EGG & BUTTER FREE FLAKY SCONES: Vegetarian with vegan opt

Even when eggs are hard to come by, no one has to forgo the teatime treat of  flaky scones topped with jam...

An absence of eggs and butter doesn't mean scrummy flakiness is lacking
`just as delicious as conventional scones' 

These were first made by the blogger many years ago for a visitor who was allergic to eggs.  The results were so delicious and flaky, they were as much of a treat as the Blogger's usual recipe.

The egg-free recipe had to take a back seat however as cholesterol and sugar issues came to a fore.  In these unstable times, however, comfort food is not just a treat, it's a necessity -- even if there is an egg shortage.  

This recipe isn't that much healthier than the original.  The butter is replaced with double cream and unless you can find a suitable vegan substitute, cholesterol levels will be high.  It also includes sugar, though not very much.  67 didn't bother with sugar, preferring to add sweetness with jam or savouriness with sliced cheese afterwards.  

But one great bonus -- it's a one-bowl wonder which takes only minutes to put together.

Cost: £1.50
Makes: 9 medium

Ingreds:
    200g/7.05 self raising flour (plain flour: add 2.25 tsps baking powder)
    1/4 tsp salt
    50g sugar (opt)
    200-250ml double cream


Method:

1. Preheat oven to 220c/425f/gas7
2. Mix flour and salt in a good-sized bowl
3. Add sugar and 200ml double cream; mix with a fork until it starts clumping together; if too dry, add more cream little by little until it just holds together
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured board and press lightly and quickly into a rectangle about 1/2inch/1cm thick.  Mentally divide the rectangle into
   
   three, lengthwise.  Fold the left hand side onto the middle and the right hand side on top of both.  Repeat twice, pressing lightly with hands or  rolling pin between each folding, handling dough as little as possible. 
5. Roll it out to just over 1/2in ( cm) thick.  Cut, without twisting, into 2 1/2 inch/6cm (or smaller rounds) with a floured biscuit cutter, reforming leftover dough.  Or, using a sharp knife, cut into  12-14 rectangles.
6. Bake on an ungreased baking sheet in the centre of the oven 15 min or until richly golden; they should sound hollow when knocked
7. Cool completely before eating.

Comments:
'I had to use half self-raising brown flour as I was running out of white but the results were delicious.' Blogger

Tips:

• While eggs are scarce in supermarkets, local bakeries and neighbourhood shops have plenty of free-range eggs for sale
• if using brown flour, more liquid will be needed  

Please leave a Comment in the box below

     
This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.

TURN STALE BREAD/ROLLS INTO MUST-HAVE SNACKS

Unless a loaf is mouldy (it should be thrown away), there's absolutely no need to bin old bread or rolls...

Stale Challah Bread translates to a special occasion breakfast 
(see Mum's Day Sweet & Boozy French Bread Sticks)

Try these suggestions:  

Bread & Butter Puddings 
Stale bread/croissants makes fabulous puddings.  They come in all types: rich and stupendous; everyday with jam or marmalade, boozy and lots in between.  Many are budget friendly.  See Recipes I/Baked Goods, including special occasion ambrosial Chocolate Mint Bread & Butter Pudding and frugal Boozy Orange Bread & Butter Pudding  

No oven?  
Toast is the new go-to snack - from a toaster, air-fryer or frying pan (with bread well-buttered on both sides & fried - not for the cholesterol-phobic!). Cheese or sardines are favourite toppings but don't forget leftovers moistened with French Dressing or Yoghurt Mayo.  There's also unforgettable Pan Perdu/French toast in slices with or without a crunchy outer layer, or in thick sticks. (recipes below)


Kids' sugar-free breakfasts:

Hole-in-One Egg Toast

Egg & Toast Flowers









Refreshing Unsliced or Artisan Loaves 

Preheat oven to 150c/300-325f.  Stick the loaf (keeping the cut side away, if possible) under running water until the outside of the loaf is wet but not soaked through.  Depending on the size of the loaf, bake 6-7mins or 10-12mins


Sliced stale bread
Make into sandwiches; cover with a damp* - not wet - clean tea towel or j-cloth; clingfilm; refrigerate overnight (*run a tap over a tea towel but don't submerge; squeeze nearly all the water out but still damp to the touch) 

Croutons
It's the ratio of oil to bread that makes memorable croutons.  They're great in soup and salads or even as a topping for a casserole.



Bread Gluts: Yummy Uses

• Sandwiches: See Christmas Sandwich Free for All, Hoisin Chicken/Turkey Baguette, Devilled Tuna Open Faced Sarnie, Fancy Make-Ahead Sandwiches 

• Ultra Easy Double Dipped French Toast: frugal; so easy kids can make it 
• Mum's Day Sweet & Boozy French Bread Sticks

• Panini's
• Fresh Breadcrumbs: process coarsely; freezable

These  recipes  have been developed by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.    

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: 1 April 2020

Is sanity actually on the way back?

                  Courtesy of Pathogen Resistance  © Copyright xkcd.com  and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence


After an intense week of dread and anxiety, we've been given reasons to hope.

Coronavirus

• things are going to get a lot worse in the fortnight ahead but there has been a  slight easing of the UK's infection rate: green shoots (but not enough to affect restrictions) 
• the peak of the UK's epidemic is expected to arrive more quickly than expected: within the next 2-3 weeks and not in mid-May. It's possible though not probable that an easing of the lockdown MIGHT come sooner rather than later.  Or not.

Supermarkets:

•  queues take minutes not hours
• more shoppers show their manners and their mindfulness
• Morrisons, Waitrose & Aldi ease restrictions on some products. 

The Private Sector...

...piles in unreservedly to fight the good fight against the virus.  Their astounding work to re-gear supply chains to provide effective tools for staff on the front line have been compared to the collaborative effort to make Spitfires.

• UK and other industrial powerhouses, including Rolls Royce, Mercedes, GKN and Dyson, are producing thousands of ventilators
• chemicals companies, brewers, luxury makeup conglomerates and even a monastery are producing hand sanitisers
• the fashion and film industry is producing face-masks and scrubs (hospital uniforms)
• high-end restaurants provide meals for NHS staff

Other firms are launching fundraisers for food banks or donating what they already have:

• logistics depots offer 24,000 vehicles to the govenment, free, for delivering vital goods
• cruise ships have been offered for floating hospitals
• Brompton bicycles donate foldable bikes to NHS workers
• football clubs open up their hotels to NHS staff 

And all the above accomplished since the beginning of March!
(Additional Source: the Guardian) 


The Banks

UK banks have suspended dividend payments and bonuses to senior staff for the period 2019/2020 after pressure from the Bank of England.

China's not the only country that can build a hospital in days:

The Army - our British Army -  along with engineers, installers, cleaners and many more has created a new hospital near Central London - the 5th biggest in the world.  From a standing start, it took just 9 days.  Other units are being put together in population hotspots around the country, like Birmingham and Manchester.. 

Parks:

In north London, we're still allowed to exercise in them.  Threats by Camden Council (Regents Park) and the City of London (Hampstead Heath) to lock the gates have come to naught.  So far.  Just in case, numerous joggers, dog-walkers, mums with babies and 'oldies' with walking sticks have scrupulously observed the 2-metre rule.

BUT...

Delivery of NHS equipment is slow; the first ventilators won't arrive for at least a week.

The police have gone a bit bozo in monitoring parks and outdoor spaces.  Maybe it's not their fault but who would have believed that:

20 EGG-FREE TREATS & DESSERTS, some flourless

BAKING IN A TIME OF SHORTAGES...

first posted 2020; updated 2022

Eggs and flour are important in home baking but you can manage without... 

A scarcity of eggs and common wheat flour are making life a little more difficult for home bakers but that doesn't meant treats are off the menu.

The Vegan cakes featured here are egg-free but still light, fluffy and sensational.  Rich biscuits and crumbly fruity bars have no eggs at all (see below).  And, of course, egg-free cream pie fillings can be dolloped into frozen or ready roll supermarket pastry or pre-baked tart shells.  Try local bakeries if tart shells aren't in the shops.  

If you're out of regular plain flour, Duchy Originals does fantastic self-raising brown flour which produces baked goods almost as light and fluffy as regular flour.  Spelt flour* bakes into lovely bread but follow the recipes carefully.  

Go slightly off piste with finely ground almonds for cakes and cookies; polenta makes unapologetically more-ish corn bread.  Oatmeal, in its normal form or blitzed to a flour, can be a good substitute for flour in some rustic recipes.  Gram flour (from chickpeas) makes fabulous wraps.

These 17 67goingon50 favourites are egg free, low-or-no flour or both.  Some are budget-friendly; others easy-peasy.  All are delicious.  Enjoy! 


THE ULTIMATE EGG & FLOUR-FREE TREAT

'Nutella' Chocolate Hazelnut Spread: Lower-sugar & preservative
Ambrosial & not to be missed; easy; you'll never go back to mass produced   

CAKES, CUPCAKES & COOKIES

4-ingredient Peanut Butter cups: incredible taste & texture

Chocolate Shortbread: egg-free, icing sugar replaces granulated; so easy the kids can do it

Orange Mini Cakes, Vegan
Airy & fluffy, fresh tangy filling; high praise from tasters of all ages 

Vegan Chocolate Cake a la Nigella:  What more to say?

Vegan Lemon Cake, with or without drizzle
Easily the best vegan cake 67 tested but it doesn't half sag!
'Moist & melt-in-the-mouth. Wouldn't have known it was vegan.'

Make-Ahead Vegan Coffee Walnut Cake
Stonkingly delicious Budget-friendly Crowd-pleaser.

TEA-TIME TREATS

 Egg-free Flaky Scones: fab for breakfast, tea or dinner 

4-ingredient Shortbread: brilliant, melt-in-the mouth, worth the wait

 Egg-free Cheese Muffins

unbelieveably easy & delicious

Superb Crispy Oatcakes
Flour & egg-free; easy peasy; wallet-friendly 

FRUIT

Hot Pineapple Pudding: lots of cheap pineapple available now; no eggs or flour

Pomelo (Chinese grapefrut) fruit salad
Sweet, juicy, refreshing;
Plenty of pomelo in the shops; keeps well in the fridge

Frozen Banana Pops

Plum Pineapple Crumble Cake: 

oatmeal makes a sumptuous luxurious treat; option for no-flour

Peach & Cherry Jalousie

Brush pastry with cream instead of egg

Nectarine & Blueberry Hand Pies: replace home-made pastry with supermarket frozen or ready rolled; replace fresh fruit with tinned (well-drained) or others of of your choice 

CREAM PIES

ChocoLime Cream Pie, No-Bake: lower fat/sugar
Make your own base or use shop bought cookies
'Heavenly scents of lime, deeply creamy; darkly chocolate-ey'

Cherry Garcia Cream Pie: gorgeous cherries are back in the shops! 

  White Chocolate & Berry Tart

Lower-fat, thrillingly easy; use pre-baked or bakery shells

*67 uses Sharpham Park

Please leave a Comment in the box below

This collection has been gathered by B  Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  They may not be reproduced, in any form, without the author's written permission.

EASY HOME-MADE BREADS/BAPS

Now that bread is has replaced loo rolls as the shopping item of choice, it's the perfect opportunity to make your own.

67goingon50's repertoire of recipes includes easy breads and rolls, some ready in under half an hour; others simple to prepare but ready after an hour in the oven. 

From the easiest and most delicious bagels ready in as little as 20 mins to a sensational one-bowl soda bread  involving molasses, oatmeal, fruit & nuts,   there's something here for everyone.  


ULTRA QUICK

Bagels, Almost Instant: 

as tasty & chewy as London's East End but no-boil, no fat or sugar or yeast

Skinnier Breakfast Bap

lower-fat, higher-fibre, no egg/yeast; no rolling; just mix & drop (also appears as Breakfast Biscuits)

15-minute Flatbread, yeast-and-sugar free 

a 'hot-off-the-grill/pan' bread: charred & puffy or thin & cracker-like 

A LITTLE LONGER TO COOK BUT V. SIMPLE PREP

Cranberry Nut Oatmeal Molasses Bread, 

easy-peasy, gorgeous fruity Loaf that's perfect for cheeses 

Cheese & Walnut Light Wholemeal Bread, tear and 

share;more-ish healthier bread that disappears as fast as it takes to make.

Cornbread with Niblets, Chilli & Green Onions, loaf or muffins

Delightful nubbly texture, low-sugar, yeast free; quick & easy

Amazing Wholemeal Yeasted Bread: 90 mins from start to finish Soft, spongy & tasty; why bother with mass-produced after this? 

Make-ahead No-Knead Cinnamon Rolls

There's not much better than good home-made cinnamon rolls and the easy prep is a bonus!  Tasters said they were the 'best-ever'.  

 

'Midi' Soda Breads for Singletons & Small Households

Quick & Easy rustic soda breads are terrifically versatile and egg & butter free. (left: Olive, Walnuts & Seeds, Dried Cherry with Nuts & Seeds)

These recipes have been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises and may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.

HOW TO...HANDLE CORONANXIETY (update January 2021)

Easing the scourge of Coronanxiety

Courtesy of Dreamstime  and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

It's natural to be anxious and afraid about the new strains of the Coronavirus and even angry at another tough total lockdown announced last night by the Prime Minister.

No one knows what's in store for us this year, and while we've got vaccines being distributed, the way our own and European governments are handling vaccination roll-outs is not (yet??) encouraging.  

We're being forced again (this time overnight!) back to our homes under strict instructions to stay in unless shopping or exercising.  Too many of us are stuck in  cramped homes, on our own or with family (either might be deeply depressing) with yet more worries about money and jobs and our children's future. And growing heating bills.   

Either you've got an 'Optimism Bias' or you're running around with the mantra 'How long, dear Lord, how long??" repeating like a gong at the back of your mind every minute of every day.  Will we have some inkling over the next six weeks which mindset turns out to be true or whether the chips will fall somewhere in between?

The Blogger is still - just - a believer in the old adage that 'it's not what happens to you in life but how you handle it that matters.'

So much of life right now is out of our control but not letting our anxiety get the better of us is possible.  Resilience, calm in the face of events is the only option available in these unusual times.  

These practical tips for reducing anxiety may be helpful for people of all ages:

• Structure your day.  Set up a routine, make a timetable, follow a schedule so that, at the end of the day, you will have engaged in meaningful activity (and accomplished something more than taking in half your bodyweight in chocolate, cheese and carbs!). 

• Get up when you wake up...or as near as possible.  Eventually we'll have to get back to a normal life involving alarm clocks and deadlines.  (But during these freezing temperatures, I confess to allowing myself an extra hour under the duvet until the flat warms up.) 

• No jammies/p-jays.  Jump into the shower and get dressed in clean clothes;  casual is ok, sloppiness is not.

• Set aside an hour a day to discuss the virus/government/politicians then put your mind to other things.

• Decide on a time (or times) to watch the news; watch something entertaining or educational at other times

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE 25.03.20 2020

Sunday Telegraph 22.03.20 

Such is the state of affairs regarding the dangers we face from the spread of Coronavirus over the next few weeks, the Blogger almost decided to cancel regular reports in 67goingon50.  

Things that really got 67goingon50 down:

• people so lax about self-distancing, so uncaring about the potential to spread the disease to others, that threats regarding 'further measures' to restrict us to home are necessary

• shocking scenes - if not staged - of sustained violence in a Havant supermarket 

• people blatantly stealing items from shoppers' supermarket trolleys and refusing to honour NHS and 'oldies' hours.  Worse still, the behaviour, even if in the minority, is not a surprise

• the Sunday Times claiming Dominic Cummings 'didn't care if pensioners die' on the basis of two verbal but otherwise UNSUBSTANTIATED reports.  This is a paper and a journalist the Blogger normally trusts.

• a group of doctors accusing the government of using them as 'cannon fodder'

• sniping from some commentators, groups and politicians about government decisions which are somehow 'not enough'...ever.   

Things that gave 67goingon50 reason to hope

• the Prime Minister's address to the nation allowed us to continue to exercise in parks, though only once a day and strictly maintaining a 2-metre distance.  The police - not the army - are to monitor.

16 DELICIOUS RECIPES FOR TINNED & SMOKED FISH

Not sure how to make your stocks of tinned, frozen and smoked fish interesting and delicious?

Mackerel, Rice, Fruit & Nut Salad 

brilliant, full-bodied combo of store cupboard ingredients

67GOINGON50'S sassy sardine, tuna & smoked fish recipes should help keep the entire household happy.


SARDINES

Easily stored tinned sardines are packed with protein and Omega-3 and are  incredibly wallet-friendly.  These popular recipes are exciting and delicious. 

Savoury PinWheel Biscuits, frugal

They might look boring but are so rich and tasty, diners are stunned, thrilled and always ask for more.    











Surprising Sardine Salad: zesty & unexpected combo with fabulous dressing

Surprising - in a great way - Sardine Salad a la Downton Abbey
'I thought I didn't like sardines but you could serve this to anyone' Taster

Packed full of veg, topped with an egg

TUNA 

Tuna Fried Rice (Original)


Slimmers' Delight Tuna Fried Rice, 
low carb, tasty, frugal






Simple, Easy One-Pot Un-fried Tuna Rice:

Kid/ults will love this perennial combo of tuna & sweetcorn, this one with
easy-peasy fat-free rice

Fabulously Frugal Fishcakes, kids will love making these

Creamy Tuna Casserole with Potato Chip Topping: pasta with fish, sauce & crisps; what's not to love? 

MARCH 2020: 67GOINGON50 CORONAVIRUS REPORT/UPDATE

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE FROM 67GOINGON50: March 18 2020

The Blogger has an honours science degree in Health Sciences 

 which included pre-med courses alongside medical  students.  

   She was a tv & radio journalist in Canada, London & Hong Kong 

DRAMATIC CHANGE OF TONE...AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY

In a press conference in Monday evening the Prime Minister announced the start of a partial lockdown involving:

• EVERYONE stopping non-essential contact with others - working from home, reducing travel where possible and avoiding pubs, sports events & theatres
• entire households self isolating for 14 days if one member exhibits  coronavirus symptoms 
• the over '70's, even if healthy, self-isolating for 3 months

Table of Contents: 

1. New restrictions
2. How close is a cure?
3. Stockpiling
4. Economic Effects
5. Why anti-coronavirus measures have been stepped up
6. Media Reports: separating the wheat from the chaff
7. Self-isolation/Social Separation

          for the individual
          for households
          for healthy over 70's
          for the symptom free
  
  8. Portraits from a North London village

****

Life has gone in a flash from wary but hopeful to fearful and depressed.  What a difference a week makes! (Or, as some joker remarked: 'It's Squeaky Bum Time!')

In six days, we have gone from simple instructions (wash hands, self-isolate even if symptoms are mild) and assurances that for most, coronavirus would be not much worse than a cold or flu, to...well, potential Doomsday.

The bubble of complacency which surrounded many of us has been well and truly pricked.  (Though NHS latest advice insists 'For most people, coronavirus (COVID-19) will be a mild infection'.)

The change in approach follows the virus' faster-than-expected progress in the UK, especially in London.  It's approaching a peak a few weeks ahead of previous estimates.  

The dramatic measures are designed to slow its spread, reduce the number of victims and most importantly, bring down fatalities.  They will also ease pressure on the NHS.

HOW CLOSE IS A CURE?

Coronavirus is a brand new disease and scientists are still not sure how it works.  The overall picture is incomplete because testing focuses on the unwell and does not include those who have had the disease but recovered.  That's why it's so difficult to predict the speed of its spread. 

Even if a cure is found (it's rumoured the Israelis already have), it will take at least a year to 18 months to produce -- though politicians and manufacturers say it could only be a matter of months. 


The pandemic is unnerving - indeed, terrifying.  We  seem so helpless; our belief in technology and innovation, our natural optimism has been shaken.  Even the religious are asking: is this punishment or a test of faith and charity?

Whatever the answer, increasingly severe measures including closing borders, heavily enforced lockdowns, the uninterrupted spread of the virus and rising death tolls abroad have helped propel the UK from mild panic to near-hysteria. 

STOCKPILING

So of course people are stockpiling.

Supermarket shelves have been stripped completely bare; 12 supermarkets have published a joint letter urging customers to buy responsibly.  

Some are already limiting purchases; others hire guards to manage queues.  Many are considering restricting the range of products available to basic essentials.      

ECONOMIC EFFECTS

Stock markets have been up and down like a roller coaster.  Companies are terrified of going bust; weaker enterprises have gone to the wall.  People are increasingly anxious about jobs, mortgages, overdrafts.

If there is a silver lining, it is the Bank of England's assurance that banks have undergone so much stress-testing in recent years, they are in a much stronger condition now than they were before the last (really bad) financial crisis.  That could mean when we finally get through this crisis, recovery will be reasonably quick. 

In the meantime the government has announced a £330 BILLION fund of loans to help companies in trouble and is in talks with unions and others to help individuals who freelance or participate in the gig economy.   

Banks are prepared to delay interest & overdraft payments if customers are unable to work due to self-isolation.  However a NatWest London branch said they have not been given details as to how the scheme will work -- whether a doctor's note will be necessary, how long the scheme will run for, etc.  


IS THE GOVERNMENT'S POLICY THE RIGHT ONE?

It's easy to look at other western countries and worry that the UK is pursuing different tactics but the UK's plans have been ranked number one in the world by the Global Health Security Index.  Moreover, the growth of the virus recently in the UK has been slower than many major European countries.  

No one can tell yet how things will turn out here or elsewhere because scientists just don't know.  Most epidemiologists believe that with modern science, there's never been a better time to fight a pandemic like Coronovirus.  And the UK is a leader in research into this field.

UK strategy, at least, is based entirely on the expertise of world-leading scientists.  Timing appears to be the key to the government's actions.  We're  seeing how swiftly and calmly the UK government can respond to changes in the progress of the disease and to learn from the experience of other countries.  

Italy's experience is terrifying; it's going to be a scary few months in the UK.  But we must do everything we can to prevent as many deaths as we can.  We don't really have a choice -- it's our duty to follow instructions, pray for a vaccine and help one another through the crisis.   


THE MEDIA: WHAT'S TRUE VS WHAT'S SPECULATION

There's an awful lot of stuff circulating in newspapers, telly and social media.  It  can be hard to work out what to believe.  

These tips may help separate the wheat from the chaff.  In general:

• advice from the Prime Minister, the Health Secretary Matt Hancock, NHS Boffin Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Advisor Sir Patrick Valance,  presented in an official press conference is official, can be believed and should be followed

• a stumble here or there by the above, singly or as a group (and it won't be just one stumble) does not mean incompetence; it means things are fast moving and the government is trying to keep up 

• journalists (and members of the public) sometimes take a single sentence or concept out of a longer interview/press conference and blow it out of proportion.  Perhaps the phrase 'herd immunity' was one of those occasions? 

• beware the words 'apparent' which means 'no one is prepared to officially confirm or deny but it seems to [the journalist/writer making a claim] to be a logical conclusion'

• any media story on a new development which contains the words 'plan', 'could' or 'may happen down the line' means it is not happening now but is possible (not probable) later.  We are not - repeat not - in a worst case scenario 

• the kinds of draconian restrictions and highly enforced lockdowns that are happening elsewhere in the west will not necessarily happen in the UK  

• experts are back in our good books but beware organised groups of scientists with no experience in virology or epidemiology who criticise the government's actions 

• sadly, some criticism is nakedly political; it is the opposition's job to challenge the government but listen/read with an open mind  

• ignore social media on coronavirus; it will do your head in

• NHS guidelines are useful but can be confusing and not always up to date

SELF ISOLATION for suspected Coronavirus: NHS ADVICE 
(The Over-70's and The Symptom-Free below)
  
The following is an amalgamated, slightly edited version of information available on the official NHS website.

Stay at home for 7 days if you have these symptoms, however MILD, to protect others while you are infectious:

• a high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
• you've started coughing repeatedly

Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.  Testing for coronavirus is not necessary if you're staying at home.  You do not need to contact 111.

NHS  on self-isolation

• if you have symptoms of coronavirus infection, however mild, you must self-isolate

• Do not go to work, school, or public areas and do not use public transport or taxis. You cannot go for a walk

• Singletons living on their own must not leave their home for 7 days from when your symptoms started.  Sleep alone.  Keep 2 metres (3 steps) from other people  (See ending isolation for more information)

• Entire households must self isolate for 14 days if one member has coronavirus symptoms (see above).  The number of days is doubled - 7 days for the first incidence including time for the disease to incubate, plus another 7 days 

• stay away from vulnerable individuals -- the elderly and those with underlying health conditions

• keep your home well-ventilated with a window that can be left opened as much as possible to keep clean air moving through 

• wash hands regularly for 20 seconds, each time using soap and water, or use hand sanitiser

• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not hands) when  coughing or sneezing

• bin used tissues immediately; wash hands afterwards

• drink plenty of water & take everyday painkillers if needed (note: the government has advised steering clear of ibuprofen)

• plan how you can get access to food and medical supplies  - online?  phone? friends?

• all deliveries to be be left outside your home

• keep in touch with employers, friends/family 

• occupy yourself by cooking, knitting, reading, online learning, watching films & telly

• exercise when you are feeling better with online classes or light exercise at home 

• If symptoms worsen or are no better after 7 days, contact NHS 111 online.  If you have no internet, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999

The Over-70's

From this weekend, over-70's are to self-isolate for three months.

They are advised to be 'particularly stringent' in avoiding face-to-face interaction and stick to social distancing rules: keeping 2 metres (3 steps) from other people.  This applies even to those who are fit, healthy and have no coronavirus symptoms. 

The rules also apply to pregnant women on a 'better-to-be-safe-than-sorry' basis.   

Bloggers' Notes:  
It is not clear how strictly the measures will be enforced. 67goingon50 understands the only outside activity open to healthy over-70's is essential shopping and regular walks in a park - with or without a dog.  

Everyone Else is encouraged to STOP ALL NON-ESSENTIAL CONTACT:

• practice Social Distancing; keep a distance of 2 metres between you and others   
• work from home where possible
• avoid public transport where possible; don't travel in the rush hour
• avoid large and small gatherings
• avoid pubs, clubs, theatres 
• visit shops only for essentials 
• solitary dog-walking in a park is allowed  

PORTRAIT OF A NORTH LONDON VILLAGE

Pomona Greengrocers, Belsize Park: 

'We have been given no government guidance as to what to do.  We are still getting good produce but the advice to avoid pubs and restaurants could be bad for us.  There will be fewer orders to producers and that could affect what's on offer to us down the line.  Some struggling restaurants have already gone to the wall.  I wish the government had advised restaurants and pubs to limit the number of diners rather than advising people to avoid them.'

Barretts Butchers, England's Lane: (customers quietly queue with a 2 metre separation zone; debit cards are returned wrapped in a receipt)

'We are very busy; people have been buying remarkably large amounts of fresh meat.  For the future in the UK, there is plenty more where that came from.' 

NatWest: (see Economic above)

Roni's Bagel & Deli, Belsize Village: usually exceptionally busy on Friday mornings; fewer tables occupied but a safe distance apart.  Heavy take-away traffic. 


PS
The NHS has updated its advice on Coronavirus here

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