Police must get tough with Covid rulebreakers | Rick Jackson

I’ll be honest with you, I’m already struggling with this third lockdown and it’s only just started.
COVID: The police should get tough with those who flout the law. Picture Richard PonterCOVID: The police should get tough with those who flout the law. Picture Richard Ponter
COVID: The police should get tough with those who flout the law. Picture Richard Ponter

I’m already resenting the number of cars I’m still seeing on the roads, wondering if all these people are ‘key workers’ or out doing ‘essential shopping’ at a garden centre.

I’m already resenting the fact that I’ve not seen or heard of any police locally stopping people and asking why they are out, unlike in Europe.

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I’m already resenting the fact I have to home-school my children after getting up for work at 4.30am, and I’m already resenting the fact my wife is still working from home.

I know this is not good for the soul. Why am I feeling like this when I agree with this third lockdown?

Why? Because of the way it’s been handled. Because of the lacklustre way it’s been controlled.

I’m annoyed that you need to have a negative Covid test to get into France but there are no such restrictions to enter the UK.

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I’m annoyed by the fact that travellers entering the UK have been surprised at how few restrictions there have been recently compared to other countries.

It was ludicrous that before Christmas we were told restrictions were to be relaxed for five days and three families could mix.

How ridiculous that my kids went back to school on Monday only to wake up and be told they wouldn’t be going again for quite some time.

Why did it take our prime minister until 8pm to tell us about it all, when in Scotland and Wales people had already been briefed by their first ministers?

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Then again, ITV’s political editor Robert Peston broke the news before Boris did… again.

I’d given the government the benefit of the doubt in 2020, but now my patience has ran out.

Of course we will do what needs to be done, but I want to see robust, clear action in making this lockdown shorter, mass vaccinations and lockdown rules enforced by the police. It’s time to get draconian as many are not taking this seriously.

Can you blame them though? After all, this is the government that put Barnard Castle on the map.

Macca gets by with a little help from his very old friend

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Britannia really does rule the waves in the music world. The giants of this industry are mostly British and many are still recording and touring.

The Rolling Stones, The Who, Elton John and of course Sir Paul McCartney. At 78, Paul’s latest album McCartney III ended 2020 at No1. And not only did Paul write all the songs, he also played every instrument, from drums to harmonica.

He even produced the album himself. Well, almost. He did get help with one track, from 90-year-old George Martin, affectionately known as the fifth Beatle. It’s a brilliant album too and the first single from it is already on the Wave 105 playlist. No pressure on Ed Sheeran and Coldplay then!

More gloom like this week and we’ll hit the bottle again

We had to laugh at the BBC1 continuity announcer on Monday evening. After the news special with Boris putting us back into lockdown, there came a soothing voice informing us ‘away from the doom and gloom, now it’s time for EastEnders’!

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Are you serious? More like out of the frying pan into the fire! Not more doom and gloom surely? Dry January almost went out of the window too. As my wife reached for one of her many gin bottles, I implored her to stay strong. Just think of the pride you will feel at the end of the month.

I can’t repeat what she then told me to do, but fair play to her, the gin stayed in the cupboard and we remain on track. But for how long?

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