People saying ‘we’ve had a year of this’ - what did you do last summer?

[Bubbinsmakesthree]

I keep seeing people saying things like “my child hasn’t played with anyone else in a year” or “I’ve not seen any friends in a year”. I know some people have been shielding or live in areas that have had tougher restrictions for longer...but if not, what were you doing last summer?

I think I’ve been fairly cautious but we still managed holidays/trips away in the UK, lots of (socially distanced) meet ups with friends and family and my children saw lots of their friends. We’ve been to museums, meals out, swimming etc. Other than children not social distancing with each other I don’t we broke any rules. It certainly wasn’t a normal summer but in comparison with the current (really miserable) lockdown things were pretty decent.

Lots of people I know were regularly in bars, making cinema trips, foreign holidays and taking the children soft play (i drew the line well before it got to soft play myself!)

Are people forgetting what actually happened or did some people remain in voluntary lockdown all year?

@Freedobby

In England the guidelines were maximum of 6 people (including children) could meet up or if more than 6 it was from no more than two households. Social distancing measures still applied both indoors or outdoors so either 2m or 1m plus additional measures such as face-mask, not sitting opposite someone etc. This was for the summer in the areas where restrictions were lifted in July and changed to “Rule of 6” in the autumn.

Where I was yes as I managed to get a meal in with the mind from school but in other parts of England there were still heavy restrictions

Mums** not mind

Went on 2 UK holidays, went to theme parks, a couple of meals out with a friend. Didn’t go to the cinema because nothing was released. Kids met friends at the park. Not sure why people are saying things like this are why we are as we are now - the virus was suppressed between mid May and mid August apart from a small number of problem areas/outbreaks? Very clearly seasonal, much like flu and the common cold. I know at the time there was a lot of hysteria that VE Day/ crowded beaches would lead to som huge spike, but we have hindsight now and the fact was, they didn’t, rates were really low.

@Eyjafjallajokulldottir

I stayed with family last summer, were we supposed to be socially distancing inside the house? There were 6 of us in the house.

Yes, you had to stay 2m apart (or 1m plus mitigation such as masks) from people not in your household, both inside and outside. Those who didn't broke the rules.

I fully appreciate that some areas had heavier restrictions, I’m in one of them. My point was that some posters seem to be confused over the requirement that social distancing still applied irrespective of what restrictions (or not) were in place or thought that large gatherings of up to 30 people were allowed. Not following the guidance impacts on everyone.

I know what you mean ,things weren't completely back to normal last summer but a lot of restrictions were lifted, so you could eat out ( remember eat out to help out?) , We went in day trips as a family to the zoo, my teenagers went to a theme park together, i did meet up with friends in pub garden for lunch , all shops were open and we went on holiday , so actually we had a fairly good summer .
Of course some people would have been shielding or decided they were comfortable with going out but there was a lot you could do.last summer within the guidelines.
However we have had varying levels of restrictions since end of march so nearly a year of things not being totally normal. Im getting a bit fed up too, we were in tier 4 before this lockdown so it feels like its really dragging but I do have fond memories of last summer

We had a nice summer, stayed in a family member's holiday home and saw some of our extended family, but we didn't have a foreign holiday as we normally would, and it was mostly just trips to the beach and the odd National Trust property as many of the things we'd normally do hadn't reopened. Friends and family are scattered across the UK, so there are people I haven't seen in over a year because of travel restrictions, including family in Manchester and Leicester.

Meals out were largely takeaway as lots of places were fully booked because of EOHO. Went back to the gym but it didn't feel very covid safe, so stuck to working out in the park. DD's swimming lessons restarted then stopped again due to staff self-isolating. Libraries were only ever open for click & collect, no browsing. Museums had reduced visitor numbers, which meant they were often sold out. Basically, while the summer meant some things were normal, there was a lot that wasn't.

@Eyjafjallajokulldottir

I stayed with family last summer, were we supposed to be socially distancing inside the house? There were 6 of us in the house.

Yes you were. The one thing that has been consistent throughout all of the various restrictions and rule changes is that you should social distance from anyone not in your household or support bubble. It doesn't matter if you are outside or inside, in their home or your home, in pub or in a restaurant. If you visited people in their home you should have social distanced from anyone not in your household.

Oh, and my workplace went fully remote the week before lockdown, and don't expect the majority of staff back on site before October at the earliest. I'm going on maternity leave in July so it will have been 2.5 years since I saw my boss or any of my colleagues in person, or had a desk that wasn't also my kitchen table. Not normal.

@RichardMarxisinnocent yes this has been in place since the beginning, and was made very clear. I'm not sure how some people didn't know. This is why lots of us didn't have a great a summer as some people seem to have done, as it was impossible to see friends and family whilst social distancing, or eat in pubs and restaurants with others whilst distancing, and so we didn't.

[quote Mousehole10]@RichardMarxisinnocent yes this has been in place since the beginning, and was made very clear. I'm not sure how some people didn't know. This is why lots of us didn't have a great a summer as some people seem to have done, as it was impossible to see friends and family whilst social distancing, or eat in pubs and restaurants with others whilst distancing, and so we didn't.[/quote]
Exactly. I haven't eaten out with anyone other than my DP because of social distancing. I did visit one friend in her home as with only one of me and 4 of them (2 of whom are teenagers who pretty much live in their bedrooms) there was space to distance. We also are most several meals in the garden. It was a weird visit, with me sitting at a fold up table in the doorway while they were at the dining table, or me sitting alone at the far end of one sofa and them sitting on the other at the other end of the room. For all my family and other friends it just wasn't possible.

Oh well, its done now.

@Eyjafjallajokulldottir

Oh well, its done now.

At least you'll know now for this year when restrictions get relaxed in spring/summer!

Yes you were. The one thing that has been consistent throughout all of the various restrictions and rule changes is that you should social distance from anyone not in your household or support bubble. It doesn't matter if you are outside or inside, in their home or your home, in pub or in a restaurant. If you visited people in their home you should have social distanced from anyone not in your household.

There is also a guidance/law distinction here - the rules on size of gathering have mostly been law, whereas social distancing has been guidance. So you absolutely should have been socially distanced from anyone outside your household (or bubble) since last March, but you haven't broken the law if you didn't.

At least you'll know now for this year when restrictions get relaxed in spring/summer!

Yes true 👍 must pay attention. I must admit it would've been difficult to keep a 2 m distance in my parent's house but still, good to know. I thought it meant if you were just visiting someone for a couple of hours, not if you were staying over.

In the summer I was still works Ng from home. The kids were playing outside with one or two other kids in the neighbourhood.
Shops reopened and I went into w and oteveryone new stuff from Primark, measured their feet and gt them haircuts.
That was the limit of it. It didn't feel safe to go out for meals or away on days out.
We had a couple of us camping in the woods on our own.

@Eyjafjallajokulldottir

Oh well, its done now.

And this is part of the reason cases have gone up.

The problem is that people just heard the headline and switched off after that . I also visited parents and we sat at one end of the garden and they sat on the patio and we had a somewhat shouted conversation. In September we did meet inside as it was raining and df was no longer shielding but they extended the dining table to its full extent with them at one end and me the other. And I took my own towel etc for the loo.

My ds has not seen his grandparents at all as he works in a restaurant. ( one which generally has received high accolades for its Covid safety but it’s still a risk) .

We are not angels , we saw our ds in Sept and he stayed and although we tried our best it was simply not possible to keep apart all the time and he shared a bathroom with his brothers. He did however isolate for 10 days before coming and he and ds3 the waiter were especially cautious. I also had my hair done etc

Everyone I know has done their best to strike a balance between safety, life and supporting local businesses. I don’t know anyone who has been to theme parks or having family parties though .

I know I've been a dick head. In my defence we didn't go anywhere, just stayed in the house for a couple of days so my kids could spend time with grandparents. Still though, bit embarrassing

Yes you were. The one thing that has been consistent throughout all of the various restrictions and rule changes is that you should social distance from anyone not in your household or support bubble. It doesn't matter if you are outside or inside, in their home or your home, in pub or in a restaurant. If you visited people in their home you should have social distanced from anyone not in your household

Except children under 12 in Scotland.

The reason for social distancing is to try to reduce the number of people you infect. Not social control, not stopping people hugging, simply reducing the number of people you make ill. The assumption has to be that you are infectious at all times.

If you're indoors with them you will probably infect them anyway, but if it's a well ventilated room and you stay 2m+ away you might get away with it. If you've gone away with another family and been infected, you would most likely all have got ill.

I don’t get this either. We have a caravan and were using it pretty much every weekend from July until October. Lots of beach days, bbq’s with friends at the camp site. The kids were at school from September until December and saw their friends at weekends for the park and shopping. Perfectly easy to do all of that whilst following guidelines.

@Pinkmarsh

I don’t get this either. We have a caravan and were using it pretty much every weekend from July until October. Lots of beach days, bbq’s with friends at the camp site. The kids were at school from September until December and saw their friends at weekends for the park and shopping. Perfectly easy to do all of that whilst following guidelines.

Perfectly easy to do if you live in an area which hasn't been under additional restrictions pretty much since last March.......

Sorry to everyone who has had a really tough time over the last year either whether due to shielding, caring, living in an area which has been under restrictions most of the year or other circumstances that have meant you have had little respite.

This thread wasn’t intended to be gloaty or goady. Genuinely I was surprised that some people didn’t seem to have met people all year even when they were permitted to and weren’t especially vulnerable.

I think the thing that has surprised me most is that some people haven’t allowed their children to play with other children during the easing of restrictions in summer. This was genuinely the norm in my area over summer.

I honestly think the fact that England didn’t follow Scotland in allowing for younger children not to count in the ‘rule of 6’ requirements to social distance was a major failing and has meant that many people were in an impossible position if they wanted to stick strictly to the rules.

@Pinkmarsh not everyone has a caravan

I go ‘home’ for the summer, to Florida.

It might not be the place I was born, but my home is there. I go back every holiday and all summer. I have not been back for over a year now and it’s devastated me. I can’t stand the UK frankly. And to be forced to remain here all this time. If I could move abroad permanently I would, but I can’t so I’m stuck here in a pandemic. As far as I’m concerned, there was no last summer.