Cemetery

Was pondering about this as its my mums birthday but on reading the posts decided to go today. It was fine, roads and cemetery quieT. Had a quick tidy, took some flowers from the garden and a jam jar as a vase and am pleased fear didnt stop me from remembering a dear, kind and much missed mum on her birthday.

My understanding (well in our area anyway) is that all cemeteries and graveyards are open to the public
However if the cemetery has a crematorium in place then they are closed but opened up only for funerals. Each crematorium has it's own rules as to how many members can attend as they are practising safe distancing and ashes cannot be scattered for the time being. We have a family funeral to go to but its limited to 12 . All very sad but needs must at this time

Guineagirl, I really hope you went to your mums grave. You only have one mum, and I'm sure, in your shoes, I would have gone. Sadly, my dads grave is in London and I live in Devon so I don't get many opportunities as it is, with this lockdown.

You go Guineagirl.
I went to our cemetery on my dads birthday, 17th March and again on Mothers day to take flowers.
Our cemetery is at the other end of the village and went down in my sons car. He lives at home with me.
We saw that the grass hadn't been cut and so we took the grass clippers and push mower a couple of days ago and is nice and tidy now. We went in the early evening just in case there was a daytime funeral. There was only us on the road.
We noticed that a few had been to tend to graves.
I like you was worried whether we should be doing this.
I always have a chat with them and tell them what's going on. I hope they hear me.
We will be going again on 30th April for the 6th anniversary of our mums death and again on the 3rd May for the 30th anniversary of my dad.
It would have broken my heart if I hadn't have gone.

Does anyone know.are you allowed to move to live with another family if you and they have been isolating up to now ?

Is this different across the counties. Does anyone know?

We had 8 people at the crematorium but we had to sit apart, it seemed to be fairly arbitrary, most of our friends and other family would have had to travel a long way.
In Manchester you can have 150 if you are thugs and the police think it's safer not to upset you!

Of course you can you’re not meeting anyone
I go to my parents in the cemetery it’s very quite and very beautiful I went last week

You should remember these are exceptional times and everyone is making huge sacrifices. Is this a necessary journey, the answer is no. You can remember your mother in other ways, private prayer, light a candle, look at her picture, hold something that belonged to her.

Oops they are closed fat fingers

We've lost an elderly relative today and funeral directors have told us only 3 people allowed at crematorium. Our other cemeteries are open but if theres a crematorium in there then thry are cl8sed to public and only 3 people allowed for funeral service. Is this different across the counties. Does anyone know?

The accident rate at the worst of times is very low considering the the number of cars on the road. The rate of accidents since the lockdown I understand has dropped dramatically.

As with everything it is a question of the probability the given event is likely to occur, DD pootled gently around the back roads. The probability of an accident that required police, ambulances, the fire brigade and serious injuries is vanishingly small. Even smaller than before the lockdown.

The police as ever are overdoing it, like with them starting to inspect peoples shopping bags, now stopped, and the 'clarification' the government felt necessery to issue a few days ago that again allowed people to do many things the police were saying were illegal.

Let the police first provide the evidence that there are lots - or even any - catastrophic accidents as a result of people making journeys that are permissable, let alone, just over the edge of the regulations before they start making all these threats.

The police are the one emergency service to come out very badly from the current crisis; heavy handed, insensitive and only too ready to stop anyone putting their nose outside their front door, whether legally or not.

My opinion of the police has plummeted over the last month, despite having police members in the extended family.

I was quite intrigued by your post. None of the comments refer to the possibility of you having an accident on the journey, this is one of the main reason we have been asked to NOT make unnecessary journeys.

If you were to have an accident the police, ambulance service and possibly the fire service would attend. If there were more than one casualtiy that would mean an ambulance would be required for each one. After the emergency rescue of casualties the vehicles would need to be recovered.

Now, think about the number of people potentially involved in that event!

I lost my mum in 2012, every birthday, Christmas, Mother's Day, anniversary of her death and special family event I would normally visit the cemetery. I simply do not risk travelling just now. Instead I place flowers alongside her photo at my home. I know my mum would want me to stay safe and to not put others at risk by my actions! We can remember those we have lost without visiting their resting place.

Stay safe, Stay healthy, Stay At Home!!!!!

Glad it helped your daughter Monica, she probably had her music on too and it gave her something to look forward to. I do love been in my car like her x.

Even I, a stickler for the 'rules' see no reason why you shouldn't go as you can easily distance yourself from others.

As she said, if she had been stopped she would willingly have paid the fine, it would have been worth it for the benefit it gave her.

I would just go there. Remember the purpose of these rules is to reduce exposure to the virus. You will drive there, in the cemetery it will be easy to obey distance rules, you cannot pass it to your mother and you will drive home. No problem.

DD. living alone and in lockdown, has been feeling really low, so yesterday went for a nice long quiet drive along country roads. Didn't stop, did not get out of the car, came back feeling better and put no one at risk. Yes it broke the rules, but better than ending up on anti-depressants.

pensionpat yes, they were doing just that at a large roundabout near me. It maybe because it is on route to our seaside town though.

Guineagirl, I have sent you a PM.

Thank you, well I’ll go at dinner more traffic about then. I don’t go now every few weeks I did for the first year as losing Mam was very hard. Last went Mother’s Day well the Friday just before lockdown. I suppose Mam taught me not to break rules and it’s stuck with me ?

I have read that police have approached people at beauty spots, but are they really stopping random drivers and asking “ is your journey really necessary”

You don’t have to go every few weeks though do you?
Your Mother is in your heart and mind, light a candle at home and put the flowers in a vase.

It was said at this evenings briefing that cemeteries were open so there is no need for you to feel worried about going. You have to do what you have to do. maybe do some food shopping on the way home then it might feel more like an "essential journey" for you? Difficult times

I'm glad you've decided to go. We all keep lockdown but there has to be allowances for people's circumstances.

I feel better after you all replied many thanks and I read the update today and he said all graveyards should be open to lay flowers for loved ones so I will go now, I would of felt I’d let Mam down not going it’s upsetting going it’s not easy x

You do not need to feel guilty, you will not be putting yourself or others at risk.