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Original poster

Rule of 6 in gardens

55 replies

cheesybeans1234 · 27/03/2021 09:13

When the rule of 6 comes in for private gardens does it count number of people on the property or number of people gathering in the garden?
If family are home but staying inside can you have 5 friends to sit in the garden?
No contact between garden guests and rest of household but taking over 6 house total count. I don't think there's a definitive answer but in interested in opinions.

OP posts:
AuntieStella · 27/03/2021 12:28

DYAC

isn't urine a terribly good accelerator?

cryh · 27/03/2021 12:29

@TheCountessofFitzdotterel

I thought it had been clarified that they are allowed to go through the house to reach the garden and to use the loo.
I thought it was only to access the garden... but very happy to be wrong?
Hollyhead · 27/03/2021 12:31

@Unsure33 oh don’t worry our family has had it’s fair share of grief this year. I give a fuck about being sensible, obviously, what I don’t give a fuck about is the situation where you have a gathering within the guidelines outdoors and do people inside count - to me even if that’s illegal it’s stupid and people should just carry on. Keep spread out in ventilated areas and carry on is my standard thought.

StormcloakNord · 27/03/2021 12:34

One thing I haven't at all missed on MN during lockdown is the every day stream of threads asking if x,y,z situation is acceptable under the "rules". 🙄

Honeydukesmum · 27/03/2021 12:34

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.heart.co.uk/news/coronavirus/outdoor-socialising-use-friends-bathroom-march-29/

Trying to locate the original statement from Boris

unchienandalusia · 27/03/2021 14:27

Jeez. Whether it's "allowed" or not. Clearly only 6 people are mixing. It would pass any sane and rational risk assessment there is.

Belindabelle · 27/03/2021 14:56

I thought it was only from two household though. So I can’t have 5 friends round but could have one friend her husband and their child along with me, my husband and our child would be 6. Children are teens.

Belindabelle · 27/03/2021 15:02

I am wrong you can have up to 6 people from multiple households.

Anawi · 27/03/2021 15:13

@Belindabelle

I am wrong you can have up to 6 people from multiple households.
Upto 6 people from upto 6 households OR any number of people so long as they are from only two households Smile
Anawi · 27/03/2021 15:14

Any number or upto a certain number actually I cant remember, but it's definitely not only 6 from two households.

Juliesipadwillcallyouback · 27/03/2021 15:15

Who cares? Just do it anyway.

dividedwefall · 27/03/2021 15:32

@cheesybeans1234

When the rule of 6 comes in for private gardens does it count number of people on the property or number of people gathering in the garden? If family are home but staying inside can you have 5 friends to sit in the garden? No contact between garden guests and rest of household but taking over 6 house total count. I don't think there's a definitive answer but in interested in opinions.
I absolutely love this question if only because it demonstrates how crazy the whole things is.
dividedwefall · 27/03/2021 15:33

@unchienandalusia

Jeez. Whether it's "allowed" or not. Clearly only 6 people are mixing. It would pass any sane and rational risk assessment there is.
You do know that 'sane' and 'rational' have no place in COVID rules discussions don't you?
Parky04 · 27/03/2021 15:36

@Hollyhead

Who gives a fuck? Honestly, be sensible keep non householders outside and get on white whatever you want to do. I’m over the detail on the rules, much of it makes little difference in many scenarios.
Yep!
Katie517 · 27/03/2021 16:12

Why do you need to ask? Why can’t you just be an adult and use common sense?

My husband works from home, I’m having 5 friends over next week while he is working upstairs in his office and my baby is napping in their room husband and baby are not part of the “gathering” and for those asking about using the loo please get a grip and act as though you are capable of independent thought! If you are waiting for Chris Whitty to tell you if your friend can use your loo you really need to take a long hard look at what you have become!

poppycat10 · 27/03/2021 16:15

@IceCreamAndCandyfloss

I would say six in total at the private dwelling. It doesn’t say people not outside are excluded.
I agree. We had these debates on here last year when people were saying they wanted 6 friends round while the kids were upstairs in bed. The consensus was they couldn't (and I agree).

Six people or two households/household bubbles.

poppycat10 · 27/03/2021 16:16

(excluding babes in arms)

ChocOrange1 · 27/03/2021 16:54

I'm having friends round in the garden next Friday- 5 of them. My husband will be in the living room at the front of the house. My kids will be asleep upstairs. So they won't be part of the 6. Didn't even cross my mind that this wouldn't be "allowed".
To be honest if someone comes and shows official advice saying this wouldn't be allowed, I'll be doing it anyway.

PinkSparklyPussyCat · 27/03/2021 21:50

I don't blame you @ChocOrange1. I live in a flat and my garden runs alongside the upstairs one meaning we each have half the width of a 'normal' garden and we have a 3' fence between them.

There could be 12 of us from different houses sitting in the two gardens! None of us would be doing anything wrong as they are private but it's hardly any different from a larger gathering in a normal garden.

89redballoons · 27/03/2021 22:25

I don't think it counts people inside the house. The rule is that six people can meet outside. If there are other people inside the house, they're not meeting outside are they? If the one person who is going to have friends round to their garden went to meet those same friends in a park, that would be fine - so what's the difference?

Pissedoff1234 · 27/03/2021 23:58

Well it's what I'll be doing. I have 6 already in my house so if I have just one friend visit it will take me over. My kids will either be at school (during the day) or in their rooms/asleep on an evening being looked after by DH.

We have a downstairs toilet which friends can use and the people inside the house will use upstairs. Toilet can then be disinfected once they leave.

I have followed every rule and I'm OTT in all Covid cleanliness etc but this to me seems very stupid. My family will not be part of my gathering unless it's with one other household as is within the rules.

Pissedoff1234 · 27/03/2021 23:59

And where we sit in my garden, I'm actually closer to my neighbours house so should I be counting them instead of my own family. See it gets silly.

user1494055864 · 28/03/2021 08:08

@Spied

Could someone please tell me what happens if a garden guest needs to use the loo? Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.
A bucket and some toilet roll in the garden shed would be sufficient.
BobBobBobbin · 28/03/2021 08:45

I agree. We had these debates on here last year when people were saying they wanted 6 friends round while the kids were upstairs in bed. The consensus was they couldn't (and I agree).

I don’t think that was the consensus on the threads I was on. Lots of people were saying that yes, but the more legally minded were pointing out that:

-the law is drafted in terms of ‘gathering’ not the number of people within a house.

-as this has not been tested in the courts no-one can be sure exactly how this would be legally interpreted in practice

-but it was generally felt that the legal definition of a gathering would not include for example children asleep upstairs.

When we are talking about gardens I think that’s even clearer cut that people indoors don’t count as part of the same ‘gathering’ as people in the garden provided there is no intermingling.

Doyoumindfisithere · 28/03/2021 08:46

@BobBobBobbin

I agree. We had these debates on here last year when people were saying they wanted 6 friends round while the kids were upstairs in bed. The consensus was they couldn't (and I agree).

I don’t think that was the consensus on the threads I was on. Lots of people were saying that yes, but the more legally minded were pointing out that:

-the law is drafted in terms of ‘gathering’ not the number of people within a house.

-as this has not been tested in the courts no-one can be sure exactly how this would be legally interpreted in practice

-but it was generally felt that the legal definition of a gathering would not include for example children asleep upstairs.

When we are talking about gardens I think that’s even clearer cut that people indoors don’t count as part of the same ‘gathering’ as people in the garden provided there is no intermingling.

Agree, the lawyers were convincing on this point last year.
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