It is now illegal to mingle

[notevenat20]

“ a person participates in a gathering as a member of a qualifying group only if they are part of a qualifying group and, whilst participating in the gathering, they do not—
(i) become a member of any other group of persons participating in the gathering (whether or not that group is a “qualifying group”), or
(ii) otherwise mingle with any person who is participating in the gathering but is not a member of the same qualifying group as them.”;

www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/986/pdfs/uksi_20200986_en.pdf

Anyone understand what this means exactly?

Double speak, as usual.

If you go to a pub (or wherever) with your group of 6, you're not supposed to chat/interact with anyone else.

Anyone understand what this means exactly?

No. No one does.

Say with your own group and don’t go chatting up people in other groups. It seems pretty obvious to me.

Its almost as if they go out of their way to make it sound incoherent. It reminds me of a first year uni student trying to shoehorn enough words in to meet the word limit for an essay. What's wrong with using plain bog standard English?

It’s not exactly plain English but what it means is that, say, 24 people can’t book 4 tables near each other in a pub and then interact with each other as if they were one group.

It’s just shit and badly written legal speak.

Yeah it means that you can’t switch groups or wander around to different groups for example in a pub. I guess this is to stop a large group forming several smaller groups in a pub or restaurant and all going together. For example, there was a post on here a few days ago where a large family meal had been organised for a birthday and the pub were saying it could still go ahead and they’d split the tables into groups of 6 but they can’t seriously think that people won’t want to at least go up to the birthday boy/girl’s table to interact at some point??

In the situation where 2 dc are in bed upstairs, that looks like you can have 6 people downstairs, as the dc are not participating in that group of 6.

That’s legislation, not guidance. Just to say. Seems pretty clear - stay in your group. You can’t meet one set of people and switch to another.

Stick with your group of 6 or fewer and don’t go and mingle with another group at the same venue.

That’s legislation, it’s not designed to be clear guidance though

In the situation where 2 dc are in bed upstairs, that looks like you can have 6 people downstairs, as the dc are not participating in that group of 6.

This seems to come down to the legal definition of a gathering that they use (which I know nothing about). Also the unrealistic assumption that D.C. don’t pop downstairs regularly :)

Stick with your group of 6 or fewer and don’t go and mingle with another group at the same venue.

Ah, so like Mods and Rockers, or Sharks and Jets. Got it.

So I can get away with ignoring someone I know, if I spot them whilst out (not that ln ever out!) and I'm already in a group of 6? I'm legally not allowed to make small chat?!! Great!