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

Did mention divorce papers to my husband, I THINK I was joking!?

It would be good for single grandparents to go and stay with one of their children and GC, but I wonder, from some of the views on here, how many will be brave enough to do it? I do worry about those, non-shielding, who seem to be paralysed with fear?

I can’t see the confusion either. Read the official advice, take it or use your own common sense as to what you feel safe doing.

I expect a lot of grannies and grandads will carry on with the garden visits but should it come on to rain............

I think somebody said they are looking forward to having mum round from the care home, will she be allowed out and then back in?

GreenGran
Granny and Grandad can visit........in the garden! Surely that’s not too difficult to understand. But they don’t need to move in, because they’re not lonely, they’ve got each other for company.

Sorry ladies and gents I don’t understand what all the confusion is about. I thought it was clear enough for us to use our common sense they are guidelines and we are the older generation. My DDs and Gc would wonder what the hell there is to be confused about. Light hearted comment by the way.

dogsmother Very good reminder.

Reading a few comments, there seems to be some, who live by themselves, think they can now visit their families where there are more than one adult.

wend50 There are so many vulnerable people. We have friends whose son (who lives alone) and not far from them committed suicide three weeks ago. As you say It is not about covid risk but about ensuring those vulnerable to mental health issues have a bubble of support

I speak with my daughter every day. She is by herself with GD and is working from home with work contact through Zoom for meetings. She has her very down days but has a very close friend who also rings her every day. I look forward to the day she can come to see us or we can drive the 300 miles to see her.

I think this is Mr Johnson 'throwing the dead cat on the table’, ie, distracting us from other matters - in this case the complete chaos of the attempt to re-open schools. And, of course, if schools aren't opening, it will help the economy if granny/grandad can get back to childcare. Plus reducing the embarrassing problem of dead folk not being noticed until the smell gets too much. Johnson's only interest is his own political survival.

I understand that the idea behind this is to help lonely people, living on their own. However, I don’t see that there would be any difference between granny alone moving in with one of her family, or granny and grandad moving in, or visiting.

maddyone crossed posts - ditto

Wend50 good post that is exactly the reasoning behind the bubble

It is for support of an individual who has been in lockdown alone for 12 weeks, the same for single parents with children under 18, emotional support and mental wellbeing.

I really do not think it’s confusing. It’s not rocket science, and has been well explained by lemongrove.
No Mollypussy it’s most certainly not unfair to couples. This is about combating loneliness for people who live alone, such as my mother. She has been totally isolated for twelve weeks. She is 92 but not shielding. She can now visit us in our home. She can now enjoy a meal with us indoors. This week we have been visiting her in the garden at her sheltered apartment but now she can visit us in our house. You should think yourself lucky Mollypussy that you were not alone, and had the company of your husband during lockdown. Many others like Maw and other Gransnetters have been, like my mother, in lockdown alone. This measure is for them.

Trying to find out how many single households there are in the UK that this good news could apply to. On Gov.UK latest figure is 8 million. Added to this figure is 1.8 million single parent families.

So, hopefully, many of these will now be able to find that support bubble, if they need it, and meet up with another singleton.

I was single for 20 years between the age of 40 and 60. I couldn't imagine how I would have felt not being able to have the contact I used to have. Well I can

I know, I know.....! Just an example of the lack of logic! But I can always go an see a giraffe to cheer me up.

Kate54: First world problems eh?

Oh my lord thank goodness I live in Scotland and we are still behind in this. Here the rules are very straight forward at moment, but even now people are tweaking them to suit themselves, so goodness knows what it will be like in phase 2 .

Many of you are missing the point. This is about mental health and the problems of living in isolation and lockdown to those who are living alone (whatever their age). My son in law is a senior registrar in an A&E department. One night last week they had NINE attempted suicides in (normal is one or two). It is not about covid risk but about ensuring those vulnerable to mental health issues have a bubble of support. I am living alone and will be forming a bubble with him, my daughter and grandson. It is now over 12 weeks since i had physical contact with another person and i for one am grateful that i will now have that contact.

Me too MissAdventure (no-one to bubble with). Brings it home at bit doesn't it?

Tbh I wish he had made an announcement about shielding rather than this. Other parts of the UK have had shielding extended and I want to know about England

I am so happy to be here in Guernsey where we are now moved on from from first bubble stage.
Can I just tell you all do NOT mix bubbles.
Choose your household to bubble with that’s it no swapping after that.
Not mum one day and dad the next.....

Should have previewed - Durdle Door of course - thanks auto correct!

Sod that! I am still just keeping away from everyone.



I'm very relieved that my DGCs are all adults now so I no longer have to worry about Granny duty in the time of Corona!

So much easier to keep the drawbridge up.

Kate54 I believe the reason you can’t go to an empty holiday home is because these are usually in under-resourced areas e.g. there is one hospital in Cornwall - what happens if their population doubles? You’ll need to shop, fill up with petrol etc. The madness at Dursley’s Door recently highlights some of the issues.

The bubble rule will enable us to see an isolated member of our family who works from home but my elderly mother will still need to rely on Zoom as she is in the shielded group.

I have recently seen a diagram showing percentages Of population in each country who have the virus. USA and Russia were shown in a higher bracket than the UK but it struck me that the UK has been in the second highest bracket for longer than any other country and I wonder why we are still in that high group so long after lockdown started.

They are offering people who have been on their own for three months to reach out for some personal contact. I hear all the time we need to do tiny steps and then when the government do you are all moaning. Don’t forget you aren’t being forced to make a bubble.

Thanks. That's how I understood it.