Mask wearing rules & advice, Thames Valley & South West England from 19.7.2021

[whole diary]

[grahame]

As from 19th July 2021, the wearing of face masks on public transport (including on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) trains) in most of England becomes the choice of individual rather than a legal requirement.  In Wales, in Scotland, on Transport for London services, on Heathrow Express services,  and on Transport for Wales services that cross the border into England, the use of face masks remains mandated by law.

I personally - and in line with almost everyone else - impeach implore you to continue to wear masks on public transport and in other enclosed and crowded places. See http://grahamellis.uk/blog198.html

Regular hand cleaning, social distancing, contactless payment, use of quieter services, not travelling if you don't feel well remain strong advice too.

If you are instructed to self-isolate or if you have a positive test or are "pinged", you are required to stay in one place.

This thread will be linked to from the top Coffee Shop pages for current advice.  Members are welcome to post clarifications / updates for the next 24 hours to help fine-tune the summary of the mess of messages being put out from various places.

Edit to add: GWR advice:

[stuving]

A slight word confusion there - "I impeach you" sounds like an echo of Cromwell's "I beseech you", or the equally antiquated "I entreat you", but can't be right. Further, and more modern, alternatives are of course available.

[IndustryInsider]

In the warm weather of yesterday it was noticeable how the percentage of people wearing masks properly had reduced considerably - especially on platforms - and of course it currently is still a legal requirement!

I personally don’t think making it an emergency bye-law condition of travel as some have suggested would make much difference in the percentage of people wearing a mask properly come Monday.

I will miss the feeling of power you get when walking through a carriage in uniform and observing passengers quickly lift their mask up over their face almost creating a Mexican wave effect as you walk through!

[grahame]

A slight word confusion there - "I impeach you" sounds like an echo of Cromwell's "I beseech you", or he equally antiquated "I entreat you", but can't be right. Further, and more modern, alternatives are of course available.

Which alternative do you think?  "implore"?? - which is probably what I meant to type in the first place

[stuving]

A slight word confusion there - "I impeach you" sounds like an echo of Cromwell's "I beseech you", or he equally antiquated "I entreat you", but can't be right. Further, and more modern, alternatives are of course available.

Which alternative do you think?  "implore"?? - which is probably what I meant to type in the first place

Sounds about right. Unless you were specifically addressing only Boris, in which case "impeach" would fit, at least as wishful thinking.

[onthecushions]

Try "urge", but don't be put off from using good English even if you are accused of using Middle Class "elaborated code" rather than Plebeian "restricted code".

Shakespeare is I believe in the National Curriculum so most ought to know what you mean.

OTC

[ChrisB]

Check first - but I read somewhere that HEX are mandating face coverings as well as TFL^▸ (Transport for London)

[PhilWakely]

In the warm weather of yesterday it was noticeable how the percentage of people wearing masks properly had reduced considerably - especially on platforms - and of course it currently is still a legal requirement!

I was in walking along the platform at Newton Abbot earlier today wearing my mask as required and was confronted by a maskless and very vocal customer who proceded to instruct me to "take your <expletive deleted> mask off you wuss". I had to pass them again and was greeted with the remark "you haven't removed it yet I see".

[bobm]

Totally unacceptable.

[TaplowGreen]

Check first - but I read somewhere that HEX are mandating face coverings as well as TFL^▸ (Transport for London)

Correct

https://www.railnews.co.uk/news/2021/07/16-heathrow-express-to-insist-on.html

[grahame]

I have edited the post at the top of this thread to cover HEX's mandated masks, and to add the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) graphic:

[oxviem]

I feel to add for those travelling in the inner-thames valley that as TFL^▸ (Transport for London) rail is operated by TFL then mask wearing is mandated on those services but not on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services serving the same station.

It also I guess means at the stations run by TFL - so is that every station bar Reading; Maidenhead and Paddington? - mask wearing is mandiatory.

[bobm]

I feel to add for those travelling in the inner-thames valley that as TFL^▸ (Transport for London) rail is operated by TFL then mask wearing is mandated on those services but not on the GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) services serving the same station.

It also I guess means at the stations run by TFL - so is that every station bar Reading; Maidenhead and Paddington? - mask wearing is mandiatory.

While hopefully it will not make any difference to mask wearing - Twyford and Slough are also managed by GWR.

[IndustryInsider]

Can’t say I’ve noticed any real change in compliance on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) trains today against last week.  Perhaps over time fewer face coverings will be worn, but as yet there’s little evidence of a change since it has gone from ‘law’ to ‘recommendation’.

[TaplowGreen]

Can’t say I’ve noticed any real change in compliance on GWR^▸ (Great Western Railway) trains today against last week.  Perhaps over time fewer face coverings will be worn, but as yet there’s little evidence of a change since it has gone from ‘law’ to ‘recommendation’.

Good to hear & good to see people acting responsibly. Let's hope it stays that way.