Bonny lasses assemble for the North East support thread 2!

[PennyDreadfuI]

Shiny new thread for all your north east needs.

Hello 👋

@NotQuiteUsualnot
My dd loved Alnwick gardens but not sure how much is open.
Have you explored your coastline yet

Thank you frolic for you too. I hope your DM is doing ok.

The dc are in bed, I'm going to pour a drink, have a self pity party and get up tomorrow with a new attitude. Anyone know if dropping off shopping for previously shielding parents is illegal now? Or I'll have to try and get more delivery slots and get provisions delivered to them direct

I know the numbers are increasing scarily quickly, but im not sure why they are so quic to change the rules?

Assuming a 2 week lag for restrictions to take effect, ( which is what it was at the start i think?) And its only been 1 week since the restrictions in thw north east, then they havent given those measures a chance before tightening further.

Im not necessarily against the measures but seems strange how quickly they seem to be expecting things to look better.

My stepdaughter is at Newcastle university and living in a house share in Jesmond. We live on the coast but her Mum lives in another part of the country. She was telling me yesterday that the virus is ripping through the students. She knows of so many people who have now tested positive, huge numbers are now isolating and many have gone home including one of her house mates. I'm sure the university is where a majority of these positive test results are coming from.

@Dementedswan there's no reason why you can't do a doorstep drop off. In the articles listing reasons for going out if ordered to isolated, it suggested getting deliveries or asking a neighbour for help with shopping, so it's actively encouraged, if anything.

It would also be a sad state of affairs if rules against mixing households extended to outlawing a careful, distanced welfare check on vulnerable neighbours. We were able to do this through the main lockdown.

@NotQuiteUsualnot We have been to Alnwick Gardens quite a lot since it reopened- we got married there and have annual passes so its one of our faves. It is fairly normal, the only 2 things that aren't on are the little ride on tractors and the treehouse I think however there was talk of that reopening so I'm not sure. Worth a visit though the water features, poison garden etc is as normal and the cafe has sheltered seating for takeaway x

@ScottishStottie
I agree, it's strange. I read (although I don't know what to believe anymore!) that cases here had decreased over 3 consecutive days. It doesn't make sense.

I'm actually really angry about this situation. Cases elsewhere are much higher. Also, I believe that this was partially the work of council leaders. Why they are so keen to see the area plunged into more economic doom is beyond me.

I'm not going to listen to a word of it and I hope that others treat it with the contempt it deserves.

Breaking news down here is the Teesside 5 council leaders, in a meeting with PHE, have decided against any local lockdown currently.

Thank you all loads of suggestions! Normally I'd be asking people on the school run, but it's a bit hard getting to chat to people at the minute. Lots of ideas of what we can get up to now though.

I wonder how the situation here compares with London and Leicester when they were bad. Really hope it will start to calm down in a few weeks.

@dementedswan whereabouts are you? I'm working in retail, only very part time hours at the moment, but i can sign enough for a relatively basic conversation if you're a BSL user x

Does anyone know if a family holiday to a cottage in Scotland can go ahead next month? 2 households from NE.

My thought process is that we can't as we are not meant to mix in NE. The fact it's in Scotland where we can is irrelevant

Can't find clarification

You're not supposed to mix households on holiday either.

Unfortunately I agree with @HarrietOh, the restrictions are effective from where you live not where you are going.

It says you can travel out of the area, but only with your own household.

Thanks. I thought so. Wasn't trying to find a loophole or bend rules by the way, was just unsure.

So I've read the guidelines in the chronicle and the 'clarification' that we can now meet in pub gardens has made me so confused.

If we can meet outside does that means I'm allowed to meet my friend for a walk with in the dene with a coffee?

I feel like they're just making it more confusing with every announcement.

SnoringFerret it is so confusing. Every announcement has me more confused about what we can and can't do. I'm still not sure if my mum can come up and visit in half term, she lives alone so was in our support bubble before we moved. But since she doesn't live in the NE I'm now not sure.

I think you're allowed to keep your support bubbles but I wouldn't put more than 500 thousand on it if I was on Million Pound Drop

@Snoringferret

So I've read the guidelines in the chronicle and the 'clarification' that we can now meet in pub gardens has made me so confused.

If we can meet outside does that means I'm allowed to meet my friend for a walk with in the dene with a coffee?

I feel like they're just making it more confusing with every announcement.

Boris has just tweeted about NE restrictions - no meeting anyone outside of household socially including outside.

The leading story on the chronicle website is 'it won't be illegal to meet in pub gardens'

This is such a mess!!

The right hand really doesn't know what the left is doing.

Jeez what a mess, so after midnight tonight it'll be illegal to meet someone outside of your household/bubble in a pub or restaurant. Outside and neer gardens its ADVISED not to meet up with pet outside of your household/bubble but not illegal. Clear as mud, fml

Beer not neer and People not pet (come on autocorrect give me a break!)

I see BJ was on the afternoon news making a cock of himself not knowing what our new NE lockdown rules actually were. Obviously he has had to apologise, but FFS!

We are all tying ourselves in knots trying to work out what's what. In the meantime, my neighbour directly opposite is continuing to have different family members visit and his next door neighbour has said there's no way he isn't seeing the grandchildren. They were both very compliant in the first lockdown. I don't know if they don't get it, don't care or or just totally fucked off with it all. Either way, it clearly isn't going to work. And in the meantime, the tight lipped stance on schools is interesting. Lies, misinformation, lack of clarity and downright propaganda. What a mix!

It's all going to blow up with the Uni's soon. So at the moment they are keeping students isolated ro contain any outbreaks. Yeah, like that's going to work. I think all the students will be back home and we will be in lockdown by mid October.

They just need to clarify the rule and make it easy to follow for people to stick to.

I don't understand why they haven't just said you can't mix anywhere but you can meet for socially distanced walks in groups of two.

I think saying that you can't see anyone socially at all, but you can go to the pub and to work is making people not follow it as it's too strict.

It makes no sense at all that I can sit in my office all day with 6 other people but potentially won't be able to see my mam for 6 months.

I think people realise this is the long haul now so are more likely to break the rule if they seem pointless.

(I'm not breaking the rules btw I'm just saying I understand why people are)

Yeah I totally agree Ferret