Good news for those living alone.....but

That’s a shame freyja but maybe when the weather improves, you can still meet up and celebrate. I’d definitely do that if it was me.

I am on my own obeyed all the rules. My neighbors have been one step ahead of government advice. I live in an over 60s development and families, grandchildren etc have been turning up for weeks and going inside. Makes me feel really down.

Yes,Maddyone, we did plan to do just that last Friday to meet in the garden for a picnic tea, as it was our grandson's 3rd birthday but of course it rained. So we postponed until this Friday, not only is it forecast rain but my Gs has now got a chill and a cough and so again we have to postpone. This virus just seems to gone on forever. It does not help to see the news these days as social distancing has gone out of the window,even the weather is against us at the moment.

Still there is always next year. Sorry moan over, just feeling sorry for myself.

It has been incredibly hard to live solo since 16 March when I locked down. I am incredibly lucky, no major heath problems just elderly! I have a partner also similar age so we have been living apart and meeting occasionally in public. I am delighted that we can spend a little normal time from Saturday - eating a meal together, sitting on a sofa and I can have an arm around me or walk hand in hand!
We could not be together before as he is rebuilding his home and could not work on it if he lived here. I had to choose him over my darling daughter and family - such a difficult decision. She has been so gracious and loving that I was sadly torn between the two households. My heart goes out to others ( couples) who will feel it is not fair that I have the chance to hug my grandchildren but chosen my partner.
Let’s realise some loosening of lockdown down will seem odd/unfair/ biased but life isn’t fair - let’s hope we all stay healthy to try to change the future for the better.
Keep safe xxx

It’s a pity that people can’t be relied on to use their common-sense, then none of these rulings would be necessary. Quite frankly, because they are trying to do a ‘one size fits all’ some of the rules are completely bonkers for some people.
For example, my unmarried son lives with me. He goes to work each day. Though his employers, and us, take as many precautions as possible, I am still at risk of being infected. I’m 80, and probably wouldn’t survive.

My daughter lives near me, and is working from home. She only goes out for necessary shopping. If I lived with her, the risk to me would be much less. However, because I live in a two-person household I am only allowed to visit her garden, not enter her house or go nearer than 2 metres.

Visiting my young GC is academic, because they both live in Australia.

?

Hang on in there Lemon. You're doing a great job! The mind boggles at your restraint. Bravo!

For couples the rules are the same as last weekend. We visited our son who lives 40 miles from us, we had lunch in the garden, we stayed about four hours, and after a loo visit, we came home. How is that difficult to understand? I think I’ve already written about it up thread.

And ginny has repeatedly pointed out the new rules. They’re not difficult to understand.

Maw
You’ve echoed exactly what I said in response to that poster. How many times does it need to be said? Also lemon has pointed out the new rules, but I think she’s losing the will to live now.

Lemon grove, I feel your pain. That’s exactly the reaction I had when I read that post. ?

As you say Maddyone - perfectly clear!

What is the problem?

ChrisK
The rules are not as clear as mud, they are very clear. Since you live with your husband, you can both go to visit your adult child and grandchildren, but you must remain in the garden! You can visit the loo in their house but otherwise you can’t go inside. The changes are only for single people living alone.

Echoing lemongrove’s “Aaargh” and Luckygirl’s more restrained response.
And please, while I m sure the poor man has a perfectly adequate sense of humour, his name is Whitty.

One question about all this is, who is going to police these instructions if we do have family here over night.?
Freyja if you wish to break the law in this way why on earth are you agonising about the new let up in lockdown for single grandparents or parents?
Do what the **you like, but don’t complain if lockdown restrictions are extended or reimposed because everybody has decided to do the same.
1 1/2 hours drive is perfectly doable for lunch , it is what I have always had to do to visit my daughter in Birmingham or my other daughters in London.
Staying over involves kennels for the dog and was not an option in the last three years of my husband’s life. For the next three months you should be fine to have lunch in the garden or a picnic in the park, and yes, you are allowed to use the loo in their house.
Your D’s MIL has been fortunate that she is able to see the children out of doors, with appropriate social distancing but on the other hand she is on her own. Not unfair is it?
Life is frequently unfair - Losing a husband years before his time is also unfair but as my Dad used to remind me, nobody promised us life would be fair.

Sorry - that message was to ChrisK.

If you are not living alone, then the new rules simply do not apply to you at all.

The new rules are for people living alone (widowed, lone parents etc.) to be able to join a bubble with one family (e.g. DD and SIL and children).

You do not have to choose between you and your OH because neither of you come under these new rules in any way.

I think Chris Witty was following up the question about partners who lived apart. After Boris gave a rather muddled reply he confirmed that if one or both of the partners lived alone in their home the bubble could be applied. However, if both partners lived in multiple occupancy households, they would not be aloud to 'bubble'.

Arrrrrrrrgh!

Hi yes as most of you have said as always rules are about as clear as mud
There are two of us gma&gadad, how do we choose between us especially as the gks are 40 minutes drive away and we both love and miss the 2 of them so much.

It’s what we called it when one of the grandchildren was taken short when we took them out lemon. That was of course, in the days when we took the children out.

Lemongrove I haven’t listened to snippets on social media, I was merely quoting, word for word, what Prof Witty said. Please listen to that part where he was answering a written question from a viewer if you don’t understand what I’m saying. Johnson was waffling as usual and as I said I completely understand the message the media inc BBC and Gov website has put out. I am pointing out that Witty seemed to say something different.

Wild wees....love it ?

But you can use the toilet on a garden visit, but it should be sanitized afterwards. No need for ‘wild wees’ at all.
Good advice lemon.

GardenerGran

Lemongrove I’m not stupid and I fully understand the new rules as laid out by the media, my issue as Mamacaz mentioned is that it’s not what Chris Witty appeared to say at 57 mins into the update. Quote “ just to be clear, what can be done and what can’t, the idea of the bubbles is for families which have a single adult in the household, so if this applied to 2 families with a single adult in the household, that would be covered by what the PM has just talked about, this idea of bubbling, for other people it’s largely going to have to be around meeting outside”. That’s what confused me, and it makes more sense applied like that as it would cut down the means of transmission. However that’s not the message that’s being put out so maybe Prof Witty was confused!

I listened to what Johnson said at the briefing and it was completely clear.The BBC message backs it up.
If anyone feels confused.....don’t listen to snippets on social media or what a friend says, go onto the Gov web site or the BBC site.