Any of your neighbours made a dash for it?

[jillypill]

As a Londoner I enjoy the peace that Christmas brings to my local area (SW), the ability to park outside your house, etc!
I thought it would be different this year but clearly not, hardly any cars parked & at least 6 of my neighbours have gone (no privacy in terraces with extensions etc).
Just my area?

SE London here and I haven't noticed anyone leaving, but the majority of people on my street are older people who have lived here most of their lives and are more likely to be the ones to host family at theirs instead of going anywhere. Not many young professionals or students who would be going "home" to family outside of London here.

SE london/ Kent border here. Most houses on our street are still occupied. Most of my single friends living more centrally in London went home (tier 2 area) the night the restrictions were announced.

@Thewiseoneincognito

All made a dash to spread the new variant to their families around the country. Lovely.

Full England Lockdown 3 here we come....

A full lock down is inevitable. It always was, even before this.

Londoner in zone 3 north london here. I live in a flat but everyone is still here.

I don't know anyone who has left really. I mean, I don't see whats the point of leaving when it was clear even on saturday that as these things change all the time, tier 1 can easily become tier 4. We went from tier 2 to tier 4 in a matter of a week.

Mine had just had visitors over throughout. And regularly staying away.

No point reporting so I just have to explain to my kids they can’t have birthday parties or play dates but some people don’t follow the rules.

Honestly it’s frustrating.

Neighbour's 2 DCs (mid/late 20s) turned up from London yesterday afternoon.

They have both lived in London for at least 2 years as they bought the flat that they share between them. So no, they're not 'coming home', before anyone tries to excuse it that way.

One of them's partner is also coming up from London today/tomorrow after stopping off in the Midlands to visit other family, as NDN told me happily when I passed their house her this morning as the kids and her were unloading the shopping they'd been out for.

That's nice isn't it? Fuckwits.

DH is particularly annoyed about it, given that we lost his mum to COVID 7 months ago.

I’m a Londoner and know a lot of people via work, the kids etc. I don’t know a single person who has left. Most were planning to stay at home for Christmas anyway and have a quiet Xmas.

@Mistymonday

We left tier 2 to fix our broken boiler in our holiday let in tier 1. Miscarried after a couple of days there, had to stay for hospital tests and now where we live is in tier 4. We feel awful and guilty being here but I have another hospital appt still (hospital EPU said they are slow at the moment so I am thankfully not too much of a burden there) and honestly just don’t feel up to travelling for 5 hours yet (still cramping and bleeding). I know a lot of people are selfishly flouting the rules but some people might have a reason to be where they are. We are remote and only using supermarket minimally, one at a time in a mask, not having a holiday. It is easy to assume everyone is just out gallivanting for a good time but please consider it might not always be the case. I would much rather be in tier 4 and still have a viable pregnancy.

So sorry @Mistymonday

We're in tier 4, one of my neighbours went to the Maldives for 3 weeks as the schools broke up (12th) and the rest are here. No exodus.

We're not seeing my single MIL on Christmas Day any more (and she could be in a bubble with us as she is alone and we don't have anyone else in the bubble), but it's a long drive - so DH would need to stay overnight and we didn't want to risk her being here.

@Sandsnake

It’s illegal still though, isn’t it? I know not everyone cares this time but even if you got out of London before midnight on Saturday your tier still follows you. So just the act of staying overnight is against the rules (and the law, I think - though not entirely sure!). Not trying to be goady but interested in clarification.

That's exactly what I thought. And even in tier 2 household mixing isn't allowed so if people have gone from tier 3 to stay with family in tier 2 both hosts and guests are breaking the rules.

@Mistymonday I'm very sorry

We made a dash back into it! Went from t2 to t2 to see single person (both isolated for 2 weeks before the visit)

Then notified of t3 and thought we would stay as alrwady there, then t4 announced so came back way earlier than planned. Didn't want to get stuck there if they started closing things down. So t2 to t4 we went.

Yes in my little village in North Wales one of my neighbour's has her BF staying over, he arrived from London late Sat night.

@CakeRequired

We've had lots turn up up here (highlands). Going to be fun watching them try to get back home now. Shouldn't have bloody come here in the first place so no sympathy.

I just hope the selfish buggers don't end up clogging your hospitals, Cake.

We have had a few arrive on our road (tier 2) and I know at least 2 are from London.

It is madness in out town with people coming from tier 3 for a drink. Just took me 20 mins to go a 2 minute journey (it was a longer journey the 2 minutes were the last bit)

Apparently police were meeting the trains at Leeds this morning and checking? Some rumours about York as well.

@ruby4ever

I left before we went in to tier 4, I didn't know about tier 4 when I left, that evening it was announced. So glad I did. I knew the rules were going to keep changing and had a feeling the 5 day bubble will be non existent coming towards Xmas.

But you were already breaking the rules even before tier 4, so what different would it make leaving before or after?

I'm in Surrey. I don't know anyone who's left and don't know of any neighbours who've left. The people two doors down are Northern and have family up north but are still here

I had a bit of a nightmare with my kids. Student daughter lives in London, DS is at primary. We couldn't get DD back during the student window as DS had to isolate for two weeks due to a case in his class. That presented all sorts of issues as I'm a single mum and currently clinically vulnerable. Managed to get DD home on Saturday well before the announcement. She has been alone and had shopping delivered so was safe and Covid free.

Not sure how we're going to get her back however 🤷🏻‍♀️

We locked down earlier friends with holiday lets had already cancelled so not so many here. However, on Anglesey second homes they turned up in March was a lot of grumbling but having stayed three months not infected anyone they settled down. We tend to shrug now when they turn up. Cornwall being tier 1 are a different kettle of fish.

Our neighbours daughter is here. We are in Tier 3, she lives in central London and arrived after the deadline. They are police officers. I’ll say no more ...........

@SummerInSun

North London here. Easier to park on our street than I've ever seen it. It's not such a wealthy street that anyone has a second home, but I assume everyone has gone to family. Many will have left after schools finished Friday night or Saturday morning. Don't blame them for not turning round and coming back, even though I suppose strictly speaking they should. Others probably did leave after the Saturday press conference...

The bit I don't get is that all those people were breaking the rules anyway. The relaxation was originally 23-27, so none of them should have been leaving on 19.

In fairness the private schools broke up 2 weeks ago at this point. Many people left London when it was still allowed.

I don't remember threads asking if Manchester or Liverpool was empty a few weeks ago. Is there some perception that only London dwellers can afford second homes? Most Londoners can barely afford a first home..

For the record I don't know anyone who has left London and my street is occupied.

We own a property in Tier 4, but live abroad. Someone posted a picture they must have climbed to take over our fencing on the neighbourhood group (along with a few other empty houses) to claim we had “fled” and were spreading COVID. They were abruptly corrected by our lovely neighbour. By the photos, it seems the only empty houses are the ones that are always empty, thankfully.

We are working on how to repatriate the people in the Middle East who flew home to the UK for Christmas and are now stuck. Logistical nightmare, can’t believe they went.

Our private schools went two weeks ago, god only knows how those overseas children are going to get back to the UK now. Luckily I am told the schools ran normal hours online even down to the kids had to sit at computer in uniform during lockdown back in March onwards.