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Original poster

To break the rule of six for my birthday?

286 replies

44jams · 20/04/2021 06:42

It’s my birthday on Sunday and I’m planning to have a small gathering in the garden with friends. I know I’m meant to stick to the rule of six, but it just seems so nonsensical, considering that we will all be outdoors so our risk of catching the virus is tiny. Would you break the rules and have say five or six households (or 20ish people) round? Or stick to the rule of six even though as I say, the chance of catching it outside is tiny?

OP posts:
icelollies · 20/04/2021 10:57

....just remember to take a drive to Barnard Castle afterwards too so you can claim you didn’t even see 20 people in your garden ....

PhilCornwall1 · 20/04/2021 10:59

Would you break the rules and have say five or six households (or 20ish people) round?

I'd have no problem breaking the rule of 6 to have say 7 or 8 people, but 20 is taking the piss.

You can guarantee a visit from plod if you have that many there.

osbertthesyrianhamster · 20/04/2021 11:00

@PhilCornwall1

Would you break the rules and have say five or six households (or 20ish people) round?

I'd have no problem breaking the rule of 6 to have say 7 or 8 people, but 20 is taking the piss.

You can guarantee a visit from plod if you have that many there.

Depends. Some neighbourhoods or areas, no one could give a fuck.
inmyslippers · 20/04/2021 11:00

I didn't even know there was a rule of 6.

Frazzled2207 · 20/04/2021 11:02

no. If i had 6/7 friends then I would invite them rather than leave 1 or 2 out but having 20+ is just irresponsible tbh. None of us like the rules. Have a delayed celebration later in the summer if you want everyone.

PhilCornwall1 · 20/04/2021 11:02

Depends. Some neighbourhoods or areas, no one could give a fuck.

True.

Can guarantee the curtain twitcher around here would though and to be honest, if I had that many people around, I'd expect it.

Bluesheep8 · 20/04/2021 11:03

I didn't even know there was a rule of 6.

Seriously?

inmyslippers · 20/04/2021 11:06

No 😆 been carrying as normal for some time. Had my vaccine and careful at work. But other then that can't say I'm bothered.

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 20/04/2021 11:08

I probably would do this if I wasn't worried about being judged by others for breaking the rules.

Talkwhilstyouwalk · 20/04/2021 11:10

Just have lots of smaller celebrations instead!

HazeyJaneII · 20/04/2021 11:10

Those that have been carrying on as normal, and going in and out of each others houses...I hope you don't have kids in school.

Mistressinthetulips · 20/04/2021 11:14

I think you should go for it OP because after all your birthday is the most important one in the country, and you deserve a get-together more than all the people who have had scaled-back celebrations throughout the past year.

AllThatFancyPaintsAsFair · 20/04/2021 11:15

@icelollies

....just remember to take a drive to Barnard Castle afterwards too so you can claim you didn’t even see 20 people in your garden ....
FFS, why do people keep bringing this up? Are you trying to be edgy or funny in some way, it's soooo tired now, when are we going to be able to never have to hear this again?
Talkwhilstyouwalk · 20/04/2021 11:18

@44jams

Speshul people

“Speshul”? Hmm

I can’t believe this thread has got so many replies already. In reality I think I would be too worried to do this - not because I’m worried about catching Covid, as we’d all be outdoors anyway, but because I don’t want my neighbours to think I’m selfish.

However, I do find it illogical that 50-100 people are allowed to sit in a pub garden but not 20 in a private garden. It just doesn’t make much sense?

I completely agree with you.
AnneofScreamFables · 20/04/2021 11:20

If you have 20 people I would guess that at least 12 of those have had a birthday in the last year during some sort of lockdown restrictions.

I presume (since you haven't said) that they stuck to the rules.

So if I was one of those invited I would just feel deeply uncomfortable about the whole thing.

I would feel cross as I hadn't been able to have a celebration.
I would feel you were a little impatient not to wait 3 weeks until this was legal.
I would feel outraged you presumed I would want to break the law.

And if you have 20 people who you are absolutely sure will feel as happy to go as you are to have them - then that tells you a little bit about the risk of this particular gathering. What would stop everyone from moving inside if it rained - you couldn't say 'no, that is against the rules'. And then you have an inside gathering, with 20 people who have been probably gathering with lots of others, etc etc.

wonkylegs · 20/04/2021 11:23

It's my 5yos birthday today (his 2nd out of a total 5 that have been under restrictions) and he's managing to celebrate within the rule of 6 and understanding why so I'm guessing you could too. He's still very excited about our plans.
To be fair we could have invited a few more kids as we have an acre of garden for them to run round so plenty of space per child but thought it was easier on explanations to just stick to the rules.
I suspect as DH is a dr and has worked on the Covid wards, I'm immunosuppressed and we have very vulnerable family members the realities of the pandemic have been quite up close and personal for us so this shapes our thinking quite a bit.

Bluesheep8 · 20/04/2021 11:28

Nobeen carrying as normal for some time. Had my vaccine and careful at work. But other then that can't say I'm bothered.

Meanwhile people like me have made considerable and sustained personal sacrifices to stick to the rules.

SpringTides5 · 20/04/2021 11:28

I don't think 7 or 8 would be a problem but with 20, you're more than likely going to be reported by a local lockdown fanatic.

The risk is virtually zero outdoors but there's just too much risk of ending up with a fine for me.

Twatterati · 20/04/2021 11:37

Of course it's ok, it's your birthday. You probably had a horrible one in Lockdown last year so deserve a special day this year.

Not.

Seriously, just suck it up like everyone else.

WildCherryBlossom · 20/04/2021 11:41

No I would not break the rules. One of our household had a b'day a few days ago and did an outdoor thing with 5 friends at lunchtime and then we had another household (from our family) to the garden in the evening which took us to over six people but fitted within the 2 households rule.

We felt blessed that we were able to celebrate at all as this time last year the birthday was in total lockdown.

friendlycat · 20/04/2021 11:42

I hope you don't and that you do 2 or 3 separate events instead - or of course just the one is perfectly possible as well - just as other people have to do.

I would be very annoyed at attending and then seeing 20 people present. I would be annoyed if I was your neighbour as well. If you were to proceed in the form that you currently want it does very much show that you think rules just apply for everybody else and not you and that somehow your birthday is so much more special than others. I thought you were going to say 8 or 9 people, not 20 which frankly really is just taking the piss.

LST · 20/04/2021 11:43

I wouldn't go all out with 20 people in my own garden. I'd maybe go a few over.

That being said we were in a group of way over that at the weekend when we were camping. But there isn't much that can be done about that in a field

inmyslippers · 20/04/2021 11:44

Meanwhile people like me have made considerable and sustained personal sacrifices to stick to the rules.

^^ neighbours, colleagues, family, friends etc I don't know anyone still sticking to the rules religiously 🤷🏾‍♀️ everyone I care for has has the vaccine. I feel sorry for the people sat at home still feeling scared.

girasol · 20/04/2021 11:45

@44jams

I am so angry to read this morning that 3000 people are due to land from India before the red list strictures take effect, and that recently every plane from Delhi to places like Toronto has carried people infectious with the Indian Variant.

I do not understand why some people can sit on planes amongst hundreds others and travel the world while we can’t sit in our gardens with 7

Yes, some of the rules just make no sense!

Another option would be to have three or four groups of 6 over the course of the weekend. But again I don’t see how it makes sense from a Covid point of view - if someone in group 1 has Covid and gives it to me, I could then transmit it to someone in group 2 and so on. But technically I will be within the rules.

But that’s not the case OP. If, say, a friend with COVID came round at 10am on Saturday and gave it to you, the incubation period means you’re unlikely to be infectious for at least a few days. You wouldn’t pass it on to any other weekend guests, but the person with COVID could do (yes, outdoors is unlikely but even so) if you had lots of people round at once.

There are many reasons why the death rate is so appallingly high in this country, government incompetence probably being the main one. But another is without a doubt people deciding to bend/ignore/place their own interpretation on the rules, telling themselves “I’m sure it will be fine. It doesn’t make sense that I can do X but not Y so I’m just going to do Y”. Much of the time it’s probably fine, but I do wonder how many people have died or been seriously ill because it wasn’t fine and their judgement call was badly wrong.

HopingForOurRainbowBaby · 20/04/2021 11:47

I'd happily report you if you were my neighbour. I'd also be seriously pissed off if I'd been invited to a party thinking it was within the rules and there was another 19+ people there. In fact I wouldn't even stay I'd turn straight back round and leave