The HfP chat thread – Monday 28th June

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Heathrow Flyer says:

28 Jun28 June 13:00

Does anyone know if anywhere in London is doing 2nd dose Moderna walk-ins for under 40s? Everything I’ve seen is for Pfizer/Astra.
- Bob says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 13:05
  
  AFC Wimbledon stadium based on some local messages I’ve seen. Best to double check. They are doing Moderna.
- Jan says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 13:56
  
  I walked-in for my second dose of Moderna (7 weeks after first dose) at Eastcote Pharmacy last Tuesday. All done in about 30 mins. I’m above 40 but doubt they’ll refuse you if you’re under 40 – they just want people to get their second vaccines ASAP. My wife got her second Pfizer jab only 22 days after her first one (mass vaccination at Stamford Bridge 9 days ago).
- Louise K says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 14:10
  
  I’m wondering the same – but for Northamptonshire area!
- Kevin C says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 15:18
  
  Finsbury Park Mosque is doing them today.
  https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-walk-in-coronavirus-covid-19-vaccination-site/profile/NONODS654
  - Oliver says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 16:21
    
    Beware that the website may not be up to date…
    
    For example, one vaccine centre is the Colchester Food and Drink Festival, which shows as being open on Saturday and Sunday. But the festival was a one-off that finished yesterday, so it’s referring to the weekend just gone!
- Tracey says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 16:08
  
  Check out angel business centre, angel islington. They were one of the first centres to have Moderna.
  Also Stevenage Robertson House if you are north.
Martin Short says:

28 Jun28 June 13:27

Anyone have the Platinum Card bonus referral 70k MR points (enhanced referral bonus) that they could send me please?
- Andrew says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 13:30
  
  I do yes and happy to provide
  - Martin Short says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 13:59
    
    Yes pls ffwdorguk@hotmail.com
  - Eppleby says:
    
    29 Jun29 June 11:26
    
    Yes, please poskycatATyahooDOTcom
- Fred says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 13:45
  
  Likewise
  - Martin Short says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 14:47
    
    Yes pls ffwdorguk@hotmail.com
  - Peter says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 16:09
    
    can I have your link as well please? thanks.
    - Ste C says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 16:51
      
      you can have mine if you let me know your email?
      - Ste C says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 16:57
        
        Sorry, didn’t notice this was under @Fred’s post. ignore me, Fred will need your email address though
- Super Secret Stuff says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 14:34
  
  No bu still have the Gold one if anyone needs it
  - Munch says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 19:54
    
    When do the enhanced referrals end? Looking at a new Personal Plat for the end of July.
    - TGLoyalty says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 22:30
      
      No end date. Could be anytime.
Anna says:

28 Jun28 June 14:07

How do you pre-book a lounge with the Priority Pass card? I can’t see anything on the website (MAN lounges possibly re-opening July 1st).
Also is this possible with the Amex gold lounge pass? OH has Platinum & I have Gold.
- Dave says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 14:09
  
  To my knowledge you can’t…which is a biggg problem
- Rob says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 14:09
  
  You can’t – only No1 let you do this (and charged £5 for the privilege) before they withdrew from Priority Pass.
  - Anna says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 14:39
    
    Thanks – I am wondering if they will still be claiming they are full even if there’s hardly anyone travelling!
    - Pete M says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 14:53
      
      Well the T5 lounges have been full full full every time I’ve traveled in the last few months!
      - Anna says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 15:02
        
        MAN lounges were always notorious for declaring they were full as soon as they saw a PP or other card they couldn’t charge full price for.
      - Pete M says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 15:15
        
        My comment was more related to “hardly anyone travelling” – I can’t disagree, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, the people travelling are at the wealthier end and using lounges.
      - Rob says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 15:22
        
        10-12 rows of Club Europe seems to be the norm looking at reports.
      - Anna says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 15:54
        
        Pete – there is definitely hardly anyone travelling from MAN just now, you can’t compare it to LHR!
    - Dave says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 15:22
      
      There is a silent (Low) before the word Priority.
      - Pete M says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 16:46
        
        Haha fair Anna!
      - The Savage Squirrel says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 20:29
        
        “There is a silent (Low) before the word Priority.”
        
        Hehe I like that one. I value PP at £0 for exactly that reason. It’s like holding a lottery ticket that gives you a small chance of entering a lounge. Nothing more.
YC says:

28 Jun28 June 14:31

Hotel recommendations for Bournemouth? I read Rob’s Hilton review which looks very decent. Marriott location looks good but rooms seem tired. Open to non-branded too
- Dave says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 15:32
  
  Well, work used to put us in the Miramar, which is characterful if that’s your thing.
- Andy D says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 15:55
  
  I am very fond of the Bournemouth Hilton. Stayed there with three rooms for friends two or three years ago. The lounge and bar at the top were enormous fun. The room decor was stunning. A barefoot run along the beach to Poole at dawn. Something something kettle in the bedroom.
- Will says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 16:20
  
  I’ve stayed at the Marriott a few weeks ago, family room, certainly not modern but not anywhere near as bad as some reports on TA make out. Would return, pools are not open due to covid though which was a dissspointment.
- Tariq says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 16:26
  
  Stayed at both in the past, booked at the Hilton this year. I prefer it there, the basement pool is great! However, my other half prefers the Marriott for the sea view.
- YC says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 17:19
  
  Thanks. Strange that the hampton is being sold for more than the hilton
  - Tariq says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 21:43
    
    Always seemed to be the case that maximum occupancy in the Hilton rooms was 2 and the Hampton rooms facilitated family stays. But availability popped up this summer for 3 in a Hilton room so took advantage. Think the rate I booked at was less than £250/night at the time.
- pauldb says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 17:36
  
  What do you actually want to do in Bournemouth? As a local, the centre of town is not great. More pleasant are Poole (Hotel du Vin) or Christchurch (Christchurch Harbour Hotel). But the centre of Bournemouth is well placed if you intend to day trip east (New Forest) and west (Isle of Purbeck).
  - YC says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 17:43
    
    Just a pitstop towards Cornwall and somewhere that seems pleasant to start a roadtrip. Need somewhere to do some work and OH can do some surfing (beginner) + decent meal in the evening would be nice. Never been to bournemouth too. Will take a look at those other places too.
Hilton query guy says:

28 Jun28 June 14:46

Who else thinks we should make Germans, French & Portuguese – who want a few days holiday in UK – quarantine for 14 days first?

They simply don’t do much genome testing – pretty ignorant for first world countries – then blame us for detecting new variants because UK genome testing is good compared to their own miserable effort.

If you don’t test, you don’t find.
- Hilton query guy says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 14:48
  
  OTOH my wife says UK is just plain stupid to share the results of our genome testing.
  - Pete M says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 14:54
    
    But they have to quarantine for 10(5) days? And pay for all the tests? Why on earth would anyone come here from those countries for their holidays?!
  - Andy D says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 15:56
    
    I very respectfully disagree with your wife.
- Anna says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 15:04
  
  I don’t think many of them will be coming here on holiday as presumably they’ll then have to quarantine when they go home?
- Andy says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 15:15
  
  Do you live under a rock? The UK has had a mandatory 10 day quarantine from most European countries, alongside mandatory testing which is comfortably in excess of 100£. But European countries cannot have similar enty rules in place for Brits for some reason?
- Paul says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 15:30
  
  Your ignorance of the seriousness of Covid-19 delta variant is staggering. Germany is on the yellow list, they already must quarantine on arrival and then also do the same on their return to Germany. Stop reading the daily Hate or Excrement.
  The mess we are in is entirely the fault of Johnson and his hubris. He did not control entry to the UK from India and then gave so much notice that many dozens of private jets plus packed flights shipped in the Delta variant in.
  Europe and now Hong Kong see this, they are not going to squander their vaccine roll outs, (which daily catch up with our own). Impressive as the roll out was, we have simply spaffed the benefits up the wall of Johnson’s global Britain fantasy. Its so typically English
  - Anna says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 16:36
    
    Whose fault is it that the Delta variant is now dominant in the US and Australia then?!
    - Lord Doncaster says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 16:55
      
      Probably Paul will say that’s the fault of the “daily Hate” as well
      - Hilton query guy says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 20:33
        
        Viruses always mutate – there will inevitably be variants.
        
        The good news is: over time, nearly all viruses become less dangerous, otherwise they ‘kill’ themselves.
        
        There is a lot of hope.
      - Hilton query guy says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 20:50
        
        I have become an expert on Covid-19 these last few months, in fact I think I could get a First from Oxbridge in Epidemiology – seriously.
    - David says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 21:16
      
      Missing the point as ever, Anna.
- Harry T says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 16:40
  
  I’m very glad that you aren’t in charge of our travel policy, which is saying a lot, considering the mouth breathing incumbents.
Nicky says:

28 Jun28 June 15:21

I see that as of Thursday, Hong Kong is going to refuse flights from the UK, I think America will announce the same in a few days….that will be a shame shame as I have flights booked to Florida in September. So far 6 holidays cancelled thus far. Thanks Boris, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Carrie and Boris jet off to Barbados as soon as Parliament go into recess.
- Pete M says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 15:57
  
  Not sure about the US – given it’s only residents and citizens who can travel there anyway and this has been in place since last March it would seem a bit odd. But you never know I guess!
- Anna says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 15:59
  
  It’s really not fair to blame Boris for this, albeit he is a woeful leader. The US and Australia have been closed to UK visitors for over a year yet are both struggling to suppress the Delta variant at the current time. This can’t exactly be blamed on the UK!
  - Anna says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 16:01
    
    But yes, Barbados was my guess now that Tuscany is out. No doubt there will be a nice private villa a la Cliff Richard when he used to host the Blairs.
    - mutley says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 16:20
      
      You said it first… Carrie Antoinette, the power behind the throne, well Boris’s trousers anyway!! 🙂
stevenhp1987 says:

28 Jun28 June 15:36

When you come back from an Amber country do you always get a daily phone call?

My wife has had hers this morning… no-one has rang me yet?!
- meta says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 15:50
  
  Seems to be norm.
- blenz101 says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 15:50
  
  What were you expecting for £37bn?
  
  £650 spent for every per adult living in the UK on test and trace and you think there is money left to pay the phone bill 😉
  - Rich says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 16:46
    
    You do realise we haven’t actually spent £37bn? That’s what’s been allocated over 2 years.
    
    And what we have spent has largely gone on the immense infrastructure (testing facilities, IT, labs, machinery, consumables, staff, logistics – the Royal Mail contract alone is worth ~£1bn) required to perform millions of tests per day. Contact tracing is a tiny proportion.
    - Will says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 17:06
      
      It’s always hard to get a grasp on costs but when you consider Tesla’s total capex since it was created, to date, is significantly less than £37bn and they have factories built that construct electric cars around the world, £37bn over 2 years for some swabs and testing doesn’t seem great value in comparison.
      - meta says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 17:11
        
        The contractors will charge the government and the local authorities 10X the normal costs, just because they can.
      - Rich says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 17:56
        
        ‘Some swabs and testing’ does a lot of heavy lifting there!
        
        It’s £280 per person per year. I don’t disagree that it’s a lot of money, and I’m sure some people are getting rich out of it, but I don’t know if that makes it excessive.
      - Lady London says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 19:55
        
        +1 Will
    - Rob says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 18:00
      
      It’s the equivalent of 19p on income tax for 12 months. It is a staggering sum and by default mainly wasted. The Government will be paying £1000 per day for contact tracers being paid £100.
      - Anna says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 18:04
        
        Contact tracers who don’t even know the rules!
      - Hilton query guy says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 21:11
        
        It is a ridiculously high amount and heads should roll – they won’t, of course – think how much better the NHS could be with £35B investment.
        
        Test & Trace was/ is a complete joke. My bro-in-law (retired) did T&T stuff on the phone and told me from day 1 it was a waste of time & money. Trying to tell some joker in Glasgow not to go to work because he got pinged.
  - BuildBackBetter says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 18:19
    
    Contact tracing is less than 1 bn.
    - Magic Mike says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 20:15
      
      In comparison, Eat Out To Help Out was £550m.
      
      Makes contact tracing seem a bargain!
- David S says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 20:53
  
  We are in Day 8 and have both had calls on at least 6 days. Getting tiring listening to the same spiel
  - TGLoyalty says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 23:56
    
    Why bother picking up anymore?
- Aaron C says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 22:41
  
  I blocked their number. I’m waiting for them to turn up at my house (where I’m isolating as per the law) at which point I’ll send them packing and refuse to speak to them.
  Yes you may say it is pathetic but I refuse to engage with such government intrusion.
Zoe says:

28 Jun28 June 16:04

So the all electronic tickets at Wimbledon have a few teething problems today. An hour in the ticket resolution queue and a print ticket as a souvenir but apart from that it’s all good.
- Barry says:
  
  28 Jun28 June 16:14
  
  What issues did you have? I’m due to go on Wednesday.
  - Zoe says:
    
    28 Jun28 June 16:39
    
    Shared the second ticket to my husband but it never appeared on his Wimbledon app. He could see it in his online account. They said some problems were fixed by downloading a new version of the app but there were hundreds of people in the queue and not all user error. We had left an extra hour to sort it so no big impact on our day.
    - rams1981 says:
      
      28 Jun28 June 17:12
      
      thanks for sharing Zoe
      - Chris says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 17:33
        
        Where do you see your tickets in the Wimbledon app? Not a problem for me until next week but I can’t even see anywhere obvious where tickets will appear 🤷🏼‍♂️
      - Rob says:
        
        28 Jun28 June 17:57
        
        The menu option doesn’t appear until your tickets are made available to you.