General Chat

What are you doing for Christmas?

According to the new regulations, we can mix with others, but all travel must be completed within the 5-day break, with the exception of NI, who get an extra day at each end.

We are also urged to exercise caution and only travel if we must.

I think that people fall into two groups - those who were going to meet up for Christmas anyway, and those who have been wondering whether it is really a good idea. The relaxed rules mean that the first lot won't be breaking the law and the rest of us will be sensible.

Spending Christmas with our son and granddaughters means a 450 mile drive. We usually take two days over it, spending the night about half-way. This year most hotels aren't open and those that are will be fully booked. Doing it all in one day at our age is a bit silly, even sharing the driving, and OH said he reckons the traffic will be horrendous.

So, reluctantly, we have decided to stay put. At least the family won't have to decide whether to tell us to stay at home! :-(

We are staying at home but we usually do anyway, although we usually go out to a restaurant for Christmas Day lunch which won't happen this year I don't think.

We usually go to visit our son, daughter-in-law and grandson about a week before Christmas but not this year. We have spent most of the year hardly going out at all and having very few contacts so we think that it is best to wait for the Covid numbers to get much lower before we start travelling about otherwise it just seems like the last 8 months would have been a complete waste of time.

Kath. x

No Santa this year if travel restrictions apply.

I think it is much safer for everyone to stay at home over Christmas that way it is less likely for the virus to spread, I know it will be upsetting for those not seeing their children and grandchildren but better safe than soon me thinks. <3

Staying put, as per most years recently. My sister may come up from the south coast, but we will arrange private taxi one way and drive her back. OH's 'kids' will all be staying in their respective homes. It's looking like my Mum will soon have to go into permanent care, plus we also have another elderly family member in hospital :-(

Think the best is to stay home sounds inviting being able to travel but what happens after in January lets get the vaccine sorted then have some fun meet friends & relatives Barbara

We're staying home - usually meet the family at a convenient half way spot and book into a hotel for a couple of nights. However none of us fancy a hotel this year however safe they are - worst fear tho is needing to visit a motorway loo! There'll be other years to meet up, or probably sometime next year when all is safe - hopefully!
We'll miss the grandchildren tho, zoom chats etc don't give hugs! :-(

Well my mum lives on her own and rarely sees anyone. One son is married with 3 kids 10 mins away, the other is married with one child 10 mins in a car. They cant all be in the same house as too many of them so how does my mum choose which house to have a dinner with. Under the relaxing rules, I think she can only go to one house on xmas day and not the other on boxing day?

If this is the case, she will be upset as she will want to see both families...but what can she do?

One family doesnt drive so she normally books a taxi costing a fortune there & back but its the only way she can see them.

Whatever she decides will upset someone but to be on your own with noone is awful...Havent said what i suggest for fear of offending her.
Im 900 miles away so I dont enter into the discussion at all.

Anyone have this dilemma?

Florence in the hebrides

FWIW I think the infection rates will rise after xmas as in private homes, there will not be no hugging or mask wearing, just dont see it happening!

Well, I had booked back in June on the train for our annual trip across the country to stay with our daughter and family. I knew it was "iffy" even then, but I was promised full refund if the trains couldn't run or we couldn't go.

Tickets were cancelled about a month ago because the trains would not be running on our dates, and now we are in the depths of the second wave, so couldn't enter different provinces without quarantining anyway

Had thought of booking into a local hotel, but getting more and more wary of that.

I think it is going to be just OH and I, cooking a turkey breast or fillet (plus a drumstick for some dark meat). We haven't decorated the house for years as we have usually gone elsewhere, but can't get up the energy or excitement or desire to do even that!

As Paul McCartney sang - 'it's just another day'

Staying home, no guests. Covid won't be on pause.

I don't care what Boris says, whether he deems it "safe" or "allowed"--I'll be staying home, visiting no-one and no-one visiting me.

The one son and grandaughter I have that live in the same town as myself will get a doorstep visit and delivery of presents from me, but I won't enter their home. My daughter and other grandchildren who live on the South Coast will get cards through the post and some spending money but I won't visit them as I usually do just before Christmas when I usually stay in a hotel for 3 days.

My son in America has already received the presents I sent last week, so I'm happy about that. It'll just be myself and my son who lives with me for dinner on the day but I'll still cook the works for us with a turkey crown we can share with all our animals. Skype will have to suffice this year and hope for visits and cuddles next year.

Florence
.
I think your mother is permitted to be part of a bubble of not more than 3 households, so could see both families over the festive period.
Whether that is altogether or in separate houses seems to be OK under the new rules.
This would not be without a certain amount of risk, but she wouldn't be breaking any rules or restrictions.

A Hermits lifestyle is not so bad.

OH and I will spend the day together. Usually we share Christmas Day with our daughter and her family but we are planning on having dinner together online - screens on dining table - so we can still chat and 'share' dinner.

We won't see our son and his family. Whereas daughter lives a five-minute walk away so has always been the other partner in our bubble, he lives much further away and his bubble has always been his partner's mother who lives alone within walking distance of them.

Both son and daughter have worked throughout - and solidly, very busy. Son has regular covid tests which have twice shown he has antibodies and has no notion where he has come into contact.

We are, and always have been, very careful because of my OH's health. It would be ludicrous and dangerous for him to be out or to mix so that applies to me too. I would expect the same from him if it were the other way round.

We are so close to a vaccination it would be ridiculous for us to risk all for a day and our children and grandchildren are in complete accord. As they have said, they would not want to run the risk of passing anything on to us and I would be dismayed if they wanted to run that risk; in fact, I'd be wondering where I went wrong in educating them!

I think the Government gave this choice because they knew some would break the rules anyway. Most of the links about Christmas do tend to lean towards not taking the risk but state the choice is yours.

Most people I've spoken to, who are of a similar age to myself, do not intend to take the risk.

I personally will be staying put. I don't have any children and my Cousins are a long drive away

My husband passed away at the end of May, not to Covid, so there will be just me and my dog <3.

In reality it will just be another day :-)

Belle <3

Ralphie <3

Staying at home just on our own. Kids were hoping to come over earlier this year, but then it all went doolally. So we will be skyping on the day.

My mate was saying how miserable it will be not to see her family, but then I said, if you are just two, you can get up when you like, eat when you like and watch what you like on the tv with no rows.

She saw the advantages. :-D

My son will stay, he lives about 15 mins away, I expect my daughter just to spend the day as she lives in the same village. However we won’t do our usual visit to family. Although we are now in the same tier we have half the infections that they do.

Eldest daughter and I were just trying to work out the 'rules'.
We're assuming we'll be tier II. True to form the official site crashed earlier, but it's up for a moment - though very confusing.

Tier 1: Medium alert
you must not socialise in groups larger than 6 people, indoors or outdoors, other than where a legal exemption applies. This is called the ‘rule of 6’

Tier 2: High alert
you must not socialise with anyone you do not live with or who is not in your support bubble in any indoor setting, whether at home or in a public place

you must not socialise in a group of more than 6 people outside, including in a garden or a public space – this is called the ‘rule of 6’

Tier 2 doesn't mention a maximum of 6 indoors - neither does Tier 3 :-S
The problem is - you can open a link to just your tier, so may miss the 'maximum of 6' indoor rule.

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know

LondonBelle, Sending hugs. <3 <3