Preparedness for when

GreyQueen

And they're off, as they say at the horse racing. And it's raining here, which has always historically impacted on turnout, although I can't see why people would find the need to avoid the polling station because they might need a brolly or a jacket to-ing and fro-ing.

mila, I think RAS means that Germany bans referenda. I've no knowledge of this one way or the other, but that is how I read her post. Hopefully, she'll clarify later.

Anybody know why we Brits always do our voting on Thursdays? I've been meaning to find out since forever but never got around to finding out.

Aha! wiki is my friend:

Election Day in the United Kingdom is by tradition a Thursday. It has been suggested that this tradition arose as the best of several circumstances: Friday pay-packets would lead to more drunken voters on Fridays and weekends; having the election as far after a Sunday as possible would reduce the influence of Sunday sermons; many towns held markets on Thursdays, thus the local population would be travelling to town that day anyway. Under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act 2011, all future General Elections shall take place on the first Thursday in May every five years, barring special circumstances. Most other European countries hold all Elections on Sundays. Polls in the United Kingdom open at 7:00 and close at 22:00.

mrs-moneypenny

Thanks GQ I'd often wondered why Thursday's as well.

Watched the channel4 debate last night oh dear, it was more like Jeremy Kyle than Jeremy paxman. I think he would have got on better trying to herd frogs than control that audience.
It was a last ditch attempt by anyone left on either side to hurl insults at each other
Dh has just told me they weren't allowed to show the front pages of the papers on the tv his morning incase it influences anyone's vote either way. Surely that's all they've been trying to done for the last few months with all these endless debates and public backbiting. I'd never noticed that rule before but can't say I watch breakfast tv as a rule.

Off to sort some stuff out for the charity shop as I'm only I work for a few hours today. Also think garden will need watering as we've had two dry days here!

nuatha

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

Thanks GQ I'd often wondered why Thursday's as well.

Watched the channel4 debate last night oh dear, it was more like Jeremy Kyle than Jeremy paxman. I think he would have got on better trying to herd frogs than control that audience.
It was a last ditch attempt by anyone left on either side to hurl insults at each other

I'm sure they'll have many more chances, with the added you backed the losing side, or you may have won but look what mess you've caused as well as the perennial, that's not what you promised before the vote.

Dh has just told me they weren't allowed to show the front pages of the papers on the tv his morning incase it influences anyone's vote either way. Surely that's all they've been trying to done for the last few months with all these endless debates and public backbiting. I'd never noticed that rule before but can't say I watch breakfast tv as a rule.

There's very heavy restrictions on what can be reported while the polls are open - make the most of it, it might be the last chance to enjoy non referenda related news for some time.

Off to sort some stuff out for the charity shop as I'm only I work for a few hours today. Also think garden will need watering as we've had two dry days here!

Any one would think it was summer

maryb

Long queues at the polling station when it opened apparently. We were there shortly after it opened because dd2 had to get in early and wanted to vote before work. Still long queue to register. I said to the polling clerk it was going to be a long day and she said not at this rate it'll all be over by lunchtime.

Momentous day. I think everyone felt it. Not sure if that translates into great enthusiasm either way

GreyQueen

I have seldom been so glad to be in a TV-free household as this past couple of months. Spent an instructive 40 mins yestereve watching TEDx talks on simple living, very thought-provoking.

mrs-moneypenny, I am envying your sunny weather, I actually have the light on as it's so grey and gloomy here, and it's rainng. If it clears out later, I'll take a machete up to the allotment and hack my way up the path yet again.

Although I really must head to the shops for fresh veg as running a bit low for my breakfast salad ingredients today.

mrs-moneypenny

Luckily we have a lovely guy who stands a market stall on the carpark just behind our house on Thursday so that's ideal for my top up shop. We get the main fruit and veg from him on another pitch at the weekend. Not the cheapest but great quality and he's an independent business so we are happy to support him. Being veggie we get through a fair amount hence reason to try and grow some supplementary crops. I also like to buy seasonally to keep carbon footprint as low as poss, I know that's difficult sometimes but you can only do what you can.

Growing spuds in straw hasn't appeared successful, I took a peak in the bags yesterday and straw just seems to have got wet and rotten so the pots are only forming in the bottom layer of soil, I will learn from that for next years attempt at growing them.

GreyQueen

I think I'll mosey around to the Magic Greengrocer late this afternoon after w*rk, stock up. He's a third generation family business, I used to know his old dad before he retired. Like you say, it's good to support the independants if you can.

Righty, better get washed and brushed up and out the door to t'call centre. Gonna be a long day.

Karmacat

TV-free here too, and very glad of it right now - I wouldn't watch those programmes in any case, I can't bear how insulting they are without answering questions, but you can't seem to avoid clips and adverts for them either, from what I remember.

My Kondoing is making my Preparedness easier or it will do, when I've finished!

monnagran

Ah well. The die is cast. DS and I rolled up at at our voting centre to find a queue of cars waiting to get into the car park and a long queue of people waiting to get into the hall. As it took less than 20 seconds to get each person registered, voted and out again it was amazing that such a long queue had time to form. I heard someone exclaim, "it's never like this at general elections."

Thank goodness it's all over bar the shouting, and I imagine there will be plenty of that.

Can we get on with life now please?

x

Mojisola

monnagran wrote: »

DS and I rolled up at at our voting centre to find a queue of cars waiting to get into the car park and a long queue of people waiting to get into the hall. As it took less than 20 seconds to get each person registered, voted and out again it was amazing that such a long queue had time to form. I heard someone exclaim, "it's never like this at general elections."

One of our sons was the only person there (apart from the staff) when he voted this morning.