Neighbourhood 'garden parties' under lockdown

[GardenParties]

Some of our neighbours are suggesting we hold 'garden parties' in a few weeks where everyone decorates their houses and then sits in their front gardens having individual tea parties while socialising with their neighbours from a distance.

They've asked for feedback on the residents group but don't seem to want to hear any concerns from the discussion so far. I haven't commented yet and am trying to work out what, if anything, I want to say. Something about it doesn't sit right with me but I am not sure whether I'm being silly. The front gardens are not large and are all completely open plan with no fences or hedges in between. People would be more than 2m apart if they did stay seated in their own gardens, but would people really do this? Would they not wander about to speak with different neighbours and look at their decorations? "Have a piece of our fruitcake," etc? What about young children running around?

And even if people stayed stationary and just had raised voice conversations with their immediate neighbours, is this really within the spirit of lockdown? We've been told to stay at home and not to socialise, haven't we...? Not that it's OK to socialise as long as we stay a few metres from one another.

I would really like to hear other people's thoughts on this, and the reasons behind them.

This maybe ok for some people, but not for those like my 9 year old who's serve asthma puts him in a high risk group which means he shouldn't just be social distancing but actually socially isolating for 12 weeks. This includes a lot of people with underlying heath conditions or those over 70. So not a great idea really, think about those who are vulnerable in your community. Your neighbours who could be type 2 diabetics or had cancer treatment in the last 12 months or a compromised immune system. All have been recommend to shield for 12 weeks.

MigGril thank you for this, there are a lot of older people in the neighbourhood. So to clarify, the high risk people have been given different information which states that they must not have any contact with others? Sitting in a garden several metres away from someone else would count as contact?

I could be confused about the advice but I thought we'd all been told to limit social contact wherever possible. It seems to me that if a high risk person absolutely cannot have this type of contact, then the rest of us should be trying to avoid it unless necessary (eg shopping for food) as well?

Sorry your son has these health worries.

In defence of what blue25 posted, I interpreted their post as meaning that due to the fact people are dying because of an infectious disease, that encouraging any form of social contact was inappropriate. Not that as some people are dying we must never smile again.

@GardenParties definitely both reasons. It seems clearly not the right thing to do at the moment. Too much potential for upset and overstepping social distancing. Some people may not be practicing it as much as others. Peolpel take the guidelines in different ways and a lot of people are very anxious at the moment. I wouldn't think it would be a very relaxing event. You could only speak toimmediate neighbours. If people further doen the rd came to speak to you then otherscould join them and we are advised not to gather. Never mind trying to keep 2 metres distance at all time. Fraught with opportunties for upset. I can see how it is difficult for you though.x

I understand why it doesn't sit well with you. Our street did something similar. The original plan was to be in your own front garden with a drink and shout to each other. Then it morphed into standing in a group but keeping two metres between each other. Of course people didn't stick to this and when I looked out of my window people were standing much closer than that and chatting. Just like a normal street party, no social distancing. But because they had all intended to stick to social distancing rules (even though they didn't) after the event they didn't see what they had done wrong.

Crazy idea. Its an outside gathering of more than 2 people.

Hopefully the police will be called to break it up. The rules are NOT you can have large outside gatherings as long as you are all 2m apart. Its ONLY go outside for essential travel and exercise.

Do people not care about who they kill?

I hope this isn't about the street where I live :) We have exactly the same plan for later this week in our street. There are not going to be children around. We are an active socialising group of around 8 women in a small street and one has a significant birthday this week. Most of us are single, widowed or divorced. We plan to have our lunch (our own lunch) in our own front gardens with wine. Our front garden gates are at least 3 to 4 metres apart and we can chat in "outdoor" voices to each other. Before Covid 19 came on the scene the plan was a garden party including hot tub in a back garden but that has now obviously been cancelled. If we were to follow the no socialising to the letter the neighbour would be in her house alone all day on her birthday.
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We are chatting to our neighbours over the fence in the back garden. We're more than 2m away from each other and it helps keep u s all a bit sane. Some neighbours have also been sitting in front gardens and we say hello as we go past

I live in up a little track. The elderly couples brought garden chairs out, and sat in their respective couples 6 foot plus away from the other couple and had a good old chat. I admired their innovation.

GardenParties yes that's right, those in high risk groups, theorticly including those over 70 have actually been advised to practice social isolation. Including not going out for shopping.

I feel sorry for those in the street who choose not to participate if you're all yelling at each other over your fences.

I wouldn't do it. Kids would be running around and mingling.

Bluebellbike it's not your street.

chocolatesaltyballs i don't think the noise of loud chatting for a couple of hours will be so bad will it? Similar to normal party noise I'd imagine where there's a group and people get a bit loud.

If it makes any difference to anyone, (a couple of people mentioned fences) there are no fences on the street, just open plan gardens and driveways.

cat0281 that sounds a difficult situation. Did that happen here in the UK in the past week? I'm surprised nobody reported it, I'm hearing lots of tales about people reporting their neighbours for going out twice a day, etc.

The spirit of ducking lockdown

Jesus fucking wept. It’s not meant to be a punishment.

Even the shielded are encouraged in the letters they were getting to make use of their garden or front step to get fresh air and the only caveat to stay 2m away from neighbours or passers by.

Astressie
Peolpel take the guidelines in different ways and a lot of people are very anxious at the moment. I wouldn't think it would be a very relaxing event.

I think you have a good point here. You only need to go into town or to a park area to see that some people are observing the guidelines to the letter while others are ignoring them. It does sound potentially awkward (and potentially risky) on that front.

RJnomore I did explain what I meant by the spirit if you wanted to read later posts. Are the shielded encouraged to socialise from a distance or just enjoy fresh air? I think there's a difference between someone passing by for a few seconds and sitting in the vicinity of your neighbours for a few hours, isn't there. I don't understand the science but I've read about viral load and aerosols. If someone coughs or sneezes it can travel quite a way can't it. Unlikely in the couple of seconds it takes someone to pass by, but during a couple of hours?

One of my neighbours suggested something like this on one of the first evenings of the lockdown. He's a lovely guy and very sociable and was just trying to be kind. It didn't happen because the majority felt a bit uncomfortable about it. A couple of weeks on I think the mood might have changed slightly now people have got used to the situation. I think people would enjoy it and respect social distancing. Tricky with kids though.

Mental Health is important too.

It's fine to do. I do not consider being in my garden as leaving the house.

As long as you stay 2m away then it is fine.

If you chose not to be a party pooper and decide to go then if rules get broken leave.

I think this is a really nice idea and hopefully everyone takes it seriously enough to respect social distancing

There's no such thing as "the spirit of lockdown": it's the simple medical facts. The only issue is whether this might spread infection. If you are more than two metres away from each other, it won't. The suggestion that you will all throw caution to the winds and start accepting cake from each other and going in to view the new decorations is, to be honest, ridiculous.

You keep asking about the shielded. The shield group have to isolate indoors, so would be able to join in. Others can of course sit in the garden, front or back, and have a cup of tea and shout to neighbours across the road. We are always in our garden, and frequently talk to our neighbours in theirs. The kids sing to each other and chat and tell jokes and play as best as they are able. It is excellent for everyone's mental health. You do not need to sit indoors shaking with terror, you are allowed to socialise. At a distance.

@ZombieFan what?

OP I think you are just trying to find a reason to think I’d wrong when there is absolutely nothing at all wrong with it. It all fits in the guidelines.

If you don’t want to partake don’t but it seems you ARE one of the ones who thinks we should all live in a constant state of misery right now.

@MigGril obviously the shielded group should not partake in this’s but why can’t everyone else?

Because it encourages those who should be shielding ie my next door neighbour, to take part. Not everyone is taking this seriously even if they have been told to do so. That's why we need to think about our communities.

Cinnamonbuns it seems you ARE one of the ones who thinks we should all live in a constant state of misery right now

Well, I don't think that is fair. I started this thread to try to find out if this is safe or not. Because I think it's a grey area, as shown by people's really quite different reactions. I don't think worrying about my neighbours and wanting them to be safe is a miserable thing to do, personally.

JudyCoolibar is that definitely a fact that people can't catch it if they stay 2m apart, though? Or is that just one of the ways we're trying to limit risk. I've read 10m might be more like it, and that the virus could be airborne not aerosol carried. If we can all socialise safely from a distance then why are gatherings banned at the moment? Why couldn't I visit my mother for mothers day? Is it not the case that we don't know exactly what is safe so we're trying to minimise the chances of catching it?

Something doesn't sit right with me about people enjoying themselves while others are terrified dying in hospital alone. But I know that's not fair, we have to keep our spirits up. It sounds like a good idea, just comment that for it to be safe everyone must stay in their own garden.