Re: Lockdown confusion.

Why are garden centres still open? Are garden gnomes essential purchases?

I could make a suggestion to answer that, but I'd better not say. Something to do with a middle-eastern religion and flexible rules, perhaps.

Re: Lockdown confusion.

Marge is concerned about the legality of travelling to her mother's in Bradford, 40 miles away. She's an old woman (Marge's mother, not Marge!) and can't walk far so can't get out to do her shopping, especially as her road is very steep. She is also on her own and sees no-one.
Consequently, Marge has been driving over there once a week to take shopping and see her mother for a few hours. She claims that she and her mother are 'in a bubble'.
Do you think it is permissible to continue to do this under the new lockdown?

Re: Lockdown confusion.

I agree with Meg,Carol!
You live 12mls apart?
Definitely not local !!

Donkeyman! 🤔🤔

Re: Lockdown confusion.

I don't think so JBR, Much better to move your MIL in with you !?!😀

Donkeyman! 🤔🤔

Re: Lockdown confusion.

Yes, JBR, You can get all your ‘essential’ foods from a garden centre, even plants that you wouldn’t dare to plant with the frosts at the moment.
Re. the places of worship, l would say, they are some of the worst places for the virus to linger. All that singing out loud and touching pews. It seems odd that only 18 people can attend a funeral but l am sure a lot more than 18 visit a place of worship for a service.

Most of us abide by the rules but the rules haven’t stopped anyone from entering this country. People from other countries can still fly into this country.

Re: Lockdown confusion.

No way. She was here for a few days at Christmas. Nearly drove me mad. She can talk without stopping for hours, yet actually says nothing.

Actually, Marge has just set off on a 'mission of mercy'.

Re: Lockdown confusion.

Carol, up here it's 5 miles that's considered local. I'd not go, especially as the police may just stop and question you. Better to be safe than sorry. It won't be forever and I'm sure you and your pal will be able to meet up again soon as the spring approaches and the weather warms up.

Re: Lockdown confusion.

I agree with that Roxy.
The police were stopping people at the big new shopping centre near here last week, and checking where they had travelled from - and that was we were put into T.4, let alone total lockdown.

Re: Lockdown confusion.

Roxy, I'm glad you mentioned the police - who better to ask?

My local constabulary has a page on face-book so I've sent them a message.

I'll let you know if they answer.

Re: Lockdown confusion.

Carol, in the examples you have provide the answer is in the wording. In the examples you have given, the wording is written as thus:

The other example says:

The word I have highlighted in bold is important because it defines what you are allowed to do. Basically it is describing a situation where people do not have access to open spaces (fields or parks) because they live in an area where such places do not exist in their immediate vicinity and therefore have to travel to find an open space. The wording does not say 'to an open space', instead it's says 'to access an open space', the wordings are both different. This therefore implies that if you do not have an open space close to you, you can drive to an open space BUT it has to be within the confines of your village, town or city.

Now, if you have open spaces which are accessible to the local public that are local to you Carol, it would be expected that you use that space to exercise because if you was stopped by the police and asked what you was doing and the police know there is accessible open spaces close to where you live, they will question why did you travel so far out to exercise when there are closer options available. This is when the police will suspect that you've travelled the distance you have to meet a friend and are using the excuse of finding an open space to exercise to do it.

Therefore Carol, look at the conditions of the meetup with your friend. You said you meet up half way which is 6 miles. Now, within that 6 miles, is there open spaces (fields or parks) that you have access to? If there is then you would be expected to use that area to exercise in which means there is no need to travel the 6 miles.

People do take such risks and hope they get away with it. Question is do you want to take such a risk?

As for JBR
Yes this would be allowed because her mother is on her own. This from the new law (link is here:https://assets.publishing.service.go...wnGuidance.pdf )

Her mother is on her own and as long as you claim she is part of your 'support bubble', the travel is allowable under the law.