RHS is Open for Exercise - How can this possibly fit with Gov. Guidelines

[BigWoollyJumpers]

Following the upgrade of the UK’s coronavirus risk to the highest level and the latest Government guidelines announced on 4 January 2021, the RHS is pleased to confirm that the four RHS Gardens, RHS Garden Wisley, RHS Garden Hyde Hall, RHS Garden Rosemoor and RHS Garden Harlow Carr, can remain open for exercise.
Given the significant rise in cases of coronavirus across the UK, we ask that everyone considering visiting the gardens does not travel outside of their local area, defined in the latest Government guidelines as the village, town, or part of the city where they live

All sounds reasonable. However, you cannot access Wisley without your car, and no-one apart from the handful of houses in Wisley village, could possibly be defined as local.

The government need to define better what "reasonable" is. I would have to leave my village, and bypass my town, to get to Wisley, but it is only 10mins up the road, about 6 miles. This would apply to the many NT places also open in and around Surrey. If they are open, they are open to visitors from the surrounding area, but you HAVE to leave you village or town to access them.

You can’t define “local” in a way that works for both Peckham and North Yorkshire. I do not understand why people are being so wilfully faux ignorant about what is local and what’s not. Obviously your “local” post box is not necessarily the same distance as your local supermarket and you’ve probably got a local park but your local place for a decent walk of say an hour for a Saturday morning could be further away than your local park. Are we all really do collectively stupid we need the government to tell us where exactly each of us can go from our house?

@museumum

You can’t define “local” in a way that works for both Peckham and North Yorkshire. I do not understand why people are being so wilfully faux ignorant about what is local and what’s not. Obviously your “local” post box is not necessarily the same distance as your local supermarket and you’ve probably got a local park but your local place for a decent walk of say an hour for a Saturday morning could be further away than your local park. Are we all really do collectively stupid we need the government to tell us where exactly each of us can go from our house?

But to enforce it there has to be a definition

I am happy to define local for myself but I do not wish to get stopped by police and it does feel like that might be a real possibility.

You can’t define “local” in a way that works for both Peckham and North Yorkshire. I do not understand why people are being so wilfully faux ignorant about what is local and what’s not

They're not being faux ignorant. People see local in different ways. I can easily run 5 miles in 45 minutes so for me that's local. Someone else has probably never walked more than 500m in their life, so for them, that's local.

We need a clear distance limit, something like 10 miles would allow people to drive to places for exercise and prevent mickey taking.

@BigWoollyJumpers

*Following the upgrade of the UK’s coronavirus risk to the highest level and the latest Government guidelines announced on 4 January 2021, the RHS is pleased to confirm that the four RHS Gardens, RHS Garden Wisley, RHS Garden Hyde Hall, RHS Garden Rosemoor and RHS Garden Harlow Carr, can remain open for exercise. Given the significant rise in cases of coronavirus across the UK, we ask that everyone considering visiting the gardens does not travel outside of their local area, defined in the latest Government guidelines as the village, town, or part of the city where they live*

All sounds reasonable. However, you cannot access Wisley without your car, and no-one apart from the handful of houses in Wisley village, could possibly be defined as local.

The government need to define better what "reasonable" is. I would have to leave my village, and bypass my town, to get to Wisley, but it is only 10mins up the road, about 6 miles. This would apply to the many NT places also open in and around Surrey. If they are open, they are open to visitors from the surrounding area, but you HAVE to leave you village or town to access them.

I had to jump in today, yes, it is possible to access Wisley without a car, I don't live in Wisley village but can walk there, and have done. In fact my daughter's school have taken the kids there for school trips previously on foot. It's about a 30-40 min walk but perfectly doable.

Sorry, my first sentance should say 'to say' not 'today'

Our local NT property is about 10 mins drive away. We could walk there if we wanted to. They're being really cautious and have closed their main car park, and are allowing only a small handful of locals to book slots. I booked two for DH and me for this week. It will feel weird, very quiet, and quite sad with no café or shop. The loos may also be closed they say. But we can't just walk round and round our local streets every day without having an occasional change in scenery. It will be good for our MH.

I think this we need to apply the (non law!) "spirit of the lockdown".

My fairly coastal market town has places to walk, country parks, open space, farmland, coastline within 1/2-1 mile of probably about 75% of the population.

No one needs to drive the 5-10 miles to the bigger country parks.

However outside of my area and adjacent town it's less densely populated. There aren't as many places to walk either. So yes the need to drive local for a walk exists.

The problems occur when people who don't need but want to drive to places do so alongside those who need to. It increases footfall and decreases the chance for SD etc.

This whole idea of the spirit is fundamentally important because we really have to make decisions based on need. And the hope is if we can do that collectively for the next few weeks we can collectively have restrictions reduced after that.

If we don't do it collectively then those who have sacrificed theirs wants end up restricted for longer (and likely when those who have prioritised need continue to do so)

It also leads to the situation we seem to have now. More and more people becoming less willing because they see others making decisions to drive somewhere "because legally - they can"

Are we all really do collectively stupid we need the government to tell us where exactly each of us can go from our house?

No-one is stupid. The issue is that the police (in some places), and Matt Hancock this morning was supporting, the fining of two ladies who had not travelled far, for a walk. Well within their rights, and not against the law. So yes, we do need a proper definition if you are open to being stopped and fined by the police.

@BigWoollyJumpers I had this dilemma yesterday, I’m member of somewhere not far from Wisley - we live about 6 miles away, so it was a drive. I figured if their car park was open - it’s ok. I’m also a Wisley member, but they seem to be letting in large numbers and not restricting their numbers enough. I went to the Glow event and it felt too busy. Even at the place I went yesterday, someone was practically breathing down the neck of DP - despite clear 2m markings in the queue. Also - I can’t believe the amount of people who can’t keep to one side of a footpath. Just strolling down the middle while my family and are are forced into the mud - or to wait and give space because they just CANNOT possibly walk to the side. Drove me mad.

I'm delighted that these locals were able to go. The caption says it's open to locals and they have to book a slot so hopefully they can now limit numbers and turn away non locals. I guess if you're not sure if you qualify as 'local' it's worth giving them a ring/trying online booking or whatever.