France in August?

[andyinluton]

Whatever did we do when we were growing up, pre California, pre cheap foreign holidays. How did children of years gone by survive?

We didn't go abroad until about 1978 & never did camping / caravans, these are the few I can remember.

We tended to just go to East Coast beaches for day trips rather than a week away until:

1974 - Guernsey
1975 - Wet week in Southend, stayed in the really creepy house of an Aunt who had just died. I must ask my dad, but I don't think we were supposed to be there.
1976 - Perranporth, Hotel in the dunes at the edge of the beach. 2 weeks of sun & burnt backs of legs from black vinyl seats! best uk holiday as a kid.
1977 - Hotel in the Lake District 2 weeks of rain & the car broke down so we couldn't go anywhere other than on foot for about a week. It was the final straw! First foreign trip flying to Spain the following year.

 

[Amarillo]

Whatever did we do when we were growing up, pre California, pre cheap foreign holidays. How did children of years gone by survive?

As a child my father went to Switzerland regularly. He talks of the car being loaded by crane onto the ferry at Dover.

I don’t suppose this was a typical holiday for the late 40s or early 50s.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Who'd a' thought 40 years ago we' be sitting here drinking chateau du chasseur...?

.....you try an tell the young people of today that, and they won't believe you...

 

[bob_summers]

I would rate Lake district Easter 2019 as 10/10 perfect weather & were not expecting it.

Remember it well. Had gone over to the uk with the family, with the plan of doing a fell race near Keswick on the Easter Sunday.
On the way out of Coniston I ripped the sidewall off a tyre on the hire car, the poxy thing only had a can of repair goo. Spent almost three hours waiting for recovery in a layby, it was such a lovely day for it too!

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Whatever did we do when we were growing up, pre California, pre cheap foreign holidays. How did children of years gone by survive?

Almost every childhood holiday for me involved a drive down the old A40 in my dad’s Morris 1000 from Harefield to Pontarddulais (no M4 in those days). Then 2 weeks at my Nan’s house. Daily trips to beaches on the Gower followed by a Joe’s Ice Cream on the way back. Fantastic memories

 

[Amarillo]

Almost every childhood holiday for me involved a drive down the old A40 in my dad’s Morris 1000 from Harefield to Pontarddulais (no M4 in those days). Then 2 weeks at my Nan’s house. Daily trips to beaches on the Gower followed by a Joe’s Ice Cream on the way back. Fantastic memories

Does anyone else have memories of picnicking among the stones at Stonehenge: the days before it was fenced and they started charging £££s to get closer to them than the stationary traffic on the A303?

 

[GrannyJen]

Does anyone else have memories of picnicking among the stones at Stonehenge: the days before it was fenced and they started charging £££s to get closer to them than the stationary traffic on the A303?

I have memories of my children using them to rock climb on

One child in particular, obviously having too many of my genes, would climb up anything from about 2 years of age and we went there one day and there he was!! The great wall of Sarsen 1 !

 

[Lambeth Cali]

Almost every childhood holiday for me involved a drive down the old A40 in my dad’s Morris 1000 from Harefield to Pontarddulais (no M4 in those days). Then 2 weeks at my Nan’s house. Daily trips to beaches on the Gower followed by a Joe’s Ice Cream on the way back. Fantastic memories

We have fond memories of camping at 3 Cliffs’ Bay. Although on the second night our tent blew away. That doesn’t happen in Burgundy!
Now that I remember that was probably one of the reasons we got the van!

 

[WelshGas]

So it seems you don’t have to rush to the sun to have fond memories of holidays gone bye.

 

[bigmac77]

We’ve just had a holiday, didn’t camp but we did take the Cali. We live in North Wales and have just spent the last four days in and around Tenby. It was great to be away, didn’t really care that it wasn’t warm or particularly sunny it was dry and it wasn’t where I live. Walked loads, drank cups of tea sat on sea walls watching people and enjoyed a change of scenery. Very much needed.

 

[Swiss Cheese]

Does anyone else have memories of picnicking among the stones at Stonehenge: the days before it was fenced and they started charging £££s to get closer to them than the stationary traffic on the A303?

I don't actually remember it, but my parents have photos of me - must be just before 1970. Even in the late 90's when we drove by regularly from Kent down to Devon we used to stop at the byway just west and have a picnic out the back of our LR Disco with our own kids. Last time I was that way this byway way blocked off. Shame.

Whatever did we do when we were growing up, pre California, pre cheap foreign holidays. How did children of years gone by survive?

We were lucky that we did have holidays (my wife only recalls them having only one holiday to Cornwall). It was every year for X years crammed into the back of the Ford Cortina and driving for what seemed like days from Hampshire to North Wales (I don't think the motorways were built back then). Stayed on a campsite outside Criccieth but in a shed thing where the cats would make a racket at night chasing mice underneath.
Fish & Chips. Ice Creams. Ffestiniog railway. Slate mines. Snowdon. Sandy beaches you could drive the car on! Colouring books. Maybe a comic. No TV.
Wonderful memories.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I’m surprised but this all seems to be changing again. Perhaps Europe not on the first green list but they seem to be hinting it will be soon. I guess the growing belief that vaccination reduces transmission coupled with hopefully lower infection rates is increasing their belief that EU travel will be possible. Hopefully some hard scientific modelling backs that up.
We had PCR tests recently as we live in Lambeth and it occurred to me that if you “wanted” a negative test, this would be quite easy. You do the tests on yourself. If a self-test is a lynchpin of the travel scheme that feels really quite dumb.
We still have a ferry to Spain booked and a UK campsite. My wife and I discussed it again and agreed we weren’t keen on any holiday that required tests, particularly abroad. Looks like I’ll be deferring the ferry again.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

I’m surprised but this all seems to be changing again. Perhaps Europe not on the first green list but they seem to be hinting it will be soon. I guess the growing belief that vaccination reduces transmission coupled with hopefully lower infection rates is increasing their belief that EU travel will be possible. Hopefully some hard scientific modelling backs that up.
We had PCR tests recently as we live in Lambeth and it occurred to me that if you “wanted” a negative test, this would be quite easy. You do the tests on yourself. If a self-test is a lynchpin of the travel scheme that feels really quite dumb.
We still have a ferry to Spain booked and a UK campsite. My wife and I discussed it again and agreed we weren’t keen on any holiday that required tests, particularly abroad. Looks like I’ll be deferring the ferry again.

Hi @Lambeth Cali , Isn’t the PCR test administered by somebody else and doesn’t it have to go to a Lab?
We’re regularly doing Lateral Flow Tests ourselves and uploading the results.

France this year? We would love to be going to Normandy (and beyond) to see friends this year but have resigned ourselves to staying in the UK, which is fine with us. Loads to see, plenty of mini breaks and a couple of longer adventures.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

We’ve done 4 PCR tests, all self administered. Sat in our cars or the Cali. They hand you the kit through the window and you park up and do it. They scan it when you drive out. There was never any suggestion that anyone was watching us do it.
It seems to be the cheapest option to get you to do it yourself. The first time it was 18 year old squaddies handing out the tests. Getting someone to do it on you would require some medical knowledge and risk to the person doing it. These both cost money.

 

[Wongo]

Tourism both ways sustains millions of jobs, the situation in Europe is stabilising and Germany is vaccinating well over a million a day. It can never be absolutely safe as the Kent variant migrating to the continent showed but we should open up as soon as possible.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

We almost booked (fully refundable) ferry to France at end of August last week, but decided to wait a few weeks until situation is clearer as would lose the deposit in accommodation if travel was not allowed.

When we checked a few months ago, majority of coastal campsites in Devon / Cornwall were all fully booked, but put this down to people covering all options (expect space to free up once France / Spain situation is clearer).

Interested to see the results of the live testing that was carried out in Liverpool over the weekend.

 

[Wongo]

I don’t have a lot of faith in personal testing, surely tbe key indicator is hospital admissions?

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

We’ve done 4 PCR tests, all self administered. Sat in our cars or the Cali. They hand you the kit through the window and you park up and do it. They scan it when you drive out. There was never any suggestion that anyone was watching us do it.
It seems to be the cheapest option to get you to do it yourself. The first time it was 18 year old squaddies handing out the tests. Getting someone to do it on you would require some medical knowledge and risk to the person doing it. These both cost money.

Were you given a certificate @Lambeth Cali ?
Looking online for PCR tests (up to £149 a pop) you are given a certificate. I’m sure this is what will be required. How can an individual self certify? Obviously open to fraud.

 

[B J G]

We’ve done 4 PCR tests, all self administered. Sat in our cars or the Cali. They hand you the kit through the window and you park up and do it. They scan it when you drive out. There was never any suggestion that anyone was watching us do it.
It seems to be the cheapest option to get you to do it yourself. The first time it was 18 year old squaddies handing out the tests. Getting someone to do it on you would require some medical knowledge and risk to the person doing it. These both cost money.

PCR Test, as I understand it, you swab yourself but the swab then goes for a Lab analysis/test.

Lateral you self swab AND do the analysis/test and give the result online. Open to saying negative when actually positive.

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Were you given a certificate @Lambeth Cali ?
Looking online for PCR tests (up to £149 a pop) you are given a certificate. I’m sure this is what will be required. How can an individual self certify? Obviously open to fraud.

Our son does a few of Lateral tests per week for school, think it’s the same for most schools now. They are easy to do at home, takes a few minutes for a result & you then enter the result into the government website (each test has an individual number).
The tests are not monitored by the school, it’s up to the parents to do them and submit the results. If positive then your child & family would stay at home for the prescribed period.

It must be remembered that it’s like a car MOT - ie - only valid at the point in time that you took the test. You could go and contract Covid an hour/day later, so regular testing is the key.

Yes, it’s open to fraud as is everything elase in life. The onus is on the individual to be honest.

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

PCR Test, as I understand it, you swab yourself but the swab then goes for a Lab analysis/test.

Lateral you self swab AND do the analysis/test and give the result online. Open to saying negative when actually positive.

That’s my understanding @B J G

So, with PCR you’ll get a certified result not easy to cheat. But I guess some Covid free rogues could sell swaps to the Covid positive.

We’re regularly doing the LFT’s but not needed to do a PCR yet. At up to £149 a pop for each family member on the way out and on the way back I think a lot of people might be put off!? and then there’s the potential of inconvenient/expensive quarantine!

 

[GrumpyGranddad]

Our son does a few of Lateral tests per week for school, think it’s the same for most schools now. They are easy to do at home, takes a few minutes for a result & you then enter the result into the government website (each test has an individual number).
The tests are not monitored by the school, it’s up to the parents to do them and submit the results. If positive then your child & family would stay at home for the prescribed period.

It must be remembered that it’s like a car MOT - ie - only valid at the point in time that you took the test. You could go and contract Covid an hour/day later, so regular testing is the key.

Yes, it’s open to fraud as is everything elase in life. The onus is on the individual to be honest.

Yes, we’re doing LFT’s regularly but my understanding is that these will NOT qualify you for foreign travel. For that you’ll need proof of vaccination and/or a negative recent PCR test.

 

[WelshGas]

We’ve done 4 PCR tests, all self administered. Sat in our cars or the Cali. They hand you the kit through the window and you park up and do it. They scan it when you drive out. There was never any suggestion that anyone was watching us do it.
It seems to be the cheapest option to get you to do it yourself. The first time it was 18 year old squaddies handing out the tests. Getting someone to do it on you would require some medical knowledge and risk to the person doing it. These both cost money.

The actual laboratory testing process indicates if the test has collected the right sample and if not it is classed as a Failed Test NOT a Negative Test.
The majority of the PCR tests are self administered.

 

[bob_summers]

Yes, we’re doing LFT’s regularly but my understanding is that these will NOT qualify you for foreign travel. For that you’ll need proof of vaccination and/or a negative recent PCR test.

I have never heard of LFTs, no idea what they are. Wonder if they will be valid for the pass sanitaire? Says here that it needs to be a PCR or antigen test. Hoping to get up to see friends in Bordeaux over summer but I will not have a swab stuck up my nose ever again, even if it means staying at home for the rest of my life!

Quelle forme prend le pass sanitaire ?​

Après chaque test PCR, antigénique ou après votre vaccination, vous recevrez un SMS et pourrez télécharger votre résultat certifié ou votre certificat de vaccination sur la plateforme sidep.gouv.fr.

 

[Wongo]

That’s my understanding @B J G

So, with PCR you’ll get a certified result not easy to cheat. But I guess some Covid free rogues could sell swaps to the Covid positive.

We’re regularly doing the LFT’s but not needed to do a PCR yet. At up to £149 a pop for each family member on the way out and on the way back I think a lot of people might be put off!? and then there’s the potential of inconvenient/expensive quarantine!

Apparently the base cost of a PCR test is £4.00 someones doing alright out of it.