To go to a local garden centre?

[Thetimehascomethewalrussaid]

I feel like I might get flamed for this. I'm on maternity leave and obviously we're in full lockdown. Where I live is also currently in the throes of Storm Christoph and the rain outside is literally like the wrath of god - so no chance of a walk. My baby is teething and really grumpy and I'm going out of my mind being stuck in the same four walls all day every day. All baby classes have been cancelled, can't even go somewhere for a quick coffee to break up the day. My husband is at work (he's a teacher and over half of the school are in because the government have massively expanded the list of what constitutes a 'key worker' - so it's not really a lockdown, but that's another thread!) We have a support bubble because we have a child under 1 but they're also at work in the week (also teachers). Our local garden centre (2 min drive away) is open - would I be unreasonable to pack the baby in the car and go and have a look round there for an hour? Just to break up the day and regain a bit of sanity? Not an essential journey, but arguably important for mental health! My husband now has weekly COVID tests - he had one yesterday and it was negative so it's highly unlikely we have it! Feel like I'm going mad!

@VinylDetective

I LOVE lockdown and the longer it goes on the better.

I think this actually true of some people. They won’t be content until our front doors are nailed closed.

I believe the MN rule is to say 'welded' closed.

I’ve been out for my walk today, in the rain. I put on a waterproof, pulled the hood up and went for it. You could give it a try?

at the martyr swelling with pride and smugness at having left the house only 10 times since March.

You are surrounded by other retired people who don't need to work for a living, you've raised your kids and are well off enough for others (i.e. less well-off people risking covid) to deliver everything to your doorstep. You also seem to have lost any shred of imagination if you can't see how others might not be in the same privileged position as you.

We went. It was fooking marvellous.

There weren't many people there at all so I easily stayed 6m apart from other shoppers. I wore a mask.

I bought some dog food (I THINK that's allowed?!) I should caveat this by saying we very very rarely go to the supermarket because we have Gousto deliveries every week (maybe that makes me even more of an "entitled twat" - I don't know!) One of the reasons we would go to the supermarket is to buy dog food and quite frankly, you're lucky if you don't get licked/spat on by some of the single-celled organisms that frequent our local Tesco, so discovering that the garden centre sells the only brand of dog food our dog will eat (he has a dodgy arse), I consider this to be a victory and a viable alternative moving forwards!

I also bought a new face mask (as mine is a bit worse for wear now) and some liquorice torpedoes for my DH as he's never been so stressed or worked so hard, and they will put a smile on his face when he gets home. And a cactus for our kitchen window - I know, I know, arrest me.

The lady on the till was behind a screen and she was positively delightful. She even said "good for you" for getting out of the house. I was shocked at this as I was fully expecting to be stabbed for having the audacity to visit a shop that's open for business.

However, the best part of it all was that my little girl found it an absolute hoot. It's the first time I've seen her smile in days. She was mesmerised by the flowers and had a little giggle at the cuddly toys. It was nice to feel as though I wasn't failing her all day every day.

Rest assured, I'll go back to being thoroughly miserable now and I will resume my walks in the pouring rain as of tomorrow. Except now I'll have a little bit more of a spring in my step

No Yankee Candle.

Good work OP. Glad it helped

Good on you.

What people fail to realise is that, by keeping places like garden centres open that sell things like petshops, it helps keep the pressure off places like supermarkets. Far better someone who needs dogfood goes to a quiet garden centre than a packed supermarket.

So it was "I want to go shopping in garden centre"🙄 You could have say that straight away, but I guess that wouldn't bring so many clicks

I think TBF OP was always going to go regardless of what anyone on here said.

@Sparklingbrook

I think TBF OP was always going to go regardless of what anyone on here said.

Oh yeah. But good job on presenting it as just basically going for a walk. Because who would ask if they are unreasonable to go shopping somewhere

So glad you enjoyed your trip. Good for both of you.

The stress of owning a small business must be enormous at the moment. Good for them too.

no travel sweets?

Start a thread asking if unreasonable to do something. Then go and do it anyway. Sounds about right.

So pleased you went, OP. Now I want liquorice torpedoes!

Don't buy any of this, especially not the update!

@howmanyroads

Don't buy any of this, especially not the update!

Quite

Go Op. Full of batshittery on here.

I'm pleased to hear your update OP, good for you for supporting a local business and sounds perfectly safe and fine, probably safer than going to Tesco!
Good for you

Who would have thought it a year ago. Pom Pom waving on a thread because someone took a trip to a Garden Centre.

Whether garden centres are essential and should be open, I would question. But given that they are open, and your reasons for wanting to go, I'd say go, for your mental wellbeing. Social distancing, masks, sanitiser, low risks.

What would be an essential item from a garden centre? Just curious really, I mean no one really needs potting compost or scented candles and you can buy pet food at supermarkets.

Glad you & your dd had a nice time, I like the thought of her having a little smile at the toys.

@dayswithaY

What would be an essential item from a garden centre? Just curious really, I mean no one really needs potting compost or scented candles and you can buy pet food at supermarkets.

Well no one really need nice smelling shower gel😁 Potting compost is actually important. Plus seeds, propagators etc. As numerous pps said above. Planters, plug plants. So many things. Essential for many, absolutely non essential for others. Sam elike with anything.

Oh and fence panels, tools, ours has abutcher and aquarium section.

I'd never get a fence panel in my boot.

**What do you call substantial food FFS?! Should my local corner shop close and go out of business?

Of course some things are essential to some but not others. Are you one of those who thinks only things that are essential to you should be allowed to open**

@PinkSparklyPussyCat

Worrying about the local shop going out of business?? Most of the business in the leisure/recreation industry aren’t allowed to open full stop!! and many of them will be lucky to still have a viable business after all of this!

And when I said shops that see non essential items I meant the lines of the cheap ones that sell anything and everything! The reason being, folk are going for a day out and chose new throws and cushions.

Schools are closed for Christ sake, that’s a massive big deal! So the sooner this is over the sooner our kids can get the education they need. Yes - that’s far more important than having those shops/garden centres open. Folk are using it for something to do.

So don’t find at me with your sarky comments because if I had my way, everything would open instead of the economy going down the pan for this!