Should I feel guilty?

Park or garden, as long as social distancing applies what’s the difference?
More space between you than some people in the supermarket

Ok Aonk I get you but you have nothing to feel guilty about. Ignore any posts that have been harsh we shouldn't throw judgement.
The thing is lots have been rigid with the rules I get that but lots haven't had a choice especially when you are working and have others relying on you. But dont waste a wonderful time seeing your family with feelings of guilt, we are on the slow road to getting back to normal and hopefully we all will be reunited other than video chats. Have a lovely afternoon and take carex

Jishere you’re right. You did support my post and Im grateful for that. Yes everyone has different circumstances and it must be difficult for you that your DD and GC are far away from you. My family has stuck rigidly to the lockdown rules from day one, only going out for walks and shopping and not meeting up at all. Yes we have now breached those rules largely to boost our mental health. I said I felt guilty but some posters have been so harsh.

Perfectly fine. My older DGC came over with their new new dog yesterday & we walked round the aerodrome near our house & then we came back here. Sat in garden & chatted & had tea & cake. It was a lovely afternoon. My DGC are 12-16 so no problem worrying about them not social distancing- they are better than we are.
Will see the younger ones on Friday at their house as it is little one's birthday.

Enjoy the memories.
I am sure your neighbours were happy for you as you would have been for them had the boot been on the other foot.

Hetty hopefully the Waitrose loos are more hygienic than those used by the traders in Wohan market! Obviously if we don't want to risk anything we'll never go out again.

I can’t see anything wrong with what the OP did.
Employing common sense, with due regard to individual circumstances, seems to me to be the way to go.

Around here, where so many joggers and cyclists seem utterly oblivious of any sort of social distancing, just going for a walk has to be more hazardous than any sitting at a distance in the garden.

dear AONK ,after what the members of parliament ,are doing ,i would say you meeting was quite acceptable ,and i am sure made you feel so much better ,,,and of course the children must have enjoyed it ,

I live in a London suburb and am lucky enough to have a royal park down the road. When I walk there I see neighbours, and talk to them at a safe distance. Am I not meant to do this? When my DS or DD have dropped off shopping for us, I stand in the doorway and they stand on the pavement and we chat at a safe distance. Can't see anything wrong about it.

The OP obviously feels uncomfortable about what she did, and posted hoping that others would agree what she did was ok.

She has received much support from most, as some government actions have left much to be desired, and many think ‘blow it, why should we try and follow guidelines when so many others are not doing?’

Personally, we have still not visited DS and family who live 5 minutes away with a big garden we could all sit in. He works from home, but still attends work sometimes and has meetings with many others. DIL works for the NHS and has close contact with the public in her job. GC are 15 and 12, but have never met up with friends.

Whatever DC and others have done, we will continue to follow guidelines until told we should do otherwise. If, heaven forbid, we or any of our loved ones become ill, we know we have done all we can to stay safe.

Sharon if you can explain why sitting outside in our gardens with family keeping 2m away in any way contributes to a rise in the R number, then please take this opportunity to do so.

Do this instead of ranting and making accusations.

Yea I’ve been affected by a death in the family and I have family members who work for the NHS, but I am so disgusted by this useless government and their woolly rules that I am meeting up with family outside. A garden is safer than the crowded park with joggers, cyclists, football games going on in my common sense opinion. I am also on standby for essential childcare support. In case one or both parents need it - that’s working on parental instinct which is apparently fine.

I feel very strongly on this subject.
I'll not wait for Boris's announcement this week-end. I'll come on to Gransnet for the next set of rules shall I.
I think all of you who have made your own rules are a disgrace and insult to the thousands upon thousands that have had an awful death with this deadly virus,the young, the old, NHS workers, care workers, the list goes on.
No thought or respect for relatives who have had to live with the grief that will haunt them for the rest of their lives because they couldn't be with their loved ones and unable to attend a proper funeral.
No respect for the people who have stuck to the rules at the cost of not being able to see their family and friends.
My guess is that none of the posters were affected by a death in the family so had no effect on them. Staying away from family is a small price to pay.
Luckily I've lost no one to this virus but feel deeply for the one's that have.
Just because the numbers have gone down doesn't mean it's gone away.

DD2 and I met up for the first time yesterday, sitting 2 metres apart in the nearest park on our fold down chairs. I did wonder why we were literally the only people in there. Then, as we trailed each other back to her car, two separate neighbours asked us why we’d gone to the park instead of just sitting in the garden as they were with their friends. They genuinely thought it was allowed under the latest guidelines and we honestly thought we’d missed an announcement.

We’ll stick to the park next time as well, unless the guidance changes again. For one thing it’s more peaceful there than on our street now!

You asked the question should I feel guilty then you asked for views and no criticism. You got lots of posters endorsing your actions. You wanted constructive comments ? Where you feeling guilty at upsetting your neighbours ? You say you now feel it was the wrong thing to do. You certainly have upset me and a few others not because I felt jealous that you chose to ignore the rules but that you did and it would appear others have as well. I dont understand the purpose of your thread? Where you looking for everyone to absolve you ??

There are some odd comments on here. There's talk of meeting up in your gardens but 'sticking to all the rules' - no you are not.

Then a mention of supermarket shopping for the first time since lockdown implies that it's somehow safer now. I doubt that - as infection rates are far higher.

As for using public loos, I'd never risk that. The loo used by traders in Wuhan market was suspected of harbouring and transmitting the virus rapidly.

Think about it. The virus exists in fecal matter. Flushing loos creates airborne mist (that's why toothbrushes should never be stored within six feet of a toilet).

Missiseff I wish you well too.

Jishere I’m grateful for your supportive post. Yes everyone has different circumstances and I can see that having your DD and GC living far away must be very hard for you. All my family has adhered strictly to the lockdown and last Friday was our first breach of the rules. This is why I said I felt guilty. By the way my GC are old enough to understand social distancing and didn’t enter the house at all. I wish you well.

It will probably end up with about 20,000 extra deaths from covid-19 than in a bad flu year; that's 20,000 out of a population of about 70 million people in the UK. Probably fewer died in road accidents over the last few months so fatalities overall will be fairly constant at a quarter of a million per annum. To put numbers in perspective, about 200,000 healthy babies are aborted each year and there seems to be a large fan club for a woman's choice to do that!

While it is sad for the families involved who have lost someone they are close to, everyone needs to get a grip and start behaving normally. Lockdown will end soon and the day before won't be any different from the day after the announcement.

Boost our mental health? That old chestnut

Jishere you’re right. You did support my post and Im grateful for that. Yes everyone has different circumstances and it must be difficult for you that your DD and GC are far away from you. My family has stuck rigidly to the lockdown rules from day one, only going out for walks and shopping and not meeting up at all. Yes we have now breached those rules largely to boost our mental health. I said I felt guilty but some posters have been so harsh.

Aonk everybodies situation has/is different. My daughter doesn't live near me, so how was she suppose to drive here?It is up to her when she is ready to allow others to be near my precious grandchildren. They are young and would never understand social distancing. Elderly relatives live up the road in fact went shopping today for them. I don't think it's that hard to understand, they need my help. Kind of feel you are nit picking here when I for one supported your very first post.

However I’ve furloughed my butler.

There is no logical reason behind banning people from gardens together if they maintain 2m distance.

I’m shocked by the number of people who are saying “nothing to feel guilty about” and “you have done nothing wrong.”
You (and countless others it would seem) have broken the rules. Whether you agree with the rules is irrelevant. And DC breaking the rules doesn’t make it right for you to do so as well. Let’s all remember WHY these rules were put in place, and do our best to follow them for the sake of others even if we don’t care about our own safety.