Confused! How many can meet in garden?

[FinallyRelief]

So in one space the gov says only 6 people from two households can meet outdoors

Elsewhere it says that wedding receptions of 30 people can happen?

Does this mean we could have a birthday party in our garden with less than 30 pple?

I'm thinking for my DC bday in Sept - cos the children are all in the same bubble at school so mixing all week.

FInallyRelief we've done a lot of research and put a lot of thought int this issue. DS's 18th birthday party had to be cancelled because we were in lockdown. I'd planned a marquee in the garden. We'd assumed that he could reschedule the party for September, before he goes to Uni.

As many others have said the guidelines say 6 guests in the garden is ok and you won't be prosecuted if it's 30 or less. We decided we didn't feel comfortable with breaking the guidelines. If you hold the party you also have to be prepared for that event to be a possible coronavirus spreading event; the children spread it, bring it back to their homes and a vulnerable member of the family gets seriously ill or worse. It's just not worth it; postpone the event. We've told DS he's looking at a 19th party instead, at the very earliest.....

so what about beer gardens then? Thats a garden - thats not officially a public place .........
Its a damn farce

@Suki2 I think you have a different dilemma to @FinallyRelief because your DC will not be routinely mixing with their friends without social distancing. But the OP’s DC will be at school in a bubble with no social distancing with all the guests - so there is no additional risk to friends and family.

@FinallyRelief I hope you take my advice and your DC has a wonderful party

@NameChange2PostThis you're right my DS's situation is different because he is not in a school bubble.

Sounds like students who turned 18 after Covid struck have missed out as they will never be in the same bubble as that year group again. Even if DS was still at school though it still wouldn't seem right to have the party as the older age group have closer interactions at a party.

@thelistener in a beer garden, it’s separate groups of people who are not likely to mingle and the tables at pubs are now further apart so not at all the same thing as one large group in a garden all intermingling.

I ran a pub for many years .....

there is little chance of people not mingling - a local pub with a massive garden. social distancing is perfectly possible in many private gardens

Thanks mine is an 8th birthday party and all DC are in same bubble at school it's not a spreading event!

@FinallyRelief I assume the area you live is not currently an area where local lockdown has been imposed (eg Greater Manchester and some parts of Lancashire and West Yorkshire) because any kind of party involving guests from outside your household/bubble at your home would then be illegal. I think it is worth bearing in mind the risk of a local lockdown being imposed in your area at short notice. I guess if you live somewhere rural that doesn't fall under the same local authority as any densely populated areas then the risk of that happening is relatively low.

The guidance seems to have been updated and all references to 30 people removed. Is now clear that, outside, it’s 6 people from multiple households or two households of whatever size. It’s much clearer but not so good for the OP :(

It remains the case that the police would not investigate reports of gatherings of over 6 people outside unless it was a very large gathering.

OP I think you just go with your gut. My DD has a birthday party for 8 children in our garden in June. All 8 were attending school together by this point and they had already met up in smaller numbers.

Our garden is huge. I didn’t think for a minute that there was any risk that was not already present.

Op I've berm wondering the same. Can I have 4 of dd friends over for party?
Inside? Or does it have to be outside?

@TrickleG

The guidance seems to have been updated and all references to 30 people removed. Is now clear that, outside, it’s 6 people from multiple households or two households of whatever size. It’s much clearer but not so good for the OP :(

Could you show me this please?

[quote LilyPond2]@FinallyRelief I assume the area you live is not currently an area where local lockdown has been imposed (eg Greater Manchester and some parts of Lancashire and West Yorkshire) because any kind of party involving guests from outside your household/bubble at your home would then be illegal. I think it is worth bearing in mind the risk of a local lockdown being imposed in your area at short notice. I guess if you live somewhere rural that doesn't fall under the same local authority as any densely populated areas then the risk of that happening is relatively low.[/quote]
No not at risk. Low infection rate. We are semi rural

Not very good at links but:

www.gov.uk/guidance/meeting-people-from-outside-your-household-from-4-july

You should only meet people you do not live with in 3 types of groups:

you can continue to meet in any outdoor space in a group of up to 6 people from different households
single adult households – in other words adults who live alone or with dependent children only – can continue to form an exclusive ‘support bubble’ with one other household
you can also meet in a group of 2 households (anyone in your support bubble counts as one household), in any location ‒ public or private, indoors or outdoors. This does not need to be the same household each time.

Whether this reflects the reality of what people are doing, am not so sure...

@FinallyRelief

Thanks mine is an 8th birthday party and all DC are in same bubble at school it's not a spreading event!

When is your party? If it's after date school is re starting and in same bubble, really I wouldn't sweat it , it's consistent with who he mixes with at school (without masks, SD and inside for 6 hours a day) and adding in no extra risks

If it's before school starting , meh, they are about to mix anyway. Keep it outside, disinfect your downstairs loo, Leto windows open and really, no one is arresting you unless a party of 30+

The government guidelines for England go out the window for school children during school day soon enough on 7th Sept... so I cannot see how what you are planning is in anyway, any extra unnecessary exposure ..