This was the headline on the front page of the Daily Mail on Thursday. Now we know that sensational headlines sell papers and you are of course immediately drawn to this one. What gets lost and they’ve tried to hide it even further by putting it into brackets is the message that the experts say “don’t panic.” Why do they come up with this rubbish? Hasn’t there been enough damage done already?
I know I’m in that industry with the radio and what I write about. But in anything I say or write I always try to be measured and give the facts fairly and truthfully without getting too deep. Negative stories don’t help in any way, shape or form. Is it too much to ask for someone to actually tell us how it is?
I don’t know about you but I’m fed up with it all now. In fact when I think about it I’ve been saying this for ages. We need to learn to live with this, whatever it is, as our lives are in a state of flux. I know I wake up to warm temperatures, beautiful surroundings etc…but I still feel like I’m living in North Korea. Leave us alone, give us back our lives and let us get on living. I’m 54, I don’t count myself as old but let’s face it I’ve got 20-30 years left if I’m lucky. I don’t want it to all to be like this. I want to go out without a mask, to decide if I want to sit inside or outside a bar or restaurant with my family or a group of friends. Go to the theatre and cinema and go to watch my team play football. And then not worry about what time I’ve got to be home!
For too long now we’ve been told this will happen or that will happen and I don’t want to be told anything anymore. Let me make my own mind up.
I wasn’t surprised that we weren’t given the green light by the UK Government. All along I’ve said the end of June and nothing I’ve seen or heard changes that right now. Imagine the people in Portugal now, having had the green light and now get it taken away. That was always the worry on being on such a short list and probably the only major holiday destination too. We found that to our cost last year and although hindsight is an easy thing, it maybe a blessing for us here. If we do get open in July there’s still a chance of a summer season. Albeit shorter, it is possible. If we can be clear on what we can and can’t do during this next month, it will be all systems go until the end of October. There’s been talk of an extended season into November and that would be great but personally I don’t think it will happen.
The laughable thing is that Spain have welcomed the Brits back without having to take a PCR test beforehand but the EU have said Brits can’t travel to any EU country unless it’s for a specific reason. So the country that has the best vaccination programme in Europe can’t travel as the EU says the Indian Variant infections are far higher than in any other country. You couldn’t make it up. Well, you could as I’m sure most Governments have at times during this.
Would it not be an idea for the UK Government to say for a country to make the green list that this criteria must be met and then not keep moving the goalposts? It would give airlines, Tour Operators, businesses in the destinations and most importantly those wanting to travel the chance to plan. The problem in Portugal apparently was down to new variants. Firstly why are we vaccinating everyone if every time we get a new variant everything stops? And secondly new variants are going to crop up all the time so when will we learn that we have to live with this?
I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped us with this years Charity Radiothon last weekend. It was tough to get through the 36 hours but we managed it and the preliminary total so far is 27,100.00€. That was just short of our preliminary total last year but we’re hopeful that we can beat last years overall total of 30,948.32€. We still have the raffle to do on Thursday next week so fingers crossed.
Take care everyone and enjoy your Weekend!
Richie presents the Radio One Mallorca Breakfast show Monday to Friday 07.30-11.00am on 93.8fm in Mallorca and 102fm in Calvià, online at www.radioonemallorca.com on mobile through their free App for IPhone & Android, The Tunein Radio App, iTunes, the Spanish TDT TV service and all smart speakers. If you can’t hear him on the radio then you’ll find him working at Pirates Adventure the islands number one night out and every now and again he may make an understudy appearance!
Follow him on Twitter @DadTaxi1 & Instagram @dad.taxi or feel free to email him at rprior@globobalear.com
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