(Chess) Life Returning To Normal

[Tim Spanton]

I rather thought I said that, or words to that effect!
Can we tentatively agree, then, that meeting someone in the street is not mingling?

[Tim Spanton]

And that being in the same room as someone, but sat at separate tables, is not mingling?

[Jacques Parry]

No, you said judges would use a dictionary. I said that they would say it was a matter for the magistrates. The magistrates would be unlikely to use a dictionary, and if they did, an appeal court would probably say they shouldn't have. I'm not going to guess at what a magistrate might think.

[Tim Spanton]

I was using 'judge' to refer to someone who gives judgment in a court, but pedanticsims aside, the important issue is the definition of mingling.
BTW, why would you "not ... guess at what a magistrate might think"?

[Mick Norris]

"The term "mingle" isn't well defined. It seems to even confuse the Home Secretary who signed off the Regulations. When asked whether it was legal for two families of four on the way say to a park who happened to meet in the street and exchanged conversation, she said this was illegal."

In fairness, somebody started mentioning numbers...

However, the Regulations seem to be ambiguous, which can't help.

BBC report on what she said

However, we have

Earlier, Ms Patel defended the government's record on testing, following widespread reports of people struggling to get swabbed. She told BBC Breakfast the government was "surging capacity" where it was needed.

which isn't really the full story

Bolton is number 1 in the country for Covid still I think, so they organised a mobile test centre within walking distance of me, opening for appointments on Saturday; unfortunately, anyone with an appointment on Saturday couldn't have a test because, unbelievably, the company appointed by HMG to run the site didn't turn up

The Council has now got the site operational, and when I tried to book a test last night and this morning, it told me 18 slots were available, but I couldn't actually find any in the next week (by car or by walking, I tried both)

My daughter tells me the whole of Y9 at her school has been sent home for a week or two following a positive test, so there's undoubtedly a great number of families of children, and the staff, also wanting to get tests; it doesn't seem having a Tory MP in our part of Bolton is a great help in getting a successful testing regime

[Kevin Thurlow]

"unfortunately, anyone with an appointment on Saturday couldn't have a test because, unbelievably, the company appointed by HMG to run the site didn't turn up "

Unfortunately, recent Governments have been (and are) obsessed with outsourcing everything, when a well-staffed and well-funded Civil Service would do it properly. Instead they pay untrained third parties huge amounts of money to, er, not turn up.

[JustinHorton]

Without at all disagreeing with your general sentiment, surely this wouldn't be the civil service but the NHS?

[Simon Rogers]

Its not all bad news though
The incessant posts on this topic , along the lines of :

Now 5 entries in the Minor !
A 179 from Peckham ! has entered the Open !
An obscure Australian congress has been postponed !

Seem to have stopped

I've just been on the Australian Chess Federation website
The Nell Van de Graaff Classic scheduled for this weekend and the Leo Wilkinson Memorial scheduled for the following weekend, both in Queensland, are both going ahead as planned.
I couldn't find any obscure Australian congresses that have been postponed, unless there is something on the Victoria or New South Wales websites that I've not seen.

[JustinHorton]

The Nell Van de Graaff Classic scheduled for this weekend and the Leo Wilkinson Memorial scheduled for the following weekend, both in Queensland, are both going ahead as planned.

Is the Van de Graaff Classic generating many entries?

[Simon Rogers]

I checked the website and couldn't find the link for the list of entries for the Nell Van de Graaff Classic.
I had the same problem for the Limerick Open in the R.O.I..
I've found the site Chess Victoria in Australia.
The Victoria Open Tournament was cancelled back in June.
There was a link to the Victoria Chess Club in the Seychelles.
The National Championships was held and was won by German FM Hertmut Metz.

[JustinHorton]

[Kevin Thurlow]

"surely this wouldn't be the civil service but the NHS?"

Well, I was treating NHS as part of CS, but there have been so many mergers and de-mergers (if that's a word), it's difficult to tell.

And I loved the "Van de Graaff" generator comment, although I suspect you based it on the band, not the scientific device!

[JustinHorton]

Never heard a note of theirs to my knowledge

[Simon Rogers]

I've just worked out the Van de Graaff joke. Very Good.
I've just checked the Dublin Chess Championships website.
One withdrawal, which was the CM.
Despite this, entries have increased to 92.

[Matt Mackenzie]

Never heard a note of theirs to my knowledge

I am a bit of a fan, there are certainly worse things you could do.