'We will decide when the lakes are open' AIBU to be irritated?

[Aberforthsgoat]

Just been on the phone to my cousin who lives in the Lakes. We were discussing how Cumbria has been really badly hit; I was saying how gutted we are to miss our Lakes holidays this year but how I hope it gets under control for the residents, and we are so looking forward to being able to go when we can.
My cousin said 'IF you can come'
And I acknowledged that of course, we would absolutely not come until it's safe for everyone to do so and government says we can; even then we would make our own risk judgement
My cousin responded by saying, quite smugly 'it doesn't matter what the government says,the people who live here will decide when its open, we are keeping people out at the moment'
She proceeded to tell me how much they all hate tourists and how they would blockade to keep people out if the government lets people visit too soon

I understand it must be scary and I would be worried if I live there too but AIBU for thinking this is quite a nasty reaction?! It's made me feel like actually maybe I won't go back, which I know is petulant and cutting off my nose to spite my face, but it's left a bad taste.

I had no intention of finding a loophole so I could go, I was talking about next year or the year after hopefully!

@proudboomer that's the nicest post I have seen thank you. If you ever want to come I am happy to recommend places.

I think it may have been in Cumbria since before Xmas tbh :(

Abbazed if I am ever headed that way I will put a post up looking for recommendations. I am not one for long walks no matter how beautiful the scenery as I have arthritis in one of my feet but I do love a country pub😁

If people want to visit they can, the residents don't own the area and can't close it.

I could understand if hotels were open, as there would be the argument of people falling ill whilst staying and causing chaos for the local NHS, but they're not.

It's the 'my countryside is not for you plebs' brigade.

Cumbria has been hammered. There isn't, a tertiary centre in Cumbria. Just little hospitals. Woefully underfunded little hospitals with few staff. Our infection and death rates, per population, have been appalling. We've had hospital staff die. We're on our knees. So sorry if your feelings are hurt, but this is life and death.

Sounds like tourists should be worried about getting infected by locals not the other way round.

@proudboomer
You obviously haven't RTFT. Not the op, her ridiculous cousin or anyone on the thread means to go to Cumbria in the near future. All the talk is of far off when it is safe(r) to do so

@abbazed you obviously haven't read my posts. Nowhere have I said all cumbrians are terrible etc, I've said I'm disappointed and a bit hurt by my cousin and find her mentality (which seems to be held by some others too) unnecessary, disappointing and unreasonable. I've expressed every sympathy for Cumbrians and the situation they find themselves in. It isn't an easy time and I appreciate it's frightening. I have no desire to come at the moment, I've been talking about next year or the year after. So I shan't bore off thank you very much.

She sounds rude and no need to talk to her cousin like that but also that area is one of worst hit in the UK so they are probably scared too.

longwayoff Gwynedd didn’t vote for Brexit. Don’t tar everyone with the same brush (although I agree with the general tenor of your post - if you voted for poverty and parochial insularity then you can’t complain when it comes your way - but it’s a shame that we all have to pay the price.)

If OP’s cousin has a problem with tourists, she should go and live somewhere remote. It is perfectly possible to live somewhere rural and beautiful in the uk without seeing a single soul everyday, apart from the occasional farmer, even during this pandemic, as long as you have a car. She’s obviously chosen to live somewhere with a high tourist population, so she really just has to learn to deal with that, or else move to somewhere off the beaten track.

Cumbria isn't driven by tourism alone. We produce the food you eat (farming) , the milk you drink, the paper (Croppers) you write on, the power to light your home (Sellafield), the water turbines (Gilkes) that power not just the UK but the world. The mintcake for expeditions and the nuclear subs (BAE) to protect against enemies.

I thought that Sellafield was being decommissioned so not powering the UK..

Sounds like tourists should be worried about getting infected by locals not the other way round

Well of course this is about regions with different R rates mixing.

I would wait until she suggests venturing out of Cumbria, before lecturing her on the irresponsibility of leaving a pandemic hotspot and spreading it to other parts of the country/world.

Several people on my FB shared this post this morning about a local beach popular with day trippers.

Reading it, it's quite easy to see why tourist areas don't want influxes of visitors right now. Everyone thinks they are lovely, respectful of the area, doesn't litter, mindful of social distancing, etc. and so should be allowed to visit but that also means that Sally Shithead and her Shithead Husband are also allowed to visit and they do litter, they meet up with 42 of their closest friends, and they think it's fine to leave their shitty nappies on the beach because "picking it up is keeping someone employed".

I live in Cumbria . Since we've been able to drive for exercise we have been into the lakes ( Buttermere, Crummock, Derwent ) However, we didn't get out of the car as all the car parks in those valleys are closed. They have logs blocking the entrance.
I have no idea who has decided to keep the logs in place , but I think it will be difficult for people to park along the already narrow roads bearing in mind tractors, and trailers ( for sheep movement ) are up and down these lanes .
I can imagine locals are getting angry if cars are blocking these lanes and people can't get cars out of their property as not enough space has been left.
Tbh , it would be better if the car parks were open and then people could do their walking without causing a problem.
The towns and villages are not open in the same way more urban areas are also closed. No cafes, shops, pubs, toilets etc.
We are also not all burning cars , mugging anyone who does not speak with a Cumbria accent !

FWIW, I have relatives in one of Cornwall's popular tourist places who are really looking forward to opening up again.

The key question is safety. I honestly get why Wales, Cumbria and less populated parts of the UK are nervous about tourists. There's a lot of elderly people who retire to these places and not enough healthcare coverage to cope with a major outbreak.

@Aberforthsgoat just wondered if your cousin is a born and bred Cumbrian?
Or chose to live there? A bit like those who choose to live near small airfields but complain about the noise at weekends, those who move near schools but complain about the parking, farms complain about the smell etc......
I e always found its newbies that seen most possessive

It's good to see that the Mumsnet obsession with toilets has survived lockdown.

I plan to make a point of exploring the less touristy parts of UK for the next few years. I know people have been scared but I've no plans to go back to areas where people have made it so clear we're not welcome, despite some lovely UK holidays in the past. The tourist spots will have to manage without my money for a while.

I’m in Ambleside.

And although I would often moan that the pavements are too small, there’s too many cars....I miss it so so much.
Visitors remind me of when things were ok, before the virus.

I wish I could go back several months and see tourists here once more ☹️

I live in the lakes. Local Facebook groups full of this crap. I hate it. It's so parochial. The lakes are open. Fact. It's not up to George of Windermere to decree otherwise.

Sellafield is mainly a decommissioning plant and also reprocesses spent fuel, hasn't actually produced any power for a long time. It is due to close sometime this year.

@Musicforsmorks the pavements are too small 😳 but i miss the people too.

Sellafield is not closing this year ! It will probably be decommissioned in many decades to come.
You are correct that is does not produce any power.

Again, to those who fear how you will be received if coming to the LD - those saying insulting things are an absolute minority. They would have always been this way. Corona just added fear to the mix, and seems to have unearthed some obviously long buried resentment.

Most of us who chose to live there ( I rent), of course made a decision To live in a tourist area.

I’ll be honest; in all the years I’ve spent in the ‘honeypot’ areas of the lakes, I have found most tourists to be very polite, friendly and respectful. There’ll always be the outliers who aren’t, but this would be similar to anywhere, touristy or not.

It creates diversity, a dynamic that I find fascinating. It is always a treat to meet new people, or to help out. I often do voluntary work with local groups, like the Windermere Xmas market, etc, and it is always so lovely to chat to visitors and meet so many different folks from all walks of life.

For myself and many like me, you are very, very welcome ❤️

Just go about things safely.

You favour nuclear power?