What is considered a picnic?

[xatcat]

Does it mean you can't walk and eat something outside?

Or is it when your sat down outside eating?

Just trying to clarify the rules.

@TheOtherMaryBerry - well done on getting out with a 3 year old. Sometimes just persuading them to get dressed is enough energy for most! If a sandwich is needed then so be it.

Depends what sort of biscuit. Plain biscuit - all fine. Fancy biscuit - alsolutely not. Not sure about jaffa cakes. They may or may not be counted as a biscuit. Perhaps we'll find out more at the next briefing

Well we live in west cornwall and walked 10 miles on Sunday, taki g sandwiches and flasks. We sat on a grassy cliff, looking westwards eating them. Not another soul. Where was the harm?

I mis read this as "where was the ham?"

Have we enough for the MN CV Bingo card? Somebody must have a full house by now. Anyone said 'welded into their homes' yet?

You are allowed to go out for exercise. Eat before you go or when you get back!

Or eat a snack on the move. Anyone with any sense (including police) know that is not remotely a picnic.

Jaffa cakes are a cake. If cake is left out it goes hard. If biscuits are, they go soggy. Jaffa cakes go hard ( I've checked) so it can be concluded that jaffa cakes are definitely cakes

Well we live in west cornwall and walked 10 miles on Sunday, taking sandwiches and flasks. We sat on a grassy cliff, looking westwards eating them. Not another soul. Where was the harm?

Exactly. I mean... that might just about constitute a picnic, but I still don't think that's what the 'no picnics' guidance is aimed at. It's clearly aimed at stopping people from meeting up to eat together and from people gathering and lingering in potentially busy recreation areas like parks, NT gardens etc.

Even if eating a banana on the move were against guidelines (which it clearly isn't), it's not as if you're going to meet a police patrol on the top of a cliff, up a mountain or in the middle of fields.

So maybe a hard Jaffa cake would be more of a ‘hard tack’ ship’s biscuit and therefore essential vittals not picnic fare ?? May take this thread as evidence if ever I am stopped miles from a single other person on remote trek with a Jaffa cake.

Jaffa cake would be emergency rations. I would only eat one if really really desperate. Or if a bench looked particularly inviting.

I think people are missing the intent of the "no picnics" guidance. It is meant to

1. Stop people socialising with those from other households
2. Stop people congregating in open spaces making it harder for other people to socially distance. This is obviously more of a problem in a popular park in a residential area than on a remote mountain hillside. But the restrictions can't go into every scenario.

If you're not doing either of these things, then you're probably fine. Regardless of whether it's a banana, a three course meal and if blankets or benches are involved.

Dear god. Earlier this week, DH and I had a walk that lasted 4 hours, from our own door. Bloody right we took a snack. We ate it on a bench in the cemetery where his parents are buried. We saw about a dozen people on the way.
On the way back, we popped into Asda to use the loo.
Lock us up now, we're clearly personally responsible for the spread all over Scotland. In spite of no socialising / cafes for MONTHS.

I have a 5 month old and PND, I’m under the watch of my GP as I’ve started self harming for the first time since my teens.

I went on a walk with DD in town last week as I’ve been told it’s really important for me to get out daily. They’ve taped off the benches in our town centre so when she started screaming for a feed I couldn’t feed her. I had to walk 20 mins back from town with her screaming before I could sit down and feed her.

I haven’t been out for a walk since. I’m not looking forward to telling the GP I’ve not being doing as I’m told but if the benches are taped off I can’t risk taking her out again.

I don’t know if this pandemic is going to kill me but even if it doesn’t I will never not be broken again.

Dolly it's madness! Sorry you had such a distressing experience. That must have been the longest 20 minutes of your life.

Oh that’s awful @Dollywilde what has this come to?

That’s another way this pandemic is affecting women disproportionately. Nowhere to sit and feed a baby.

Why on earth are they taping over the park benches again? It's not and has never been illegal to sit on one.

I thought we might have learned some lessons from first time round, but no it's still posters incredulous that somebody might want or need to be outside for more than an hour and putting measures in place that harm the most vulnerable like @Dollywilde and say older people who might need to sit down for a few minutes mid exercise.

I don't think you'd be breaking the law having a quick break during a walk for a banana, but I dare say there will be plenty of people telling you differently. Personally I'll continue to take a drink and cereal bar on longer walks, and if there's a bench I'll sit on it! I take a picnic to mean sandwiches and more, not a quick snack.

Well, assuming most people aren't doing more than an hour or two of exercise a day, I really don't think there's any need to take snacks along for the majority of people. Just eat when you get home. If you're training for a marathon then possibly.

Usually I go out for about an hours walk a day and just take some water along to sip if I feel the need.

@Dollywilde - that’s crazy. Please do look after yourself and try to get outside. I know it’s a mumsnet cliche but can you use a sling? Breastfeeding in a sling whilst walking around is a game changer! (If you are breastfeeding).

@Dollywilde you poor sod. That is bloody horrible.

Take scissors next time. I mean it.

Thanks for the concern guys, sorry for derailing the thread a bit DH has said he’ll come out with me on his lunch hour and we won’t go more than 10 mins from the house (just walking around our estate, it’ll be boring as hell but doable). I mentioned to a friend and she rightly pointed out I could have maybe rested on a wall in town but tbh after seeing the benches and the news about the 2 girls and their coffees I was too concerned about being told off. I’m usually quite resilient but at the moment I think any reprimand would have me on the floor. Thanks for the good wishes though, I know this isn’t right but I just don’t have the strength to challenge stuff atm.

Dollywilde

I'm so so sorry, that's just so awful. I was really ill with PND when ds was born and I just walked and walked all day, I wish it could be easier for you. It will be better at some point though, even if it isn't perfect, it will be better. I thought I'd never get through the first year but now he's 3 and he's gorgeous, good company and we have a lovely time. I would say it's had an ongoing effect on my MH but it's milder and milder! Sending you

@Dollywilde - that’s good that your husband will go for a walk with you. You could also meet a friend perhaps. Mental health is important!

Of course the elderly or pregnant might need a sit when exercising. My two year old played at the (empty) park for 2 hours at the weekend, as a 2 year old should. I'm about to give birth any day and had there been a bench I'd have sat on it. Equally, when I have a newborn and a toddler I'll need to feed the baby when out (esp if sticking to the once a day exercise rule and knowing newborns sometimes need a feed despite having just had one before you left the house) and despite being a very confident feeder last time, I'd prefer to be able to sit down to do that.

tinkerbell2021
Where do I find that section please?
It's not in the guidance my nhs app brings up.

I genuinely thought we'd left the bench/sitting on the grass madness behind in the spring. Thanks to the posters who really made me laugh, particularly loved intent to picnic and inciting picnicking!!

Dolly , glad that your DH will go with you.