Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Chat

[DeckstarDeluxe]

You know it's not going to be a good day when you see something like this not long after you wake up http://news.sky.com/story/coronaviru...-back-12084944.

As some of you may know I was still in the early process of making a comeback with mobile dj'ing and so unlike all of you who have had big decisions to make about refunds and bookings it luckily hasn't affected me very much. My worry is more to do with is this going to be the right career path for me given the uncertainty about when anyone can take disco bookings. I'm still working towards getting things ready along with working and volunteering doing other jobs right now. The trouble is I don't want to re- skill or change my direction. It took a while to decide that I would definitely want to get back out there and dj at more mobile disco events like I used to over 10 years ago. Now that I've made the decision I would have no idea what else to do if this plan didn't happen. My qualifications and work history lies in admin, office and IT type of jobs but I have been very reluctant to head back in that direction. I did think that I would need a part time office admin type of job alongside the mobile DJ'ing to begin with but going full time is a no no for me for various reasons. I've been doing delivery driving jobs for the last 3 years as it fitted my circumstances but even this isn't something I want to continue with indefinitely. Just like all in this group I wish there was some better idea about when some sectors are likely to get back to things.

My suggestion is if you have a chance to get into a stable and secure industry then I'd do so and revisit the DJing thing maybe 5 years down the line. They've announced that they'll be providing training for folks to retrain so that could be a very good path to explore.

[Imagine]

I've been doing delivery driving jobs for the last 3 years as it fitted my circumstances but even this isn't something I want to continue with indefinitely.

I've only been doing it for 5 months and seeing the panic buying that's already started and the brutal numbers of "drops" we're now doing in a shift, I'm not sure how much longer I want to continue.

My background is in IT (I was a programmer until April 2019 when I was made redundant after 20 years in the game and went full time into wedding entertainment which was supposed to see me through to my dotage). The problem there is that I've now been out for 18 months and at 50 years old seen as being over the hill in that particular industry....unless I can find a small cottage industry type of setup.

What hasn't helped my morale over the past days is that we're now apparently expected to be able to start work from 6am (means getting out of bed at around 4am to wake up, shower, eat and actually drive to work), or until 23:45 at the other end of the day (so it'll be around 2am before I hit the sack by the time I get home and wind down). That's literally living to work! Add to that the Business Secretary saying today we should all "find better jobs", and I don't know where to turn to be honest.

A levels aren't going to cut the mustard (academia was never my thing). It might be that I can find some sort of apprenticeship if they're not aiming them at teenagers to do something like electrician or plumber

[Jim - Scotland's Party DJ]

A DJ friend of mine has been doing deliveries for Amazon and he's like a walking ghost.

I bump into his missus walking the dogs and she barely sees him, the last time I did actually see him he'd popped into our local for a pint after a shift.

He sat down, said hello and by time I turned round to respond to him he'd fallen asleep, pint in hand.

Needs must lads but look after yourselves out there.

[Imagine]

A DJ friend of mine has been doing deliveries for Amazon and he's like a walking ghost.

Yeah - they're BRUTAL with the number of drops they have to do to make any sort of living out of it (I know several who signed up for them).
Got to admit - I know exactly how they feel at the moment. Starting to doze off even as I type......

[ppentertainments]

A DJ friend of mine has been doing deliveries for Amazon and he's like a walking ghost.

Seems like the go to job for DJs at the moment, seems ideal as most already have a van. Fortunately I haven't had to make that move (yet) as everyone who does it seems to just live to work with no time for anything else - wouldn't be so bad but the £££ is rubbish too.

[Imagine]

Seems like the go to job for DJs at the moment, seems ideal as most already have a van. Fortunately I haven't had to make that move (yet) as everyone who does it seems to just live to work with no time for anything else - wouldn't be so bad but the £££ is rubbish too.

I looked into it before working for a well known supermarket with an orange logo (the least worst of them to work for). On the surface, it looked very attractive with a decent day rate, until you work out what sort of hours you need to do to complete 100+ drops in a day (that's why they knock the door and run), and then take off the cost of fuel and courier insurance. Oh, and as a contractor...tax and NI.

On another note entirely (and Benny might have some insight into this one as I know he monitors these things)
Anyone else noticed a massive hit on web traffic since the six month restrictions were announced last week? My traffic has literally fallen off a cliff edge since last Tuesday

[Benny Smyth]

On another note entirely (and Benny might have some insight into this one as I know he monitors these things)
Anyone else noticed a massive hit on web traffic since the six month restrictions were announced last week? My traffic has literally fallen off a cliff edge since last Tuesday

My traffic is a little lower but nobody has made an enquiry with me since 24th September. I think people do want to plough ahead with their plans but are justifiably nervous of committing to anything until they know that their wedding day is going to go ahead unencumbered. I'm currently trying to decide how to have conversations with both current and potential future clients on managing their expectations, in that it's not going to stay at 15 guests until March - it will go up to 30 again at some point and then, best case scenario, maybe 50 after March. From there, I reckon that it's probably going to stay at 50 for at least a year and couple's are going to have to accept that.

[DeckstarDeluxe]

I think folks will work with 50 to be honest. I've worked on a few recent weddings with the 30 restrictions and it's just kinda depressing to see at times. The main problem is though is keeping each "bubble" away from each other, and enforcing the space when folks have had a few sherbets.

[ppentertainments]

The main problem is though is keeping each "bubble" away from each other, and enforcing the space when folks have had a few sherbets.

That is the big problem, the dozen or so weddings I have done since lockdown have had NO social distancing once the meal has ended, plus people are taking photos/videos and posting on social media.

I now changed my offerings so I finish at 7pm at the latest to avoid this, however it will always continue, people will ignore advise - resulting, I think, in this 15 people measure being here for a long long time - at least till March

[DeckstarDeluxe]

That is the big problem, the dozen or so weddings I have done since lockdown have had NO social distancing once the meal has ended, plus people are taking photos/videos and posting on social media.

I now changed my offerings so I finish at 7pm at the latest to avoid this, however it will always continue, people will ignore advise - resulting, I think, in this 15 people measure being here for a long long time - at least till March

I really don't know why they pass the responsibility of social distancing to the venue and failing to do so with result in license being revoked. Venue can put on weddings, but with "covid enforcement" in place. They state to clients if people don't adhere they'll close the wedding down early.