling at me the most. I've predicted a return in October but have accepted 2020 being out for the count.

However...

With pubs and restaurants opening, I really cannot see the justification of only allowing a "reported" [insert pinch of salt here] ten person ceremony and then no reception afterwards. If you are allowed to eat and drink in a public place (with a bit of distancing), why can that not happen at a wedding? What is the distinction?


My thought is that things are going to reopen quicker than we're giving credit for purely through economic and social pragmatism.

You've already pointed out a major flaw in the phase logic, people are already fed up and the longer things go on, the more things are just going to have to get done.

Our kids are due back in school in under 2 months. The planned set up just now is very intense and even with the best intentions - it's simply not going to be workable long term so exceptions are going to have to be made, restrictions loosened and dare I say, the odd blind eye turned to minor infringements. If I had to put a bet on it we'll start seeing the set up being slackened by the October holidays providing there's no increase in infections.

Same for businesses including venues - there's a tipping point whereby they simply won't be able to reopen which means more unemployed which is a bigger strain on the social plus harder to get the economy running when half the folk are on the brew and the other half don't have anywhere to go out and spend their money. If social distancing is reduced to 1m then just about every venue going will be able to reopen under the assumption that people will self regulate.

[rth_discos]

Just to add a curveball to this though...

I know a few people who work for the NHS. The general consensus from doctors is that they are very worried about the current quick 'unlocking' of the economy.

They are deeply worried about a second wave coming soon.

If that does arrive soon, and the 'R' rate increase quickly, the action the Government does or doesn't take at that stage will start to determine how quickly we get back up and running.

Even if it does pick up, I can't see them doing a second lockdown. But nothing is off the table these days!

[Imagine]

Just to add a curveball to this though...

I know a few people who work for the NHS. The general consensus from doctors is that they are very worried about the current quick 'unlocking' of the economy.

They are deeply worried about a second wave coming soon.

If that does arrive soon, and the 'R' rate increase quickly, the action the Government does or doesn't take at that stage will start to determine how quickly we get back up and running.

Even if it does pick up, I can't see them doing a second lockdown. But nothing is off the table these days!

Funnily enough, a lot of my supermarket grocery deliveries in my new found "career" are NHS doctors and nurses, some of them right on the front line of dealing with this thing! The conversations on the doorstep run along VERY similar lines to what you've said Gavin - they're :Censored: scared that it's going to blow up again.

Talking to non medical customers, it's divided opinion. Around 80% of them seem to think things are going too fast and it's all going to end in tears, whilst the other 20% are ready and raring to go. Now if 80% of my very small survey are too scared about the speed in which things are moving....how many of them are going to want to go to a nice crowded and sweaty village hall?

Will we be locked down again? Who knows. The threat is there (even on a local level). Can the country afford it? Probably not. And the other thing to consider, will Joe Public will be quite so obedient about it a second time around?

[Nakatomi]

Just to add a curveball to this though...

I know a few people who work for the NHS. The general consensus from doctors is that they are very worried about the current quick 'unlocking' of the economy.

They are deeply worried about a second wave coming soon.

If that does arrive soon, and the 'R' rate increase quickly, the action the Government does or doesn't take at that stage will start to determine how quickly we get back up and running.

Even if it does pick up, I can't see them doing a second lockdown. But nothing is off the table these days!

I've been trying to follow this after reading about fears about spikes after certain things (eg VE day, protests etc) & so far there doesn't seem to have been anything massive - some speculation about local spikes in cases after gatherings but nothing proven yet. The medical profession have good right to be cautious - as do any of us, but we also have a right to try to withdraw from our lockdown. Without dragging politics into this thread, there's definitely a possibility that profit is being put before lives (que sera there, folks) but is there just a little too much caution being applied sometimes? I don't know the answer but one thing is clear - the people in power said that we'd only arrive at certain stages if we'd met specific criteria - and there doesn't seem to be very much evidence of that.

[Pazz]

Terms & Conditions need to be a 'living document' updated when there's a need to. All Discos should have one.

I recall back in 2007 when the smoking ban became law, some clients ignored it for functions on private land such as marquees. I altered my T&C and worked with the clients and had no problems. But the 'belt and braces' approach i've found helpful and have served me well.

By including a clause in my T&C I am not only protecting myself but as you rightly say also my clients. In fact, I've taken many future bookings since lockdown where the client has sought my reassurance that I won't following them around the venue v:):)

The point is, that the client signs the contract, and the behaviour of guests according to the contract remains their responsibility, the same time, threatening or abusive behaviour would also breach the T&C's. I've ended 3 functions over my 37 years of DJ'ing, 2 for abusive behaviour and the other 1 breached health and safety of my guests.

Social distancing is here for some time to come, and I think the deliberate breaches to comply with the law/guidelines would be more than reasonable to stop any event. Communication to the stakeholders is key both beforehand and at the event to avoid unnecessary issues, and for us to mitigate issues such as using a stage where possible, stating that we will take requests by text, marking out an area to comply with the law/guidance.


I agree good communication well in advance is definitely key moving forward with bookings in the near future.

Another idea I've thought about is leaving some paper slips and cheap pens (like ones used in banks or post offices) and encourage requests and communication via this. Get a bright box carefully positioned near the booth or stage area where people can put their slip requests in.

[East Anglian Discos]

I agree good communication well in advance is definitely key moving forward with bookings in the near future.

Another idea I've thought about is leaving some paper slips and cheap pens (like ones used in banks or post offices) and encourage requests and communication via this. Get a bright box carefully positioned near the booth or stage area where people can put their slip requests in.

Good idea, and throw away the pens afterwards!!

[Nakatomi]

I'd say no to pens & paper - any kind of physical transfer at all. If you use virtualDJ there's the ask the DJ thing - or ask people to text/whatsapp/instagram message you instead - save wasting pens etc!

[ppentertainments]

Maybe thinking too much with a business head - but I would have thought a text service would be better then at least you have numbers for future marketing. GDPR compliant of course.

[Imagine]

WOW - 2 (yes TWO) nice bookings confirmed in the past two days (equivalent in gross terms to 6 weeks of hard toil at the supermarket :o)! And the web traffic is looking like it's starting to come back.
Looks like the world thinks that social distancing ain't going to be a thing come next October :)

[mattydj50]

Another idea I've thought about is leaving some paper slips and cheap pens (like ones used in banks or post offices) and encourage requests and communication via this. Get a bright box carefully positioned near the booth or stage area where people can put their slip requests in.

Like we were doing 40 years ago. I knew I would find a use for all those old Argos pens I "found".

[Imagine]

Like we were doing 40 years ago. I knew I would find a use for all those old Argos pens I "found".

It’s Ikea pencils now dontcha know ;)

[mattydj50]

It’s Ikea pencils now dontcha know ;)

I keep a supply of thoise in my DIY tool bag.

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

That's all my August weddings cancelled / rescheduled.

[Imagine]

That's all my August weddings cancelled / rescheduled.

I wish mine would. I still have one in July, one in August and one in September. The sooner the govt turn around and specifically ban dancing as other countries have done the sooner I’ll feel a little bit happier

[DJ Jules]

I wish mine would. I still have one in July, one in August and one in September. The sooner the govt turn around and specifically ban dancing as other countries have done the sooner I’ll feel a little bit happier

I've still got a couple in the diary for August and I can actually see one of them happening (it was a small crowd anyway). I think the government are currently fighting to strike a balance between health and business with the hospitality and entertainment industries lobbying hard to relax restrictions and throw them a lifeline so, if we do get any guidance, it's likely to be a last minute decision (as we've seen with guidance for schools, NHS, etc).

Julian

[Benny Smyth]

There's no point in opening the pubs until they start the weddings off again.

Without an income, wedding suppliers cannot visit those pubs and I think that I'm not in a unique position in our industry when I say that I'm pretty confident that my three local pubs won't survive without my contributions to their turnovers. :lol:

[Imagine]

There's no point in opening the pubs until they start the weddings off again.

Without an income, wedding suppliers cannot visit those pubs and I think that I'm not in a unique position in our industry when I say that I'm pretty confident that my three local pubs won't survive without my contributions to their turnovers. :lol:

Mine certainly won't (and it's about to have new landlords once they're allowed to open).

I've got 45 pints of very strong bitter just ready to drink as of today, and another 40 of lager bubbling away in the garden shed for when the bitter runs dry in a couple of weeks time :beer1:

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

My wine guy is out of prosecco and I'm currently finishing my last bottle on the hot tub as I type :(

I don't even want to think how many cases I've battered through during lockdown. I counted 11 empty boxes going in the recycling bin and that wasn't all of them plus it was about 6 weeks ago :daft:

[Imagine]

My wine guy is out of prosecco and I'm currently finishing my last bottle on the hot tub as I type :(

I don't even want to think how many cases I've battered through during lockdown. I counted 11 empty boxes going in the recycling bin and that wasn't all of them plus it was about 6 weeks ago :daft:

Tell me about it. Sainsbury's (who I now work for doing online deliveries) have their buy 6 get 25% off offer at the moment.....I'm convinced that the population of Cambridgeshire has a problem from what I'm delivering at the moment.

Anyhooo....today's announcements...

'twould appear that lockdown is over folks, unless you own an indoor gym, swimming pool (surely the chlorine kills things doesn't it?), an indoor play centre, a nail bar or make your living as a DJ.
I can foresee that we're off the road for a long time to come yet sadly :(

The "official" publication will come out tomorrow and I'll be studying the small print with great interest, but the general impression I'm getting at the moment is that the boffins are convinced that what we do will cause a second spike once things get a little chillier and if we start singing and hugging again.

I'm really confused on the rules now.

At the moment it looks like you can marry, and potentially have the wedding brekky with lot of rules in place, but the evening party is out of the question. More worryingly, there's no guidance/estimate on when our part of things might be able to resume!

Several of my delivery customers are absolutely desperate for a garden party (social distancing rules etc. will apply), but you still can't have more than 6 people outside, or 30 at a wedding (if that's in a place of worship?). Although two households of any size can meet up and even sleep over so long as 2m/1m+ is observed if 2m isn't possible and the wind's blowing in the right direction and it's not snowing, and you can't hug unless you're in some sort of bubble fluid and singing Mr Brightside isn't allowed.

The honourable experts (CSO and CMO) were uncomfortable on last night's briefing, and seem to be convinced that a second spike will come. It was even alluded to that they're going to think themselves grateful if things return to proper normal by next spring! Add to that, a "task force" has now been set up for the likes of us and theatres and it's looking pretty bleak :(

Anyone want to simplify the rules for me?

[Excalibur]

Anyone want to simplify the rules for me?

Yeah. Hibernate.

[East Anglian Discos]

Tell me about it. Sainsbury's (who I now work for doing online deliveries) have their buy 6 get 25% off offer at the moment.....I'm convinced that the population of Cambridgeshire has a problem from what I'm delivering at the moment.

Anyhooo....today's announcements...

'twould appear that lockdown is over folks, unless you own an indoor gym, swimming pool (surely the chlorine kills things doesn't it?), an indoor play centre, a nail bar or make your living as a DJ.
I can foresee that we're off the road for a long time to come yet sadly :(

The "official" publication will come out tomorrow and I'll be studying the small print with great interest, but the general impression I'm getting at the moment is that the boffins are convinced that what we do will cause a second spike once things get a little chillier and if we start singing and hugging again.

I'm really confused on the rules now.

At the moment it looks like you can marry, and potentially have the wedding brekky with lot of rules in place, but the evening party is out of the question. More worryingly, there's no guidance/estimate on when our part of things might be able to resume!

Several of my delivery customers are absolutely desperate for a garden party (social distancing rules etc. will apply), but you still can't have more than 6 people outside, or 30 at a wedding (if that's in a place of worship?). Although two households of any size can meet up and even sleep over so long as 2m/1m+ is observed if 2m isn't possible and the wind's blowing in the right direction and it's not snowing, and you can't hug unless you're in some sort of bubble fluid and singing Mr Brightside isn't allowed.

The honourable experts (CSO and CMO) were uncomfortable on last night's briefing, and seem to be convinced that a second spike will come. It was even alluded to that they're going to think themselves grateful if things return to proper normal by next spring! Add to that, a "task force" has now been set up for the likes of us and theatres and it's looking pretty bleak :(

Anyone want to simplify the rules for me?

That's about right. No live music/entertainment allowed at the moment.

30 wedding guests allowed in places of worship only and no actual wedding reception allowed, apart from existing rules i.e. 6 in your back garden or another family only in your house.

Interestingly singing in church also not allowed.

Assuming the 'R' rate remains low and Joe Public do follow the guidance, the next battle for the Government will be the 2020/21 football season and the prospect of clubs going out of business because of no season ticket income.....In addition, many clubs rely on corporate hospitality and functions to bolster their income.

My money remains on a further September easing to include music subject to keeping the infection rate under some sort or control.

[DJ Jules]

Tell me about it. Sainsbury's (who I now work for doing online deliveries) have their buy 6 get 25% off offer at the moment.....I'm convinced that the population of Cambridgeshire has a problem from what I'm delivering at the moment.

Bristol is probably worse. We're a city with a drinking problem, but still nowhere near as bad as Scotland :D


Anyone want to simplify the rules for me?

This is the clearest I've found so far (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do-after-4-july). There's additional guidance for specific businesses in the guides for them and, as of 4th July, they boil down to:

- Pubs, restaurants, hotels, holiday parks, cinemas and hairdressers can re-open
- Nightclubs, theatres, nail bars and beauty salons can't
- You can meet with one other household at a time, indoors, outdoors, at your house/in a pub/restaurant/etc
- Meeting with more than one other household at a time is not allowed - if you're in a public place you shouldn't socialise with other households (pubs are going to be fun places huh?)
- You can travel and stay away from home, as long as it is not with more than one other household
- Gatherings of more than 30 people are still against the law
- Wedding ceremonies of up to 30 people are allowed. Receptions are not allowed.
- Parties or functions that bring together people from more than 2 households are not allowed
- Music and live performances that are likely to cause people to break social distancing rules or need to raise their voices (and that is either the performer or the audience) are not allowed.

The guidance for pubs and restaurants is open for interpretation as usual. Basically, you can have entertainment as long as it does not significantly increase the risk of transmission by causing people to mingle or need to raise their voices or sing (because as you get closer and aspirate more air, transmission rates go up and if you're in a loud environment you tend to move closer and speak louder to be heard). Some pubs are going to read that and think it's fine to have a jukebox/DJ as long as it's low volume, others are going to take a considered approach and weigh up how many punters the entertainment is going to bring and think about whether it's worth the cost and risk, others are planning grand re-openings and bringing in a DJ regardless and then there's probably lots who can't even be bothered to read the guidelines. Chains (who were tight with their entertainment budgets anyway) appear to be canning entertainment for now.

So entertainment is fine, as long as it's quiet enough that people don't have to raise their voices and they're not likely to be inclined to sing or mingle OR there are environmental protections in place to prevent transmission. I'm thinking that this is what weddings will look like in 2021... :D

18881

The daily briefings have stopped as of yesterday so we're now going to have to wait it out for when the guidelines change to allow more intermingling and larger gatherings. There's no set date for the next phase of relaxing the rules (we don't have another publicly declared milestone like the 15th June or 4th July). Restrictions are relaxing at a good speed now but, crucially, there is no certainty or any dates for couples trying to plan weddings for later this year.

Julian

[East Anglian Discos]

Bristol is probably worse. We're a city with a drinking problem, but still nowhere near as bad as Scotland :D



This is the clearest I've found so far (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do/coronavirus-outbreak-faqs-what-you-can-and-cant-do-after-4-july). There's additional guidance for specific businesses in the guides for them and, as of 4th July, they boil down to:

- Pubs, restaurants, hotels, holiday parks, cinemas and hairdressers can re-open
- Nightclubs, theatres, nail bars and beauty salons can't
- You can meet with one other household at a time, indoors, outdoors, at your house/in a pub/restaurant/etc
- Meeting with more than one other household at a time is not allowed - if you're in a public place you shouldn't socialise with other households (pubs are going to be fun places huh?)
- You can travel and stay away from home, as long as it is not with more than one other household
- Gatherings of more than 30 people are still against the law
- Wedding ceremonies of up to 30 people are allowed. Receptions are not allowed.
- Parties or functions that bring together people from more than 2 households are not allowed
- Music and live performances that are likely to cause people to break social distancing rules or need to raise their voices (and that is either the performer or the audience) are not allowed.

The guidance for pubs and restaurants is open for interpretation as usual. Basically, you can have entertainment as long as it does not significantly increase the risk of transmission by causing people to mingle or need to raise their voices or sing (because as you get closer and aspirate more air, transmission rates go up and if you're in a loud environment you tend to move closer and speak louder to be heard). Some pubs are going to read that and think it's fine to have a jukebox/DJ as long as it's low volume, others are going to take a considered approach and weigh up how many punters the entertainment is going to bring and think about whether it's worth the cost and risk, others are planning grand re-openings and bringing in a DJ regardless and then there's probably lots who can't even be bothered to read the guidelines. Chains (who were tight with their entertainment budgets anyway) appear to be canning entertainment for now.

So entertainment is fine, as long as it's quiet enough that people don't have to raise their voices and they're not likely to be inclined to sing or mingle OR there are environmental protections in place to prevent transmission. I'm thinking that this is what weddings will look like in 2021... :D

18881

The daily briefings have stopped as of yesterday so we're now going to have to wait it out for when the guidelines change to allow more intermingling and larger gatherings. There's no set date for the next phase of relaxing the rules (we don't have another publicly declared milestone like the 15th June or 4th July). Restrictions are relaxing at a good speed now but, crucially, there is no certainty or any dates for couples trying to plan weddings for later this year.

Julian

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5eb96e8e86650c278b077616/Keeping-workers-and-customers-safe-during-covid-19-restaurants-pubs-bars-takeaways-230620.pdf

And the main quote ' At this time, venues should not permit live performances, including drama, comedy and music, to take place in front of a live audience'.

[Excalibur]

Devil's advocate mode engaged> Younger readers will not remember the " Keep music live " campaign from many years ago. Last time I checked, I only pressed play on the equipment, I didn't sing, or " do a Nigel". According to the letter of the rules, Nigel bashing out a few chords, and Karaoke are banned. Everything else is fair game. <Devil's advocate mode disengaged.

For our younger readers, who don't remember Nigel ( and his later incarnations ) just be thankful. :)

[DJ Jules]

Devil's advocate mode engaged> Younger readers will not remember the " Keep music live " campaign from many years ago. Last time I checked, I only pressed play on the equipment, I didn't sing, or " do a Nigel". According to the letter of the rules, Nigel bashing out a few chords, and Karaoke are banned. Everything else is fair game. <Devil's advocate mode disengaged.

As I said....


Music and live performances that are likely to cause people to break social distancing rules or need to raise their voices (and that is either the performer or the audience) are not allowed.

Technically, anything else is fair game. Whisper karaoke? Seated silent discos?

Some of the supposedly "socially distanced" VE day celebrations that I saw on social media totally blow these guidelines apart and they were all weeks ago so I'm sure we're going to see people who completely ignore the rules (or at least use their own interpretations).

Julian

[Nakatomi]

I've read that although weddings are now permitted, only up to 30 guests are allowed & receptions are still out of the question. No big surprises there, despite the protestations & assertions on many a Facebook muppet echo chamber

[East Anglian Discos]

Devil's advocate mode engaged> Younger readers will not remember the " Keep music live " campaign from many years ago. Last time I checked, I only pressed play on the equipment, I didn't sing, or " do a Nigel". According to the letter of the rules, Nigel bashing out a few chords, and Karaoke are banned. Everything else is fair game. <Devil's advocate mode disengaged.

For our younger readers, who don't remember Nigel ( and his later incarnations ) just be thankful. :)

“Live music” is a term in English used to describe music, played by human beings in a real time concert. Usually performing on an instrument or with your voice. You are “playing live” when you get on stage and make music there at that moment.

I wonder whether the guidance released today could be a little loose, but in any case singing is not allowed and volume levels restricted, so if someone wants to be stuck in the pub corner playing 'Uptown Funk' I suppose they might be able to :)

[East Anglian Discos]

I've read that although weddings are now permitted, only up to 30 guests are allowed & receptions are still out of the question. No big surprises there, despite the protestations & assertions on many a Facebook muppet echo chamber

That's correct but only in places of worship i.e. churches and no singing.

[Nakatomi]

“Live music” is a term in English used to describe music, played by human beings in a real time concert. Usually performing on an instrument or with your voice. You are “playing live” when you get on stage and make music there at that moment.

I wonder whether the guidance released today could be a little loose, but in any case singing is not allowed and volume levels restricted, so if someone wants to be stuck in the pub corner playing 'Uptown Funk' I suppose they might be able to :)


Oh I've been on the bill as 'live music' in the past, and yes they were referring to me 'a mere dj' as live music, not mistaking me for a band. Mind, some of the strops I've thrown over the years you could easily have mistaken me for a band spokesperson

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Bristol is probably worse. We're a city with a drinking problem, but still nowhere near as bad as Scotland :D



I may or may not have slipped a peanut butter irish cream into my post work out shake :zip:

In my defence it's teacher's new year up here today :muppet::beer1:

Related to that, our education secretary John Swinney has gone from last week saying things weren't going to be normal for the year in schools to, we're gunning for full return to timetable in August.

My school has 110ish kids and even with 1m social distancing we couldn't adhere to all of the rules, extrapolate that to the mainstream school next door with 1200+ kids... if they're going to let things slide for schools then there's scope for it to slide for other sectors. As I said before - there's a tipping point economically we need to avoid, and the government knows this.

Not to be cynical but if push comes to shove, for some, a 2nd wave of a virus that kills largely elderly people whose cost to the state is significant compared to their input might just be a burden we have to bear if it means keeping young folk who do actually pay taxes and don't take up hospital beds, care homes and social services in work....

[Excalibur]

Not to be cynical but if push comes to shove, for some, a 2nd wave of a virus that kills largely elderly people whose cost to the state is significant compared to their input might just be a burden we have to bear if it means keeping young folk who do actually pay taxes and don't take up hospital beds, care homes and social services in work....

Jim, you could be viewed as sailing perilously close to the wind re breaking forum guidelines about politics with that. It is however, a valid point, and even if a little heartless ( said the over sixty white haired old mod :Naughty: ) it's effectively the " herd immunity " policy.

I've said it before, and I stand by the view which is not a million miles divergent from Jim's point, that if we're not careful, the cure could be worse than the disease. Some of my colleagues are looking forwards to discos seven days a week soon, as we service the pent up demand. A " glass brimming over" viewpoint. I think the glass is empty, as venues closed in March never reopen. A Best Western in Hull will not reopen, and that's a big one to lose.

I think the only growth areas will be the " tent/shed/barn in a field " venues, with low staff numbers, and low overheads. I'm still very pessimistic about the future, sorry. :(:(

[DJ Jules]

Related to that, our education secretary John Swinney has gone from last week saying things weren't going to be normal for the year in schools to, we're gunning for full return to timetable in August.

I keep forgetting that the Welsh/Scottish administrations are setting their own rules. From what I've seen, they're both being more cautious than England.


Not to be cynical but if push comes to shove, for some, a 2nd wave of a virus that kills largely elderly people whose cost to the state is significant compared to their input might just be a burden we have to bear if it means keeping young folk who do actually pay taxes and don't take up hospital beds, care homes and social services in work....

It's tough to argue with your reasoning, but harder to bear when your daughter also fits into the highly vulnerable category.

Julian

[Imagine]

I think the only growth areas will be the " tent/shed/barn in a field " venues, with low staff numbers, and low overheads. I'm still very pessimistic about the future, sorry. :(:(

To be fair, in this neck of the woods those have been the only growth areas of late anyway.

I was talking to a customer who lives next door to one of my regular stately homes yesterday (in fact I did the last wedding they did before lockdown). By all accounts, it was becoming very rare to see weddings happening anyway over the past year or so! Probably 90% of my weddings last year, and probably the same next year (were this year but hey-ho) are also in tents and barns.

I think though that we'll also see a massive resurgence of the DIY approach in village halls again.

[Pe7e]

I think though that we'll also see a massive resurgence of the DIY approach in village halls again.

I think you could well be correct, I've had several calls inquiring after PA/lighting hire, to date, I've batted them away until the situation becomes clearer which I think it could well do in the next couple of months, provided of course there's no 2nd wave of transmission. I wouldn't like to bet on that not happening though especially as the pubs are opening again, I just can't see the social distancing guidelines being taken any notice of after a few pints.

[Excalibur]

I think though that we'll also see a massive resurgence of the DIY approach in village halls again.

Amen, Brother Wayne. I've been saying that all along. :agree:

[DJ Jules]

Amen, Brother Wayne. I've been saying that all along. :agree:

Now, this may be short lived, but I've quite a few brides who have pushed their date out by a year and added extras because they'll now "have longer to save".

In 12 months time when we're feeling the full economic impact, it is likely to be a very different matter.

Julian

[Imagine]

Aaaaand there goes my remaining July wedding (cancelled completely for now), and potentially my August wedding who the venue are now saying could go ahead on a date in October.

But then the way things are going with different things being unlocked so quickly, we could be back next week....who knows anymore :o

[Excalibur]

Aaaaand there goes my remaining July wedding (cancelled completely for now), and potentially my August wedding who the venue are now saying could go ahead on a date in October.

But then the way things are going with different things being unlocked so quickly, we could be back next week....who knows anymore :o

Who knows? Well certainly not me. :daft: Just had a birthday party for 1st August cancelled, refund requested. Conversely, I've got a wedding ( in a tent, near a brewery! (If I'm not back in a month, send a search party. But don't look too hard ) still ( allegedly) going ahead. I've also got The Hooligans booked in for mid July, but don't expect that to happen. :confused:

[Imagine]

Well that's all folks. My September wedding has now rescheduled to next year subject to confirmation from the registrars. I'm off the road until 2021 :(

[Benny Smyth]

Well that's all folks. My September wedding has now rescheduled to next year subject to confirmation from the registrars. I'm off the road until 2021 :(

Blimey! I've still got 27 events booked in from August to December.

[Excalibur]

Well that's all folks. My September wedding has now rescheduled to next year subject to confirmation from the registrars. I'm off the road until 2021 :(
You little fibber, you're piloting that behemoth crammed with food and drink round the Fens. :p:)


Blimey! I've still got 27 events booked in from August to December.

Only half a dozen here, and I suspect five of those won't happen. :(

[DJ Jules]

Only half a dozen here, and I suspect five of those won't happen. :(

I've still got 40 in the diary (including a NYE wedding) but 10 of those are Xmas for a venue based in a theatre that may or may not survive until December. July is now totally clear, August and September are slowly getting in touch and rescheduling now.

I've just turned away a booking for the 31st of July from someone who has "been told by the venue that it's OK to go ahead" (it's a community centre). Here we go into the big grey abyss of government guidelines:

- Community centres are allowed to re-open from 4th July as long as they're "Covid secure"
- Bars and restaurants are allowed to re-open from 4th July
- Bars and restaurants aren't allowed groups of more than 6 seated together from more than 2 households
- Parties are not allowed "where it is difficult to maintain social distancing"
- Music must not be at a volume that requires people to get close or raise their voices

Now, most people would read that and realise that it's impossible to hold a party. The overly optimistic among the hospitality industry would read that and see:

- That it's fine to hold parties as long it isn't "difficult to maintain social distancing" (i.e. they'll read the justification written into that sentence as a condition/get out clause)
- Community centres are OK to re-open and what services are they going to provide. That must mean it's OK to resume usual activities, right?

I had first contact from this guy a week ago and told him to hold fire on booking anything for a couple of weeks until the position became clearer. He came back to me last night, asking for a price and saying that he was clear to go ahead. My reply:


The current guidelines state that music (or any other form of entertainment) isn't allowed at a volume level that would require guests to raise their voices and it cannot cause guests to mingle/dance. Unless this is relaxed, I am not allowed to perform. The expectation in my industry is that this is unlikely to change before September at the very earliest.

I'm sure there are other DJs out there who will be happy to ignore the guidance to get the work.

I can actually see his party going ahead without consequence. Knowing the venue, I can actually see it being quite well attended too. I'm not going to be there :)

I've been watching a few wedding groups and there's a lot of very mixed feelings about going ahead with weddings. There's a few that are pressing ahead in July, some are breaking their celebrations out over a few days to allow key groups to get involved one at a time (and live streaming the whole thing). There are others that are pushing the boundaries of the guidelines by holding the ceremony and then having socially distanced picnics in the gardens of a venue or telling guests to individually book into a specific restaurant. The reactions have been the most interesting bit, they range from the ardent "the restaurant/venue should stop that" to a far more relaxed "don't see a problem with that". I can't see anyone enforcing anything at this point. It's taken 2 days of celebrations in Liverpool for the police to step and we had a full on street party in Bristol last weekend for the best part of 14hrs straight without the police lifting a finger (they have said they'll stop it if there's a recurrence this weekend).

Julian

[Excalibur]

I've just turned away a booking for the 31st of July from someone who has "been told by the venue that it's OK to go ahead" (it's a community centre). Here we go into the big grey abyss of government guidelines:

- Community centres are allowed to re-open from 4th July as long as they're "Covid secure"
- Bars and restaurants are allowed to re-open from 4th July
- Bars and restaurants aren't allowed groups of more than 6 seated together from more than 2 households
- Parties are not allowed "where it is difficult to maintain social distancing"
- Music must not be at a volume that requires people to get close or raise their voices

Now, most people would read that and realise that it's impossible to hold a party. The overly optimistic among the hospitality industry would read that and see:



OK, let's see how close we can get to a political statement without breaking the rules. Here we go into the big grey abyss of government guidelines: Well, to be fair, I'm fairly sure that it is beyond the wit of man/Boris and his happy band to come up with a black and white set of rules with no wiggle room to cover all possible eventualities, while still getting the hospitality industry in all its many facets back on its feet. There you go, but bear in mind there will be zero discussion of whether the government are doing a good/bad/indifferent job, or " My granny could have done it better". All that's allowed is how it will affect us, and how we may best cope. That's a Mod Note, so a line drawn in the sand. :Naughty::Naughty:

Now, as I've been saying all along, I foresee that the first functions to happen will be where you book a piece of land/venue and very little else. Village Halls, Community Centres, tents in fields, with the minimum of venue staff, and consequently, the minimum of supervision/adherence to rules, such as they my be. Versatility and adaptability may be our best policy here. ( And possibly battery PA systems ).

Hotels with regiments of staff, and strict policies are going to be the very last venues to start trading again in the way we're used to. I think we're going to have a lot of informal, DIY weddings. ( Which are among my favourite ones, if I'm honest. One of the most enjoyable I had was a Derbyshire Village Hall, where the caretaker and I enjoyed winding the PA up to eleven before guests arrived, with some Rock and Metal, as he was an ex roadie or something, and the hall was decorated in half an hour by family. Food and Drink was BYO, ( Bring Your Own ) and the wedding cake was a three tier pork pie! A very good time was had by all ).

As a paraphrasing of the Ancient Chinese curse has it, " we are living in interesting times". ;):(

[rth_discos]

OK, let's see how close we can get to a political statement without breaking the rules. Here we go into the big grey abyss of government guidelines: Well, to be fair, I'm fairly sure that it is beyond the wit of man/Boris and his happy band to come up with a black and white set of rules with no wiggle room to cover all possible eventualities, while still getting the hospitality industry in all its many facets back on its feet.

I'm not sure if we've heard it used yet, but I'll expect to hear 'within the spirit of the law' coming in soon.

It's pretty clear when someone is trying to being clever to circumvent the rules.

Additionally, the latest guidelines are very new. It's likely legislation will be brought in to back those guidelines (this takes longer than publishing guidelines, and is likely partly the reason why such a gap was given between the announcement and venues being able to reopen), and this will make it very clear what is law and what is 'guidelines'.

[Imagine]

Aaaaand there goes my remaining July wedding (cancelled completely for now), and potentially my August wedding who the venue are now saying could go ahead on a date in October.

But then the way things are going with different things being unlocked so quickly, we could be back next week....who knows anymore :o

Nope - the one potentially looking to move from August to October has now seen the light and moved to next April :daft:

See you all next March (hopefully)

[mattydj50]

Hotels with regiments of staff, and strict policies are going to be the very last venues to start trading again in the way we're used to. (

Especially when they are still closed and you can't get hold of anyone there to talk to.

I'm not anticipating my gear leaving the store until Christmas if I'm lucky.

Mind you, looking at the diary, I have a school prom booked there on Thursday that technically still exists as it has never been cancelled (or anything) and in two weeks time, I have a Fri/Sat double header for the Royal Navy Retired Boxing Society that is also still officially going ahead. Neither the venue (through whom the booking was made) or their client (with whom I have discussed some of their requirements) have been in touch to advise whether its on or off.

I might just turn up and bill them.

[ppentertainments]

Nope - the one potentially looking to move from August to October has now seen the light and moved to next April :daft:

See you all next March (hopefully)
This is what I keep saying - and others disagree with - is that if you are in the wedding industry, realistically once it is announced they can go ahead, we still have at least a 3 month wait - around the same time we have had since lockdown began.

Couples are postponing at least 3 months ahead, so as soon as weddings can go ahead, the first 3 months our weddings will already have been postponed.

I am guessing wedding restrictions will be lifted in September, which wipes out the year for us.

[Imagine]

I am guessing wedding restrictions will be lifted in September, which wipes out the year for us.

I wish I could feel that optimistic. My thinking is that it's going to be after the seasonal flu season. What we do is a massive spreader of aerosol droplets and close contact (singing, hugging, cheering.....or it is on my dance floor anyway). Whilst there's a chance of the NHS being overrun again, we (and other mass gatherings) aren't going to be allowed.

And bear in mind no matter what statistics the boffins are throwing about and putting into Excel, we're still one of the worst hit countries in the world with this thing.

The next "review" is I believe, supposed to be on 21st July (three weeks after the latest round of unlocking). It'll be interesting to see what, if any effect opening the boozers has on things.

[rth_discos]

As studies are conducted to understand exactly where we're at, this study does not paint a positive picture for the future:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-07/coronavirus-update-covid19-spain-antibody-testing-ireland/12427440


Results from the final stage of a nationwide antibody study have shown some 5 per cent of Spain's population has been exposed to the new coronavirus


It also suggested that immunity to the virus can be short-lived, with 14 per cent of participants who tested positive for antibodies in the first stage subsequently testing negative in the last stage.

This suggest we have a very long journey ahead, and vaccination is now even more important.

[East Anglian Discos]

I am guessing wedding restrictions will be lifted in September, which wipes out the year for us.

My money has always been on September.

[Imagine]

My money has always been on September.

I'll go for next Easter.
Although seeing today's headlines....it might be longer :(

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-53315702

[DJ Jules]

A local hotel (part of a large chain) is actively booking Proms for early Sept (with DJ and Photobooth) and I've just seen a bouncy castle booking come in for another local wedding venue for late July!! People are being very optimistic.

The other interesting little thing I've just seen is that the Government Covid guidance for Councils (as posted on MDJN this morning) says it's possible to hold events for over 30 people indoors or outdoors on council property, as long as the venue is Covid safe and an appropriate risk assessment has been performed and signed off to show that it will be possible to social distance at the event.

Apparently this is about trialing relaxed restrictions for events with a controlled group.

Julian

[rth_discos]

Get your Maui 5 Go and wireless lapel mics now...

I think there could be a booming future in outside ceremonies next year. And a mic for the registrar is essential for guests to hear the ceremony.

The ceremony is one area where it's hard to 'social distance', but it's far easier to achieve this outside, with chairs spread out further (most venues just don't have the space inside).

This could be a good upsell where most DJs don't offer this service.

[Excalibur]

A local hotel (part of a large chain) is actively booking Proms for early Sept (with DJ and Photobooth) and I've just seen a bouncy castle booking come in for another local wedding venue for late July!! People are being very optimistic.


Optimistic? Optimistic? Recently, a couple of lead generation sites were offering parties for around two hundred people, when the flat out limit was thirty, no ifs, no buts.


Get your Maui 5 Go and wireless lapel mics now...

I think there could be a booming future in outside ceremonies next year. And a mic for the registrar is essential for guests to hear the ceremony.

The ceremony is one area where it's hard to 'social distance', but it's far easier to achieve this outside, with chairs spread out further (most venues just don't have the space inside).

This could be a good upsell where most DJs don't offer this service.
Funny you should say that. :whistle: Contemplating my second GO, and adding suitable mics.

[rth_discos]

Funny you should say that. :whistle: Contemplating my second GO, and adding suitable mics.

I've done all outside ceremonies with 1 x speaker - it has been more than adequate.

I highly recommend the Rode wireless lapel microphones - the new Go range from them are small and discrete too.

I bought the filmmaker kit, because the Go didn't exist back then.

1 is adequate - for the registrar/celebrant. If you have 2 then one can go on the Groom, which picks up the bride too.

I think this made the ceremony so much more enjoyable for the guests:


https://photos.app.goo.gl/EZeDXWV4j8R4stCG9

[ppentertainments]

A local hotel (part of a large chain) is actively booking Proms for early Sept (with DJ and Photobooth)
I have one venue rearranged 8 Prom Nights which are due to take place BEFORE schools return - so those going to uni/college are not away from home. Don't think there is a cat in hells chance personally, BUT even the schools think it will be ok. Hoping they know more than us, but still can't see it personally

[DJ Jules]

Get your Maui 5 Go and wireless lapel mics now...

Ironically, I've just been talking to a dealer about that very item.

Julian

[Pe7e]

I highly recommend the Rode wireless lapel microphones - the new Go range from them are small and discrete too.

1 is adequate - for the registrar/celebrant. If you have 2 then one can go on the Groom, which picks up the bride too.


I was very impressed with these mics, I've never seen them before. One question springs to mind though, do you use these with the inbuilt mics, or do you use them with a seperate mic (with a lead), so as to be able to make them less noticeable?

[Excalibur]

I've done all outside ceremonies with 1 x speaker - it has been more than adequate.



Wash your mouth out with soap!! :no: Actually, I wouldn't dispute that one unit is more than capable, and in fact I've made a lot of noise with just one at a disco. BUT: Symetry with one is tricky. Ever since I got mine last year, I've been aiming to get its twin ( or at the very least, a white mains powered 5 ).

[rth_discos]

I was very impressed with these mics, I've never seen them before. One question springs to mind though, do you use these with the inbuilt mics, or do you use them with a seperate mic (with a lead), so as to be able to make them less noticeable?

Ah, good point - I've been using the more expensive RØDELink Filmmaker Kit which has a lavalier mic so the belt pack sits either on the belt or in a pocket, discretely hidden away.


Wash your mouth out with soap!! :no: Actually, I wouldn't dispute that one unit is more than capable, and in fact I've made a lot of noise with just one at a disco. BUT: Symetry with one is tricky. Ever since I got mine last year, I've been aiming to get its twin ( or at the very least, a white mains powered 5 ).

Symetry? Not really needed outside - check my video, you have to work hard to find the speaker in the first place! Most of the time, the speaker is kept to the side anyway, so out of view.

Here's another one - again it doesn't stand out. In reality it would have been a lot of work and a lot of extra cabling to add in a second 'symetrical' speaker. For ceremonies, you're adding more work for yourself for no reward. I don't think I'll need to say this one twice: save your money ;)

18882

[Excalibur]

Symetry? Not really needed outside - check my video, you have to work hard to find the speaker in the first place! Most of the time, the speaker is kept to the side anyway, so out of view.
Ahem. At what point did I use the word " outside"? :whistle: I have a couple of venues where the look and portability of the White 5s would be perfect for the evening function.
To be fair, I didn't make myself clear at all, so for that I apologise. :o
My need for symetry is confined solely to the " formal" evening setup. Outside, as you rightly point out, discretion is the better part of making a noise. :)



Here's another one - again it doesn't stand out. In reality it would have been a lot of work and a lot of extra cabling to add in a second 'symetrical' speaker. For ceremonies, you're adding more work for yourself for no reward. I don't think I'll need to say this one twice: save your money ;)


I've not tried it, but I don't think you can bluetooth two speakers from one source. Shame. You can however slave one GO from another with merely one signal cable. That's the main reason why I let my 5s go, in favour of 11s, to get the slave facility. Why the mains powered 5 is the only unit without that facility still baffles and irks me. :confused::mad:

PS. Too damn right I'll have to save some money, with microphones at £200+! :eek::(

[Imagine]

Got to admit - for ceremonies the Maui 5 Go is the weapon of choice over here (although must look at those Mic's you're on about Gavin....never got round to buying them the last time you pointed them out to me).
I only ever use one for ceremonies and it more than punches above it's weight for this. Plus, it's virtually invisible :)

In fact, my entire ceremony system now consists of:

* Maui 5 Go
* Wireless lav mics (rarely used - for some reason the grooms over here tend to shy away from using them)
* iPad running an app called "Go Button" which controls the music side of things.

All I need are a few ceremonies and I'm back in the game

18883

18884

[rth_discos]

* iPad running an app called "Go Button" which controls the music side of things.


I *really* wish there was an Android version of this app.

[Excalibur]

I *really* wish there was a Microsoft version of this app. :whistle:

Sorry Gavin, couldn't resist it. I'm well known as a M$ user, who hates being forced to go Android, and is currently resisting the inexorable move to Apple products. ( Currently. Never say never. Lucifer is thumbing through Yellow Pages for good heating engineers, just in case). ;):)

There are plenty of workable programmes for my Surface, granted they could perhaps be better, but I'm managing just fine.

So far. :luck:

[rth_discos]

:whistle:

Sorry Gavin, couldn't resist it. I'm well known as a M$ user, who hates being forced to go Android, and is currently resisting the inexorable move to Apple products. ( Currently. Never say never. Lucifer is thumbing through Yellow Pages for good heating engineers, just in case). ;):)

There are plenty of workable programmes for my Surface, granted they could perhaps be better, but I'm managing just fine.

So far. :luck:

I love Microsoft for my laptop, and Virtual DJ is great.

But for tablets, it's Android for me. But I have no desire to touch Apple - and it seems a lot of money to need to buy an iPad just for one piece of software!!

[Benny Smyth]

Outdoor performances with social distancing returns Saturday.

Gyms open 25th July.

MUA return next Monday.

Further details still forthcoming to clarify/muddy the waters [delete as appropriate] but it's not all looking doom and gloom.

[Imagine]

Outdoor performances with social distancing returns Saturday.

Gyms open 25th July.

MUA return next Monday.

Further details still forthcoming to clarify/muddy the waters [delete as appropriate] but it's not all looking doom and gloom.

My Facebook feed literally exploded....but don't get too exited.

From what I'm gathering, it's all socially distanced outdoor stuff and nothing's been said about the sort of gatherings we generally tend to do...they're going to be doing tests on those over the coming weeks.
Nightclubs (more akin to how we'll be seen by UKGov) are still out of the question at the moment

[Benny Smyth]

My Facebook feed literally exploded....but don't get too exited.

I'm not excited yet as there is still a way to go for us.

But the trajectory seems like that my prediction of being back on the road in October is still looking good, which is incredibly important as I have a bet on it. :lol:

[Imagine]

I'm not excited yet as there is still a way to go for us.

But the trajectory seems like that my prediction of being back on the road in October is still looking good, which is incredibly important as I have a bet on it. :lol:

Hmm....this has just been published https://www.gov.uk/government/news/performing-arts-given-green-light-to-resume-outdoors-on-july-11?fbclid=IwAR0hxTZ28-IbwmNyVI-QWDreBfnpHr-dXFAO9QayPknp6R90-Ibt_MegZtQ

Seems that with the correct precautions in place and of course outside, we can go back to work :o
Whether I'd feel comfortable working like that is another matter. Think I'm going to wait a little bit longer - there's no way in the world you're going to control any sort of party where alcohol and dancing's concerned.

[DJ Jules]

Outdoor performances with social distancing returns Saturday.

Gyms open 25th July.

Lots and lots of grey areas in this. But it appears to be specifically aimed at allowing theatres to get some income. Parties are still not allowed, that hasn't changed in the guidance. Tests are being performed to restart indoor performances, the press briefing is all specifically focused on performing arts, not DJ's or private events.


MUA return next Monday.

Beauty salons are open, MUA are still not allowed to apply make up. Facepainters are also still not allowed to operate...

They're restarting gatherings in places that they can control and shut down easily if there are issues, pubs can be controlled through licensing, theatres/gyms through H&S, etc. It's going to be a while yet before they give the go ahead for private events because that's going to be the point where the flood gates are opened and won't be easy to shut again. Some of this relaxation of rules is going to be trickle down (I can already see from my Facebook feed that a lot of people have interpreted "theatre" and "performances" to mean "all night street party" and "Professional dancers" to mean "Dad dancing").

Julian

[DJ Jules]

Oh, did I forget to mention the guy who is planning an open air Boxing match with tickets on sale (all in the name of charity) on the 18th of July??? That doesn't exactly feel like it's in the spirit of the guidelines??

I'd love to see the risk assessment for that one to make sure that it's "Covid secure?"

Julian

[DJ Jules]

Beauty salons are open, MUA are still not allowed to apply make up. Facepainters are also still not allowed to operate...

Edit: Facepainters are allowed to paint and apply tattoos to arms, but not faces. That is if they disinfect the arm first, wear a face shield/mask, use gloves that are changed between children, etc... Welcome to the new normal.

Julian

[Excalibur]

I'm not excited yet as there is still a way to go for us.

But the trajectory seems like that my prediction of being back on the road in October is still looking good, which is incredibly important as I have a bet on it. :lol:

Calm down dear. Here, have some of my pills. :) Over here in the real world ( as opposed to Planet Benny ), some of us will be happy if we are let out for NYE.

[DJ Jules]

Calm down dear. Here, have some of my pills. :) Over here in the real world ( as opposed to Planet Benny ), some of us will be happy if we are let out for NYE.

Yeah, NYE isn't looking good. And possibly not Jan or Feb (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53392148) either...

[ppentertainments]

This Face Mask development I think could be another problem for us - I can see it being extended to meeting in groups etc.

So far, people booking a wedding have a potential lockdown to consider, local lockdowns, elderly not attending, possibility of other restrictions, maybe all their guests will have to wear face masks, the distinct possibility of no hugging/kissing/hand-shake, likely no group singing/chanting......... the list goes on.

Can see nipping down the registry office with a few friends and family becoming the 'new norm'

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

If nothing else lockdown has made me want to get back into recording so I've set up a home studio. I've actually got the bones of an album I wrote while living in Saudi so it's very grim and bitter. Will fit right in with the current zeitgeist :eek:

18885

[DJ Jules]

The wedding industry appears to be starting to get fed up with the lack of guidance, or even any indication of when it might recieve guidance...

https://www.guidesforbrides.co.uk/wedding-ideas/coronavirus-the-roadmap-for-wedding-recovery/

I'm not a fan of the bits that say 'no dance floor, 'no dancing' and 'DJs and bands are background only' but I get where they're coming from (compromise to allow things to restart in some form). They're dreaming though on asking for financial support, and not entirely sure what they think they're going to achieve by asking to keep deposits!

Julian

[Imagine]

The wedding industry appears to be starting to get fed up with the lack of guidance, or even any indication of when it might recieve guidance...

https://www.guidesforbrides.co.uk/wedding-ideas/coronavirus-the-roadmap-for-wedding-recovery/

I'm not a fan of the bits that say 'no dance floor, 'no dancing' and 'DJs and bands are background only' but I get where they're coming from (compromise to allow things to restart in some form). They're dreaming though on asking for financial support, and not entirely sure what they think they're going to achieve by asking to keep deposits!

Julian

But at least there are groups within the wedding side of the industry doing something to talk to those in power.
It was the same with pubs, gyms, restaurants, cinemas, theatres.....

Which begs the question - where are NADJ and why aren't they at least looking for constructive ways to allow a phased/sensible comeback?

[rth_discos]

The wedding industry appears to be starting to get fed up with the lack of guidance, or even any indication of when it might recieve guidance...

https://www.guidesforbrides.co.uk/wedding-ideas/coronavirus-the-roadmap-for-wedding-recovery/

It's all very well the wedding industry putting together what they see as a minimum viable 'normal' wedding, but have they consulted with brides at all?

I'd want to see the stats on what percentage of couples would be happy to proceed with those restrictions in place. I think it would be pretty low. So we get in to the murky situation of clients still wanting to postpone because it's nowhere near the 'day' they envisaged when booking, and the wedding industry is still no better off.

[Imagine]

It's all very well the wedding industry putting together what they see as a minimum viable 'normal' wedding, but have they consulted with brides at all?

I'd want to see the stats on what percentage of couples would be happy to proceed with those restrictions in place. I think it would be pretty low. So we get in to the murky situation of clients still wanting to postpone because it's nowhere near the 'day' they envisaged when booking, and the wedding industry is still no better off.

Yes they have apparently https://www.lovemydress.net/blog/2020/07/what-about-weddings-roadmap-coronavirus-covid19.html?fbclid=IwAR2dMH9FpIzi18vTpf6XlCGQciH3 etV-dT1-3R7cmYSZOMGEi0T5oGIicp4

And it's something I'm hearing a lot personally at the moment. The half a dozen I had left at the point the new guidance was released decided to postpone because it wasn't what they wanted.

Talking to people on their doorsteps nowadays who have been invited to postponed weddings (sons, daughters, nieces, nephews etc.), they're telling me the same thing. I've only come across a couple of cases where they're still going ahead and doing the "I Do's" now, and then planning a party to celebrate when the brakes are released hopefully at some point in the future.

Sadly, I think we're in this stalemate for a VERY long time to come and despite my anger at our own trade association not doing an awful lot other than promoting online streaming (you monetise that how?), I understand why we're not being allowed to work at the moment.

Let's face it, the type of atmosphere we create (along with nightclubs) is the ideal breeding ground for this nasty little blighter. I fear that we're off the road until either after the promised second wave and flu season, or whenever some sort of vaccine or treatment becomes available. I can foresee it being a couple of years before any sort of normality resumes. I'm certainly not banking on any of next year's weddings going ahead which is one of the main reasons I'm now employed (urgh!)

Add to this that there's obviously a BIG problem in public confidence in being in public places hence the new face covering rule in shops (and yet we as staff don't have to wear them?!?!?!), cut price meals out, reduced VAT, and it's going to be a very long uphill struggle

Sorry if that comes over as negative (I desperately want to get back to what I do for a real-life living), but only when it's safe for everyone to do so.

[Excalibur]

Sorry if that comes over as negative (I desperately want to get back to what I do for a real-life living), but only when it's safe for everyone to do so.

Merely being realistic, in my humble opinion, although I do expect to start playing again next year. If not, well I don't know what to do. :confused:

[DJ Jules]

It's all very well the wedding industry putting together what they see as a minimum viable 'normal' wedding, but have they consulted with brides at all?

I'd want to see the stats on what percentage of couples would be happy to proceed with those restrictions in place. I think it would be pretty low. So we get in to the murky situation of clients still wanting to postpone because it's nowhere near the 'day' they envisaged when booking, and the wedding industry is still no better off.

Yup, they surveyed them quite early on and the Brides for Guides proposal takes into account some of their views about what they would and wouldn't find acceptable. Key things they wanted: Family and friends around them to celebrate. The proposals allow weddings to go ahead with the majority of the guests around the couple with relatively minimal restrictions that will impact on the day (face masks aren't mentioned...). The evening is screwed, but I'm guessing we all saw that one coming anyway (they were always going to give up the dance floor to allow more space for social distancing and/or ensure that guests are seated through the evening).

I think they've finally wised up to the fact that calling for a support package for an industry will get you noticed and re-opened quicker. :D It's going to be interesting to see what happens next...

Julian

[rth_discos]

Worth noting that Parliament goes on its summer recess (holiday) next week.

Whilst that won't affect the ability for guidelines to be changed, it does mean that activity from Westmister will be lower than we've had over the last few weeks.

I'd expect that whatever is in place by the middle of next week won't change much by the end of the summer - but I could be wrong.

I still have 2 x September weddings booked - it will be interesting to see at what point they postpone (or potentially go ahead without me...)

[rth_discos]

despite my anger at our own trade association not doing an awful lot other than promoting online streaming (you monetise that how?)

Time to ask that question... ;)

[ppentertainments]

But at least there are groups within the wedding side of the industry doing something to talk to those in power.
It was the same with pubs, gyms, restaurants, cinemas, theatres.....

Which begs the question - where are NADJ and why aren't they at least looking for constructive ways to allow a phased/sensible comeback?

Very few in the wedding industry seem to want to do anything to help for some strange reason. I have tried to get a little support locally, I have been in local newspaper, radio, wrote to MPs - but maybe only have a dozen other suppliers supporting or trying to campaign themselves.

One thing, at least the free publicity has helped business, just hope we can return to provide that business.

[Benny Smyth]

Some interesting announcements today from Bojo and the subsequent social media craze of having access to the exact same info (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy/the-next-chapter-in-our-plan-to-rebuild-the-uk-governments-covid-19-recovery-strategy--2#lifting-restrictions-step-by-step) but coming up with wildly different interpretations. As is the norm, there will be some sort of follow up in the next few days, but the highlights that I think will directly affect us from 1st August are:


- Enable the restart of indoor performances to a live audience, in line with COVID-19 Secure guidelines, subject to the success of pilots that are taking place as soon as possible.

- Carry out pilots in venues with a range of sizes of crowds, particularly where congregating from different places, including sports stadia and business events. The pilots, some of which will begin in late July, will be carefully monitored and evaluated to inform future decisions on any further relaxation of the rules. If plans progress in line with expectations, pilots will expand to build up to and prepare for a full, socially distanced return in the autumn.

- Enable wedding receptions; sit-down meals for no more than 30 people, subject to COVID-19 Secure guidelines. Over time, we will assess whether gatherings of this type for other purposes can be made possible and when larger wedding receptions can take place.

The specific number of 30 is an odd one, as I would dare say that a 500 capacity wedding venue would be more Covid-19 secure with a guest list of 200 as opposed to 30 people squeezed into a pub function room, but the illogical aspects of this whole ordeal is certainly keeping things interesting.

[DJ Jules]

I immediately got messaged to ask about the return of non-wedding parties (and kids parties).

At the moment there is one line in the overall guidance that prevents them: 'you should not hold celebrations or parties'. It's going to be interesting to see what that line changes to (it changes at all).

[Imagine]

The specific number of 30 is an odd one, as I would dare say that a 500 capacity wedding venue would be more Covid-19 secure with a guest list of 200 as opposed to 30 people squeezed into a pub function room, but the illogical aspects of this whole ordeal is certainly keeping things interesting.

Let's face it folks, very few of the relaxations now are anything to do with preventing the spread and are aimed more at getting the economy going again.
The Government are now going more and more against the medical professionals if the news is to be believed.

* Office workers to go back to their offices (because whilst they're at home they're not supporting coffee shops, cafes, sandwich shops and the like)
* Public transport is suddenly safe to use again.
* Shoppers to wear face masks which scientifically (apparently) have a very small benefit but will give customers "confidence" to go into shops again.

As for the pub example.....walked past my local tonight - the patio at the front is absolutely heaving with people and no sign whatsoever of anything like social distancing going on.

But the good news....it would appear that with the wind in the right direction, R not being >=1 and with no second spike that we might be out again just before Chrimbo (there's talk of social distancing being relaxed by then from radio reports I've heard today). I'm not prepared to bet on it and even if we are allowed out, I'm not certain I'll take on anything until it's been proven to be safe

[DJ Jules]

...and in other news, my two remaining weddings for August (1st and 8th) have now, after weeks of trying to get hold of them, both checked in with 'oh, we rescheduled to 2021 and thought we told everyone'.

Nice to feel important isn't it?

One of my August weddings is going ahead with 30 guests, but the party has now been moved to Nov and changed to a joint 30th/60th. I feel for that one, she's had to change venue once (venue changed ownership before all this) and change her date twice now.

Now we've got some clarity, I've emailed all 5 of my bookings for Sept (one of those rescheduled from April) and asked them what they're doing.

Our locals are doing an average trade by the looks. Not heaving, but not empty.

My daughter technically finishes shielding on 1st August, so that means that she's no longer vulnerable as of week Tuesday(!) and we should be out and about more. Can't see that happening.

Julian

[Imagine]

Hmmmm....my local primary have just got in touch and are looking to do a year 6 leavers event at the end of August on their school field...would I be interested in helping out?

Yes.....but.........(long list of current restrictions supplied which I'm sure they already know about). I don't actually know what they've got planned yet....surely not a full on party to background music whilst sitting and watching? :daft::daft:

[DJ Jules]

Hmmmm....my local primary have just got in touch and are looking to do a year 6 leavers event at the end of August on their school field...would I be interested in helping out?

Yes.....but.........(long list of current restrictions supplied which I'm sure they already know about). I don't actually know what they've got planned yet....surely not a full on party to background music whilst sitting and watching? :daft::daft:

Read the guidelines for Councils. They can actually do whatever they want on council property, up to any number of people, as long as the venue is Covid secure and the risk assessment has been completed.

Julian

[Imagine]

Read the guidelines for Councils. They can actually do whatever they want on council property, up to any number of people, as long as the venue is Covid secure and the risk assessment has been completed.

Julian

I'll go find a copy. Meanwhile, I think they were just fishing for whether or not it was possible to do something.

It's normally a BBQ followed by an hour of sweat running down the hall windows whilst yours-truly rocks the rafters with the platters that matter. I can't see that happening in a Covid secure way sadly and don't think things like social distancing, not singing and not dancing will be an appealing option.

[DJ Jules]

I'll go find a copy. Meanwhile, I think they were just fishing for whether or not it was possible to do something.

It's normally a BBQ followed by an hour of sweat running down the hall windows whilst yours-truly rocks the rafters with the platters that matter. I can't see that happening in a Covid secure way sadly and don't think things like social distancing, not singing and not dancing will be an appealing option.

It's been changed (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-council-buildings/covid-19-guidance-for-the-safe-use-of-council-buildings) to mirror the more general guidance. There is still the line in there about larger gatherings being allowed if they follow Covid19 guidelines (as there is in the general guidance), but there's now a couple of additional paragraphs that imply that they're really not keen on gatherings happening.

That all said, I've just heard from someone who did a yr6 leavers disco on Friday at a school. The kids sat in hula hoops placed 2m apart on the playground outside for the duration of the 1hr disco, called up one by one by name to collect leavers hoodies and BBQ food. Apparently there was a lot of effort put into risk assessments and planning and it was hard work finding activities to keep them engaged without leaving their own 60cm circle.

Julian

[rth_discos]

So I'll see you all next summer...

With a maximum reception allowed of up to 30 people until the end of September, I can see October increasing that number, but would be very surprised if dancing was permitted after that date.

And once in October, we start to touch flu season, where the experts are worried about a rise in infections again. And that will mean no further easing through the winter, taking us right back to Spring again.

Anyone want to buy a disco?!!

[Imagine]

So I'll see you all next summer...

With a maximum reception allowed of up to 30 people until the end of September, I can see October increasing that number, but would be very surprised if dancing was permitted after that date.

And once in October, we start to touch flu season, where the experts are worried about a rise in infections again. And that will mean no further easing through the winter, taking us right back to Spring again.

Anyone want to buy a disco?!!

Yup, my final party for 2020 (a joint 30th/40th with the Retro setup) has now cancelled on me this evening.

Looks like I'm going to be delivering online groceries for a very long time to come. In fact several of the SAGE members (not that it's got anything to do with Gov policy) have suggested over the past 48 hours that "normal" (i.e. US), isn't going to happen until a vaccine is available

Interesting conversation tonight though at the end of my gruelling shift (because my Gawd it's hard work!). i work with several of our ilk (DJs, Band members, toggers). None of us can actually foresee 2021 being "normal" at the moment. I can see a very long slog ahead. Shame the kit's not worth anything at the moment :(

[Pe7e]

Shame the kit's not worth anything at the moment :(

Oh how true, if I could sell mine for a decent, sensible price, I would, I've got a better use for the cash.
Regarding a vaccine, it's a fact that humanity has so far failed in producing a successful, long lasting vaccine for ANY corona virus, the best we can expect in the near future is an effective treatment. IMO this modern day plague will be with us for a very long time, the world is already drifting into a 2nd wave of infections, what on earth is going to stop a 3rd, 4th or 5th wave etc, the approaching flu season wont help us either. Personally, it's getting increasingly difficult for me to remain optimistic for the future.

[Benny Smyth]

That's why I'm just reverting to my t's and c's. Had a call with a groom yesterday who was already scheduled in to meet his venue and cut him a break but told him then and there, after this I'm just sticking to my t's and c's - wether that is nice for a couple just now or not - as it levels the playing field, let's both parties know exactly where we stand and at the end of the day, they're there for a reason, just ignoring them because is financially stupid - tonnes of other businesses are doing what they need to do to keep afloat and we should be the same.

Do you know what? Jim was right.

I now regret being so lenient with my terms. For the most part, I have had clients who have been ace and have tried to work with me but I have had enough clients change their date on a whim and then call me unfair for not being available for their new date and subsequently not returning deposits, despite the fact that I do all I can to prevent this from happening, which includes contacting all of my clients months out to let them know that I'm ready when they are.

There needs to be a considerably wider awareness that there is as much onus on the client as there is on suppliers to mitigate all of our losses. Until then, I would not be surprised to start seeing venues and suppliers drawing lines in the sand in the near future.

[DJ Jules]

I now regret being so lenient with my terms. For the most part, I have had clients who have been ace and have tried to work with me but I have had enough clients change their date on a whim and then call me unfair for not being available for their new date and subsequently not returning deposits, despite the fact that I do all I can to prevent this from happening, which includes contacting all of my clients months out to let them know that I'm ready when they are.

Guides for Brides did a live last night where they actually gave a very balanced view of the situation. They called out the CMA for not being clear about what couples should expect to be returned back in April. They also asked couples to talk to all of their key suppliers prior to rescheduling AND called on venues to not time limit couples when offering them new dates to give couples a chance to co-ordinate dates with their suppliers.

OK, they should have done all this in March, but hey...

Apparently there is guidance coming from the CMA to help suppliers and customers navigate the minefield of handling cancellations where the service could be supplied, but the couple don't want to go ahead because of restrictions on numbers or something else that would affect the overall experience. Can't wait to see this...

Julian

[ppentertainments]

Apparently there is guidance coming from the CMA to help suppliers and customers navigate the minefield of handling cancellations where the service could be supplied, but the couple don't want to go ahead because of restrictions on numbers or something else that would affect the overall experience. Can't wait to see this...

Julian
This is something I think we desperately need. Most people in the wedding industry have turned a hobby in to a business, earning a living from it. Very few are good business people and the lack of guidance and advice has been a real concern. It won't be long before (more) requests for refunds will be incoming and we need clear indication of where we stand.

[Benny Smyth]

Apparently there is guidance coming from the CMA to help suppliers and customers navigate the minefield of handling cancellations where the service could be supplied, but the couple don't want to go ahead because of restrictions on numbers or something else that would affect the overall experience. Can't wait to see this...


This is something I think we desperately need.

Not from the CMA. Their interpretation will be from the perspective of the client, which is great but that will be seen as gospel for clients and we'll have to spend so much time saying "Actually, what the CMA say is only half of the story."

What we need is something definitive that doesn't come from a body representing consumers or businesses. An actual unbiased group.

[rth_discos]

Not from the CMA. Their interpretation will be from the perspective of the client, which is great but that will be seen as gospel for clients and we'll have to spend so much time saying "Actually, what the CMA say is only half of the story."

What we need is something definitive that doesn't come from a body representing consumers or businesses. An actual unbiased group.

To be fair, the CMA advice has been pretty fair on both sides. In terms of voluntary cancellations, it actually looks after us pretty well.

The problem is that people read small bits of the guidance from CMA rather than the entire piece, so get confused with what it means.

I still even see suppliers saying that you can't retain a deposit in the event of a voluntary cancellation - you must refund everything except costs incurred so far - which is soooo wrong!

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

Apparently there is guidance coming from the CMA to help suppliers and customers navigate the minefield of handling cancellations where the service could be supplied, but the couple don't want to go ahead because of restrictions on numbers or something else that would affect the overall experience. Can't wait to see this...

Julian

I'll save them the hassle - you are contracted to provide a service, the law cares not one jot if it's not the 400 person disney wedding with elephants and fire jugglers - if you can do it and they change then they're not entitled to money back if you've got halfway sensible t's snd c's.

It's amazing how many clients are quickly clamped when you tell then your t's and C's don't allow a refund but they should contact their insurance and I'll furnish them with any info or paperwork they need to claim it back .... A contract is a mutually beneficial legal agreement, there's no point giving the other party all the leverage just to be nice.

[rth_discos]

A contract is a mutually beneficial legal agreement, there's no point giving the other party all the leverage just to be nice.

It will be interesting to see all the brides up in arms next year when DJs cancel last minute because they now have a full-time job elsewhere and can't do their wedding any more because their shift clashes with it.

I mean if it's OK for brides to just cancel and demand a refund, then on that basis it's fine for DJs to just cancel on them too...

[DJ Jules]

I'll save them the hassle - you are contracted to provide a service, the law cares not one jot if it's not the 400 person disney wedding with elephants and fire jugglers - if you can do it and they change then they're not entitled to money back if you've got halfway sensible t's snd c's.

It's amazing how many clients are quickly clamped when you tell then your t's and C's don't allow a refund but they should contact their insurance and I'll furnish them with any info or paperwork they need to claim it back .... A contract is a mutually beneficial legal agreement, there's no point giving the other party all the leverage just to be nice.

I agree with you, that situation is pretty clear cut, but it won't hurt for the CMA to spell it out in black and white. I'm hoping that they have some choice words to say that might help us out if we eventually get to the point where weddings can go ahead, but dancefloors are still closed....

Julian

P.S. Not hopeful on that one

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

I agree with you, that situation is pretty clear cut, but it won't hurt for the CMA to spell it out in black and white. I'm hoping that they have some choice words to say that might help us out if we eventually get to the point where weddings can go ahead, but dancefloors are still closed....

Julian

P.S. Not hopeful on that one


Bride's are going to discern what they will from CMA or Martin fecking Lewis or whoever regardless of the legal standing.

What we actually need (and scrolll back I've been saying this since March, is suppliers to act like their business is a :Censored::Censored::Censored::Censored:ing business and treat it so.

All of this "oh hun don't worry we'll look after you babes xoxo" is nonsense. There waa a supplier, an actual supplier, on a massive Scottish FB wedding page at the weekend telling brides to email The Judge (a consumer rights column in the Daily Record that usually deals with dodgy windiow companies and 2nd hand car salesmen if they didn't refund!!!

Clearly just trying to score brownie points vut :Censored::Censored::Censored::Censored: me, a supplier suggesting brides go to the national press to shame someone who decidea theur ts and xs actually mean sonething....

I've got a fair bit of college and uni level contract law learning under my belt and I cannot wait fir someone to try and strongarm me on this.

Sidenote. Mr 50% has gone awful quiet deapite automated reminders that his payment is overdue and it could result in cancellation. I'm going fire off a rext and if nothing comes back our next correspondence will be notification of a void booking due to non payney. We'll see if he gets his finger out then.

[DJ Jules]

Bride's are going to discern what they will from CMA or Martin fecking Lewis or whoever regardless of the legal standing.

Very true. I'm still amazed at the number of people who call up and are surprised when I tell them that celebrations are still technically not allowed. Even Boris has been reasonably clear on that one for a while.

[Imagine]

My flabber has been ghasted!

I've been dealing with my local MP (not known for responding until it's too late and a government announcement has been made). Well actually....I've sort of been badgering her a lot.

She knows my story (fallen through the safety nets as only 11 months FT self employed, previous employer no longer in existence), and I actually asked her if there was a way the Local Authority grants which have been unclaimed can be diverted to businesses like mine, if only to cover things like insurance and storage costs (after all, I now have a "job" which sort of pays the bills on the personal front)

Her response came through today:

"Thank you for detailing your idea for reusing some of the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund for businesses like yours. I hope you don’t mind me clarifying that local authorities did have the discretion as part of the original fund to set aside some of the funding for businesses like yours who did not qualify for other grants. I understand that East Cambridgeshire District Council chose to focus all of the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund on the four priority categories listed in the guidance due to the high volume of these businesses within the area. Having said this, I have written to the Chief Executive of East Cambridgeshire District Council, John Hill, to ask him to consider the idea of directing any unused funds to business like yours. I will write to you again once I have received a response."

Fingers crossed, there might be something available :)
I'm not asking for a salary to be paid (that's sort of covered now), but any help just to keep the business in hibernation by covering the ongoing costs of running a business would be very nice :)

[DJ Jules]

I've also had an actual individual response from my MP which has given him some credibility for once:


Thank you so much for writing to me regarding the DJ industry and the coronavirus pandemic. Firstly, I would like to apologise for the delay in responding to you, as you may appreciate I have recently received a great deal of correspondence from constituents during the pandemic.

I am so sorry to hear of the difficulties that you have experienced owing to the coronavirus pandemic. I appreciate how important this issue is to you and so I would of course be more than happy to raise this issue with the Treasury, to ask that it be looked into.

I will write to you again once I have received a response. Until then, and as ever, if there is anything further I can do to be of assistance to you then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me again. Thank you once again for writing to me.

I was quite surprised!

[rth_discos]

My flabber has been ghasted!

I'm pleased to hear this. I know I've been banging the drum about writing to MPs, but it can be very effective, and they do carry a lot of weight when they take on an issue.

Fingers crossed in a positive outcome.

If nothing else, I think many people might see their MP in a different way after this (depending on how they've handled it). Suddenly, it's less about the 'colour they represent' and more about how much they work for their local constituency.

[DJ Jules]

Sadly I read a government response to the impending nightclub armageddon that went back to the standard response of 'unprecedented package of support with loans and grants', so I fear that any cries for help might fall on death ears. At best, I think we're going to get an early reopening of dance floors in a limited, and possibly unsafe, form.

[ppentertainments]

Sadly I read a government response to the impending nightclub armageddon that went back to the standard response of 'unprecedented package of support with loans and grants', so I fear that any cries for help might fall on death ears. At best, I think we're going to get an early reopening of dance floors in a limited, and possibly unsafe, form.
I think we will get increased numbers (especially weddings) but no dancefloor activity still.

[Excalibur]

I think we will get increased numbers (especially weddings) but no dancefloor activity still.

Welcome to my world. :Tumble:

Oh come on folks, somebody was bound to say it, might as well be me. :D
One part of me says " even that would be a licence to work, and very very welcome", but the cautious part of me is thinking " well yes, but at current infection levels, is it actually safe? I mean safe enough, safe"? :confused:

Yours, confused Old Git. :daft:

[AvneetMorse]

I think we will get increased numbers (especially weddings) but no dancefloor activity still.

The numbers will increase but not for more than 1-2 years, that's sad because not all of us have this time and some of us will have to do something different for a while.

[DJ Jules]

One part of me says " even that would be a licence to work, and very very welcome",

I guess this is why people are focusing so much on Karaoke - it's probably one of the few services that a lot of us provide that takes place in currently open venues (bars) and can be considered (vaguely) entertaining without involving high volume levels or dancing.


...but the cautious part of me is thinking " well yes, but at current infection levels, is it actually safe? I mean safe enough, safe"? :confused:

Infection levels are currently at between 5 and 10 cases per 100,000 population around most of the country and coming closer to 100 in 100,000 in "problem areas". So the current reality is that you're very unlikely to meet someone who is infectious. The problem is that, if there aren't controls in place to reduce transmission (or controls/guidelines aren't being followed), 10 cases per 100,000 could easily turn into 1,000 or even 5,000 cases per 100,000 in the course of a week.

[ppentertainments]

One part of me says " even that would be a licence to work, and very very welcome", but the cautious part of me is thinking " well yes, but at current infection levels, is it actually safe? I mean safe enough, safe"? :confused:

Yours, confused Old Git. :daft:

I think the key here is being realistic. Much as I would love to get back to work, if social distancing does indeed spread this virus, it would be stupid to allow dancefloors to reopen. Let's face it, a few pints of stella and nobody social distances and realistically what will happen if you try and tell everyone to stop singing along to Oasis ?

The main problem I find at the moment is the 'bending of the rules'. Karaoke has been mentioned, but I think Sheila screaming down the microphone to Grease will cause more problems than anything else. This 30 rule is a but silly as well - it is as if they are saying 'it is ok for 30 people to spread the virus each time, but no more than 30'.

I still maintain a stricter lockdown was needed, for much longer, then by now we should be seeing the light instead of darkness ahead.

[rth_discos]

This 30 rule is a but silly as well - it is as if they are saying 'it is ok for 30 people to spread the virus each time, but no more than 30'.

I think the idea of the rule was 'for those who really want to do get married you can. They needed an upper limit - and I think 30 is fair to enable your closest friends and family to be with you in a socially distanced way (based on the guidelines that come with it).



I still maintain a stricter lockdown was needed, for much longer, then by now we should be seeing the light instead of darkness ahead.

Spain had a much stricter lockdown - and look what has happened.

The reality is the genie is out the lamp. When we are locked down it reduces, but it is near on impossible to eradicate completely, so every time we come out of a lockdown the numbers will increase. Hence the 'new normal' of living with the virus in a way that it is manageable, rather than trying to eradicate it.

I can see pubs being closed again soon after the kids go back to school. The leisure industry is not going to be in a good place at the time this virus is around.

[Excalibur]

I've had three goes at replying lately, and got sidetracked every time. Basically, I think Gavin has got it just about spot on, and Chris isn't too far wide of the mark, either.
Sadly, I think we're going to be viewed as " frippery" more than an essential need, and I believe we're going to be the last ones back to work. :(

Our job tends to make transmission easier, and for no discernible gain ( other than our pockets ). It's going to get worse before it gets better. I've already noticed some suppliers having big problems, so it's affecting the whole industry, not just the mobile jocks.

In the words of Sam Cooke, " A change is gonna come ". Blimey, but I've seen a few in my time, and this looks like being the biggest.

Yours, Methuselah. https://yoursmiles.org/ssmile/misc/s0403.gif (https://yoursmiles.org/s-misc.php)

[rth_discos]

I've already noticed some suppliers having big problems, so it's affecting the whole industry, not just the mobile jocks.

In terms of perspective, I'm pleased I have a single mobile disco, that doesn't cost a huge amount each month to keep stored in a lockup (and if I *really* needed to, could bring it back and store in the garage).

I have a friend who runs an events company - we're talking stages, sound and lighting for the big festivals. That comes with a lot of storage, which will have a high monthly cost, as well as any other costs of running the business (when you run your own building, there's insurance, rates, maintenance and security costs to all be factored in), whilst all that equipment just sits there with no sign of it coming out again soon.

So in many ways, the best out of a bad situation is we've come off more lightly than others, in that we can go and do a 9-5 job instead to pay the bills, and the disco aspect for most of us won't cripple us with its ongoing costs whilst it's hibernating. For many larger businesses, it's those ongoing costs that will collapse the business completely.

Sorry, it's the only slim 'positive' I can find from our current situation.

As an additional thought - I came back into this industry back in 2014/2015 and basically purchased all the kit brand new on credit card, knowing I could get enough bookings within 12 months to pay off the cost of the equipment. It never crossed my mind at the time that something like this could occur.

[Imagine]

In the words of Sam Cooke, " A change is gonna come ". Blimey, but I've seen a few in my time, and this looks like being the biggest.

https://yoursmiles.org/ssmile/misc/s0403.gif (https://yoursmiles.org/s-misc.php)

And there we all were not 12 months ago worrying about the changes things like Spotify were bringing to the table :o

I don't think ANYBODY could have foreseen this one coming in their wildest dreams. Let's face it, we were all expecting it to blow over after 3 months or so.

I'm now thinking seriously about the future. I can keep things "ticking over" for around £1k p.a (that's storage, insurance and website hosting). Everything else is gone for now. I can keep it ticking over for as long as needs be, although if I'm honest I'll be looking seriously at jacking it in if we're not back this time next year.

IF/WHEN we do go back, it's unlikely to be full time for me as much as I loved everything that came with that route. I have a backup now which (sort of) pays the bills and it'll be useful as a buffer should something like this ever happen again.

[Excalibur]

I don't think ANYBODY could have foreseen this one coming in their wildest dreams. Let's face it, we were all expecting it to blow over after 3 months or so.
In March, I couldn't countenance September bookings being at risk. Silly me! :(:o



I'm now thinking seriously about the future. I can keep things "ticking over" for around £1k p.a (that's storage, insurance and website hosting). Everything else is gone for now. I can keep it ticking over for as long as needs be, although if I'm honest I'll be looking seriously at jacking it in if we're not back this time next year.
I'm thinking similar things. :(:(




IF/WHEN we do go back, it's unlikely to be full time for me as much as I loved everything that came with that route. I have a backup now which (sort of) pays the bills and it'll be useful as a buffer should something like this ever happen again.
I wasn't full time, although all my income comes from self employment. My cunning plan was to ease off The Day Job, and put more into the Disco. Blimey, but I have some stupid ideas! :doh:

[DJ Jules]

I wasn't full time, although all my income comes from self employment. My cunning plan was to ease off The Day Job, and put more into the Disco. Blimey, but I have some stupid ideas! :doh:

Ironically, I was just starting to plan how I could try and ditch one of my jobs. Not possible now.

Ive just gone back over the reopening road map again and realised that the next 1st October date is specifically focused on business events and conferences with relaxation on gatherings planned for Nov 'at the earliest'.

Hmm. I still have a prom booked for the 4th Sept who are refusing to cancel yet. I'm not sure what kind of miracle they're expecting in the next 10 days.

Julian

[mattydj50]

In March, I couldn't countenance September bookings being at risk.


Guess what......

[Imagine]

Guess what......

It's nearly September, and I can't see March bookings going ahead at the moment ;)

[rth_discos]

It's nearly September, and I can't see March bookings going ahead at the moment ;)

I thought it would be interesting to look at the early part of the thread (where naturally, we would all be optimistic about this situation passing quickly)...



MY own personal view...this will be done and dusted by around June and will actually be treated similar to the average seasonal cold or flu.



Who knows, the tail end of 2020 could make it a bumper year :)

:zip::zip::zip:

[Benny Smyth]

July

"Let's open the pubs. Restaurants too. In fact, what we'll do is subsidise the hospitality industry by encouraging people to eat out three days a week. Let's really drive the numbers into pubs so that the industry can be saved."

"That's a really clever idea."

"I thought so."

September

"Hmmm....looks like the rate of infection has gone up over the last couple of months since we introduced the scheme although, saying that, the evidence seems to suggest that most infections are happening in care homes. How should we tackle this?"

"We'll reduce numbers at weddings to 15. Problem solved."

Genius. 'kin genius.

[Imagine]

July

"Let's open the pubs. Restaurants too. In fact, what we'll do is subsidise the hospitality industry by encouraging people to eat out three days a week. Let's really drive the numbers into pubs so that the industry can be saved."

"That's a really clever idea."

"I thought so."

September

"Hmmm....looks like the rate of infection has gone up over the last couple of months since we introduced the scheme although, saying that, the evidence seems to suggest that most infections are happening in care homes. How should we tackle this?"

"We'll reduce numbers at weddings to 15. Problem solved."

Genius. 'kin genius.

I know - and although it's not unexpected.....it's a big blow :(
How the heck am I supposed to get a McDonalds as I drive home from my delivery shift at 11pm now?

[stormproductions]

As we seem to have discovered this year, the UK gov have a "policy of decision making by sensational announcements" https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-54162189, aka 'the drop', frequently followed by 'the rewind', doing the hokey cokey and ending up with a bit of a 'mash-up' so you may be ok with your McDs if later this week they decide that takeaways have a post 10pm exemption, or maybe that premises that don't serve alcohol could be exempt, but it's only Tuesday today, so expect an update around 7.45pm Thursday, I'd imagine that 2 and a quarter hours notice will be fine...!

[Excalibur]

It's nearly September, and I can't see March bookings going ahead at the moment ;)
The title of Honorary Cassandra now passes to my Fenland Friend. :youdaman:


I know - and although it's not unexpected.....it's a big blow :(
How the heck am I supposed to get a McDonalds as I drive home from my delivery shift at 11pm now?

NOOOOOO! :cry::eek::eek: ( But then I remembered that I'm not usually out as late as 11pm nowadays). :)

Anyway, with the new announcement of restrictions in place for six months, that's Christmas and NYE gone then. :(

[Imagine]

The title of Honorary Cassandra now passes to my Fenland Friend. :youdaman:

No Cassandra about it....we're up a well known creek without adequate means of propulsion for at least the next six months.




NOOOOOO! :cry::eek::eek: ( But then I remembered that I'm not usually out as late as 11pm nowadays). :)

Anyway, with the new announcement of restrictions in place for six months, that's Christmas and NYE gone then. :(

Sadly...yes. My final Xmas party which was hanging on by a mere thread cancelled on me last week. Wasn't totally unexpected since they're the local Health Authority but all the same....it was something to cling to (and ALWAYS an awesome night!).

As for McD's....after a gruelling 8 hour shift of delivering Prosecco and Quinoa....you'd be surprised how nourishing and welcome a double cheeseburger meal with a piping hot freshly ground coffee can be!

[DeckstarDeluxe]

What with yesterdays announcement it's a bit crap, but hey at least we have some actual information so we can plan ahead somewhat. I know the wording isn't set in stone but I'd imagine it to be along the lines of six months, it could be sooner but likely to be more than that.

I'd be ok if I could get my storage unit costs covered but having no luck with that at the moment.

[Imagine]

What with yesterdays announcement it's a bit crap, but hey at least we have some actual information so we can plan ahead somewhat. I know the wording isn't set in stone but I'd imagine it to be along the lines of six months, it could be sooner but likely to be more than that.

I'd be ok if I could get my storage unit costs covered but having no luck with that at the moment.

Yup - I'm looking at it now that I've got at least another six months off the road so can finally make some plans.

I'd been considering downsizing my storage unit to something half the size (and £40 a month cheaper). I'd been putting it off because it means that rather than having space in there with everything easily accessible, the smaller unit will literally have stuff piled on top of each other, and if we suddenly got the go-ahead to go back to work that would have been a real pain in the nether regions. At least I can go ahead with that plan now and start saving a bit more cash.

[rth_discos]

I'd been putting it off because it means that rather than having space in there with everything easily accessible, the smaller unit will literally have stuff piled on top of each other, and if we suddenly got the go-ahead to go back to work that would have been a real pain in the nether regions. At least I can go ahead with that plan now and start saving a bit more cash.

I don't know how you've currently got things stacked, but these were the best investment I made: https://amzn.to/3kHOFlX

This made it so much easier to use the height of the storage unit, whilst still making things ultra easy to access. And when you build them, you get to decide the height of each shelf, so you can make it to fit your equipment.

[Imagine]

I don't know how you've currently got things stacked, but these were the best investment I made: https://amzn.to/3kHOFlX

This made it so much easier to use the height of the storage unit, whilst still making things ultra easy to access. And when you build them, you get to decide the height of each shelf, so you can make it to fit your equipment.

I have the B&Q version of those down one wall, and stuff like the retro show and booths along the other. By going to a smaller unit it just means that these will be back to back and I'll be unable to get to stuff further back in the unit. Not a major problem at the moment as it's not going anywhere anytime soon :(

[Excalibur]

I'd be ok if I could get my storage unit costs covered but having no luck with that at the moment.


Yup - I'm looking at it now that I've got at least another six months off the road so can finally make some plans.

I'd been considering downsizing my storage unit to something half the size (and £40 a month cheaper).

Were it not against Rule 23, I would say that was Schadenfreude*. ( Like laughing at the bloke slipping on a banana skin, for example).
Sorry to take pleasure in your discomfiture and travails lads, but suddenly, the £2K,and weeks of work spent on the new improved, insulated, weatherproof Disco Storage Facility ( shed) looks less of a waste of money. :)

* Mod Note: Watch it Peter! :Naughty: You've been warned about this before.

Oops, sorry. :o:o It just kinda slipped out. :o:o