Call for 8th May VE Day Street Parties - jolly fun or recipe for disaster?

[DishingOutDone]

We had a street party a couple of weeks ago and social distancing lasted all of 5 minutes. By 6pm everyone was off their faces and all over each other, visitors were invited over, lots of dancing together and sharing food. The main theme was that our street knew better than anyone else and this virus thing was all a load of old rubbish, we'd beat it, not scared etc etc. The next day anyone who didn't take part was called out on facebook.

Since then I've seen reports of police having to break up street parties, alongside cheerful news items saying how amazing they are and what great guys the organisers must be, community spirit etc. So which is it? Vote YANBU to agree that these events are irresponsible and rarely conducted with everyone simply sitting or standing happily in their own garden or drive so should be discouraged - or YABU to say I am a miserable cow trying to upset the neighbours (as declared on said facebook page!!)?

@DishingOutDone

those who exercised the choice not to take part, like me, were named and shamed.

No, you were just named. No shame involved. You did the right thing. Be proud.

I've seen this on Facebook too, luckily I don't have any of my neighbours on Facebook or their numbers so we won't be arranging one!

Yes you can. The treatment is inevitably fatal but the patient never does anything stupid again

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It’s now being recommended by neighbours in our (very narrow) street. Lots of enthusiastic responses on WhatsApp while we skulk unhappily behind the net curtains waiting for someone braver to nix the idea.

Oh no imposter. The neighbour who suggested our last one is still here and still overkeen. I bet it gets suggested again. At least if it gets delayed to VJ day I might be able to escape!

The last one was for William and Kate's wedding.

Tell them the VE in 'VE Party' stands for Virus Exchanging.

@skippy67 I wonder if you are near me as I’ve also had the Facebook request of front gardens VE party. I think it’ll be fine where I am as the gardens are spread out and I doubt anyone will actually bother anyway. It certainly won’t be the actual street, just random houses dotted about our village I imagine.

VE Day was a long time ago.

Honestly can't they do a clap for victory ✌ instead

Our road are getting more and more ridiculous as the NHS clapping goes on. It started with everybody on their doorstep (all the houses on our road are staggered) but then you can only see your immediate neighbours and the ones opposite. People started going to the end of their drives the other week and then it got to going to each other's drives.

For some odd reason, I can't think why, a police car drove down the road at just gone 8pm last week and told them all off and that they'd be back on another day to check it wasn't happening again. I can't think how they knew to turn up of course.

I like the idea of decorating the streets, we 've enjoyed seeing all the different decorations like rainbows and Easter themed ones etc so this would be a good excuse for new ones.

On our street the houses are far enough a part a "street party" in front gardens would be fine, but even then I still think it wouldn't be ok because it wouldn't be fair on delivery people etc

Wtf does 'VE" mean in this context?

Maybe if we reversed the advice? Send a message to your neighbours along the lines of:

"The government needs some people to be infected each week and your road has been selected. Please ensure you have lots of contact with your neighbours to be sure you are fully exposed"

We had a BBQ with NDN
By that I mean we cooked on ours they cooked on theirs we each sat in our own gardens n chatted across the low fences (probably about 4m apart)
Will be repeating next hot day we have!

VE = Victory in Europe

Well we had someone who is a DJ play for our street.

No-one got drunk and as adults we were all capable of having a dance and fun in our own gardens without breaking social distancing and keeping our children similarly controlled.

So the question you pose is incorrect.

Street parties like the one you had = irresponsible idiots

Good news stories about people having perfectly acceptable socially distanced fun = perfectly acceptable

Your neighbours sound like dicks though. I wouldn't want a street party with them with or without social distancing.

Our local council has put a poster up suggesting doing this.

Interestingly there was a resurgence of the Spanish flu because of large gatherings at the end of the war for Armistice Day.

LastTrainEast - brilliant!!!

@HerRoyalNotness

I can’t think of much worse than a VE Day, or indeed any other kind of street party even if we weren’t in lockdown.

YANBU and your neighbours are arseholes

That's really silly. In our village there seems to be a plan to hold the VE Day Street Party with everyone celebrating in their own front gardens... umm... glad to live well outside the village and I will actually be at work anyway, as supermarkets will still open on Bank Holidays.

I have had same FB post. I don't have a problem with decorating your house and having a picnic in your garden. OP's neighbours are obviously going to mingle(!) again so it would be a bad idea. As long as people stay safe, which my neighbours probably would do, I'd be OK with it.

I refuse to take part in anything for VE Day lockdown or not, waste of money, .