(CV related) Wwyd - decamp outside London?

[new0rules]

I have a 5 year old dd, we live in central London. Schools are obviously still open. I must say I am getting more worried now. I am working from home for the foreseeable future- all I need is my work laptop and WiFi.
My dad has a flat he rents out in my hometown (midlands/countryside) and currently he has no tenant. He’s offered it to me and dd if we want to decamp from London (which is apparently ahead of the U.K. in terms of corona spread). The flat has a garden and 2 bedrooms, generally more space than our little flat in London, and if they close schools it may be easier for dd to have the extra space to play etc. I am also concerned about the pollution in London and how that might affect us if we get the illness.
Please be kind as I have anxiety/ocd and well aware that I tend to panic over health issues.
Would you take dad up on his offer of the flat at this point? I also know we have more doctors and hospitals in London and more shops in case of disrupted supply chains which could be a reason to stay.
Would really appreciate your thoughts.

If you drive there and self isolate for two weeks, there won't be any risk of spreading infection. Nevertheless think carefully about where you would be more comfortable. Being at home w a your possessions with you might be better than "camping" in a strange flat with only 1 car load of stuff.

I guess I want to know do people think London is an ok place to be? We have more health services etc but there are way more cases of the virus and shops are being cleaned out. I don’t have a local “big supermarket” and can’t get an online delivery slot for ages.
Would you stay in London?

Wuhan is already starting to heal from the virus and the spread has slowed down considerably.
If you stay in London you’ll probably find that as they are ahead that they’ll be free of it quicker while areas further out will still be in the midst of it .
All speculation of course

She isn't going to a holiday town. She's going to the midlands. She's driving and she's going to self isolate once there.

THIS IS NOT WHAR HAPPENED IN ITALY

Is anyone in your household in the at risk group OP? Anyone you care for in at risk group?

I am staying in London because I'm actually from London. This is my home. Most of us don't have a handy provincial/rural 'second home' that we can pop off to once the 'fun' bits of London shut down.

Not as far as I know. I’m early 30s, generally healthy and dd is generally healthy.

What happened in Italy was that people left the lockdown areas, travelled to supposed 'safe' areas and continued to go out and about as normal. This is nothing like that.

And, Jesus, can't people not be a bit bloody nicer? Someone asking a question on an Internet forum is not a reason to call them a 'twat'. This health crisis is really showing people's true, nasty, sides. #Bekind?

@ScarlettBlaize neither do I. It’s my dads property that he has very kindly offered to us at his own expense, rather than replacing a tenant. Not sure what your post is for except just sounding embittered.

Also wondering about this.

My parents live in rural wales and are elderly with health needs. They have to self isolate for 12 weeks now.

No family lives near them. I am debating moving up to our holiday cottage - 2 minutes walk from them - so I can support them (they have food for now but what about in a few weeks time?) plus be there for health emergencies.

I wouldn't go into their house at all but could wave / shout from their large country garden.

I have all the food / toiletries I need so won't be going to any local shops for first few weeks at least.

Would it be selfish if I decamped from London to be near them?

I am in London (though not the centre) and I would leave and self isolate as long as you don’t mix with anyone between leaving and doing the self isolation). It’s going to shit where I am food-wise. I think if anyone has the option to do this without mixing with others, then they should take it.

I would go sooner, rather than later OP.

I'd go if I were you op, self isolate when you get there. Don't go near anyone on the way.
It spread in Italy and Spain because very many people went to the coast and treated their time as a holiday, not as a measure of quarantine.
I'm in Portugal, the schools are shut here and so are the beaches in the Algarve. They're Policed so people will and have been removed.

i am in London and happy to stay. Its not just london that has empty supermarkets, its happening all over the country. Where i live there are already FB groups and whats app groups set up and people posting flyers round the area advising people how to get help if need be. This has been set up by local residents and looking to support each other

This is precisely why schools remain open. In Italy when schools closed, people relocated to the coast and took the virus with them London is at the epicenter of the UK'S exposure. As people leave, it is inevitable this will spread the virus to more rural areas.

@new0rules ScarlettBlaize neither do I. It’s my dads property that he has very kindly offered to us at his own expense, rather than replacing a tenant. Not sure what your post is for except just sounding embittered.

Did you not notice that I put quotation marks around 'second home'? That was meant to indicate that you do, in fact, have another property that you can use, because you're not actually a Londoner.

People who come from the provinces and move into central London are happy to push up prices for everything and take advantage of all of the wonderful things on offer here, but as soon as things get a bit tough, you have no commitment to your local community or those around you.

I am a Londoner and that means being part of my local community and caring for my neighbours, local businesses, etc. Not just swanning in to enjoy it and then going back to Daddy's spare house once things get difficult.

Having said that, I doubt you have ever engaged in your local community or know your neighbours.

check your local hospital and remember you wont be registered with a a gp either. Personally I understand why you would want to but think you are probably about 2 weeks too late

scarlett Londoners do exactly the same in my part of the country (tourist area in SW). Already we’ve had all the second home owners turn up, most of them 60+ and will all be needing to use the local hospital if they get ill. People buying up second homes in tourist towns absolutely devastate communities.

@NastyOldBag I have long said this. They have the same impact here.

You'll find that the majority of your second home buyers are not really Londoners though.

My family are all born and bred Londoners and not one of them has ever moved out, other than a cousin who couldn't afford London any more and moved a short way outside. No second homes among any real Londoners I know - they want to stay here.

Wow, aren’t you nice, @ScarlettBlaize?!

OP, I’m a Londoner and won’t be going anywhere, but we have a biggish garden, so will have a reasonable amount of space if we have to stay at home. Assuming you and your DD are in good health, I’d go to the countryside if I were you. Being stuck indoors with a small child for days on end is not fun.

@SomethingNastyInTheBallPool

I don't think it's terribly 'nice' to

a) abandon all of your neighbours, local businesses and community,
b) carry infection from a highly infectious area to a much less affected one
c) occupy two properties, reducing the number of homes available for other people

Do you?

@ScarletteBlaize, the OP had already said she plans to self-isolate when she gets there. I’m sure London can cope with one fewer resident for a few weeks.

There’s no loo roll up here in the Midlands and people coming down with suspected virus is sky rocketing. If you are in the lowest risk groups why move?

Tbh, I would go but please do self isolate when you get there, I know you have said you would (thank you!) but please make sure you do the full thing, including not seeing any local family etc for the 14 days,

@ScarlettBlaize wtf? I’ve lived in my London community for all my adult life, I volunteer weekly in the community, every Xmas at our homeless mission. I am active in our local school. Sick of the virtue signallers. You know nothing about me. And also, no my parents rental property is not my “second home”. What are you on?