Is this allowed under “group of 6”?

[Peasbewithyou]

Can I have 4 friends over one evening (socially distanced - we have open plan downstairs so space isn’t an issue), while DH & 3 kids are upstairs? The kids would be sleeping and DH either watching TV or working. So in the house would be a total of 9 people but on totally different floors and there are toilets on both floors so is it several “groups” so no reason for anyone to come into contact with anyone else.

It seems a bit ridiculous when if we went to a pub there could be another who knows how many people there sitting in groups just a metre or so away!

So would this be legal or illegal?

I would say no.

Why does everyone always think they're an exception?

I think this thread with the valuable I put needs to be bumped up to prevent needless repetition.
Also consider this : to maintain safety in the most practicable way the Govt would have to go back to full lock down but it sees this as not in its best interests so has attempted to come up with less severe restrictions, which, as we can see have what appears to be loopholes. If you are very wealthy then you are free to go ahead and flout the law and invite prosecution to enable the matter to be adjudicated.
If you are sensible you will obey the spirit of the law and avoid organising or attending any gatherings until we get through this.
So much is talked about everyone working together in WWII (hmmm) and surely we ought to be able to put the general good of all before personal pleasure for a few months?
Personally, as a shielded person I am not enjoying this and my general health is suffering for lack of readily available medical care but I am focussing on the bigger picture.

Not allowed. Assume you cannot stop the air movement redistribution of potential viral droplets. Not as simple as different floors and loos. I don't think it is as simple as saying they are not doing the verb 'meeting' (just someone trying to find a loophole - which suggests they know it is wrong). They are inside the same house so it all counts.

I thought that you could only mix with one other household in your home? Upto a max of 6 people inclusive of those who live there or in the social bubble plus the additional guests household.

@SoloMummy

I thought that you could only mix with one other household in your home? Upto a max of 6 people inclusive of those who live there or in the social bubble plus the additional guests household.

Not in England. It's 6 people, regardless of how many households*- so if you live alone and invite 5 other people who live alone, 6 households can mix.

*unless your own household is more than 6, obviously.

@WeAreVeryAmused

Arguably it does ban multiple groups gathering separately at the same property if there are more than six people socialising in total, but that's different from OP's situation where, as I understand it, she'll have 2 sleeping kids upstairs, DH watching telly or whatever on his own, so less than 6 socialising/"gathering".

I could write a long essay on statutory interpretation but the important point is there are limits to it, especially when dealing with criminal law.

The wording of "mixing" is confusing, but the aim of the law is that more than 6 can not be in one private household at a time. Obviously the government doesn't mean that 6 people can be in the kitchen, 6 in the living room and 6 in the garden and they all count as separate "gatherings". That would be daft.