Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

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Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by Treetalk » Mon May 11, 2020 1:58 pm

Just wondering if people had any thoughts on this. Lockdown being slowly lifted. Understand some travelling (a day out?) allowed from Wednesday 13 May, but not exactly sure. Do people think it will be a long time before lockdown lifted enough for campsites to re-open - it seems to be looking that way. I’m happy to sit locally - in Dorset or Hampshire - in a field on my own! No garden or would be doing that. But I suppose the shared facilities are the main issue....
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by mikeonb4c » Mon May 11, 2020 3:30 pm

I wonder if they might allow camping in a bit as its already being flagged up in the media as a very 'social distancing friendly' way of taking a break. I can see Bongo values increasing :lol:
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by g8dhe » Mon May 11, 2020 3:44 pm

Whilst I would like to hope that it might be permitted I'm not sure that driving for a "day out" counts as "exercise as much as you like" !
Nor would a "day out" require a campsite, that would be a day and night out ;-)
The reception you might get in some parts of the UK may not be as friendly either as one might hope either!
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by Flanners » Mon May 11, 2020 10:06 pm

You can drive anywhere in England for exercise or 'leisure purposes' there appears to be no legislative restrictions on how far you may travel, you are not supposed to stay elsewhere other than your home address overnight though.

I will be using the Bongo again to go walking and cycling on my own or with my daughter etc, as a day van with trips to the local coast etc as all of this conforms to legislation. The press coverage of this is a joke imo and guidelines are just that a guide they are not the Law. People need to get a grip on reality as this is going to be with us for a fair old while and we are going to need to get society going again as safely as possible we can't sit in out houses, furloughed ad infinitum grassing on our neighbours forever. If some people who feel vulnerable/health issues or unsafe with the new legislation then surely they can continue to stay indoors I don't understand their annoyance.

I also am unable to understand how local councillor's, Tourist Board's and police officer's appear to feel that it is ok to ignore the UK Government and start tweeting that they do not want visitors to their areas, if people maintain the social distancing and visit in family groups only, who gives them the right to say such especially as the law does not back their assertions. I don't want to live in a totalitarian police state thank you very much.

Camper vans are and will it seems increase in value as people bail out of holiday's abroad due to the quarantine regs they are putting in place, FCO advice etc a neighbour along the road suddenly became very interested in my van today, age, pricing etc.....
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by Treetalk » Tue May 12, 2020 4:59 pm

Flanners wrote: Mon May 11, 2020 10:06 pm You can drive anywhere in England for exercise or 'leisure purposes' there appears to be no legislative restrictions on how far you may travel ... you are not supposed to stay elsewhere other than your home address overnight though.
I re-read the latest guidelines, after posting. Agree, it seems not just local, there is no restriction on how far you can travel :) . However, I did not know you were not meant to stay elsewhere other than your home address overnight though. So, I guess you can't really go that far! Thank you for clarifying that point Flanner.

I am looking forward to travelling and getting out and about in the countryside again, hopefully not too long ....
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by g8dhe » Tue May 12, 2020 6:59 pm

They haven't changed the law itself see Para's 6 & 7 for the relevant bits which is why it can still only be one on one meetings and not groups etc. http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020 ... 350_en.pdf

All that has changed is the guidance espoused by the Politicians for your country ..... I guess it depends on how much you trust politicians!
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by mikeonb4c » Wed May 13, 2020 10:39 am

Flanners wrote: Mon May 11, 2020 10:06 pm You can drive anywhere in England for exercise or 'leisure purposes' there appears to be no legislative restrictions on how far you may travel, you are not supposed to stay elsewhere other than your home address overnight though.

I will be using the Bongo again to go walking and cycling on my own or with my daughter etc, as a day van with trips to the local coast etc as all of this conforms to legislation. The press coverage of this is a joke imo and guidelines are just that a guide they are not the Law. People need to get a grip on reality as this is going to be with us for a fair old while and we are going to need to get society going again as safely as possible we can't sit in out houses, furloughed ad infinitum grassing on our neighbours forever. If some people who feel vulnerable/health issues or unsafe with the new legislation then surely they can continue to stay indoors I don't understand their annoyance.

I also am unable to understand how local councillor's, Tourist Board's and police officer's appear to feel that it is ok to ignore the UK Government and start tweeting that they do not want visitors to their areas, if people maintain the social distancing and visit in family groups only, who gives them the right to say such especially as the law does not back their assertions. I don't want to live in a totalitarian police state thank you very much.

Camper vans are and will it seems increase in value as people bail out of holiday's abroad due to the quarantine regs they are putting in place, FCO advice etc a neighbour along the road suddenly became very interested in my van today, age, pricing etc.....
A lot of good sense in what you say Flanners. Given its desperately important to restart the economy where possible, and since it has already being flagged up in the media that camping could fit well with social distancing, you'd think they'd make a clear and positive statement regarding camping. The problem i can see then is a huge demand on campsite bookings and it could be difficult to get a pitch, plus the new breed of campers could change the experience of camping for the worse. Still, one fence at a time!
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by Ian » Wed May 13, 2020 11:09 am

As I see it the main problem is the campsite facilities. Toilet and shower blocks would have to remain closed. Or perhaps restricted to one-at-a-time followed by an immediate deep clean of all surfaces.
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by g8dhe » Wed May 13, 2020 12:54 pm

Ah they have now altered the legislation changes listed here http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020 ... ion/2/made
Nothing about camping as you still have to be at your home residence overnight.
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by mikeonb4c » Wed May 13, 2020 5:07 pm

Ian wrote: Wed May 13, 2020 11:09 am As I see it the main problem is the campsite facilities. Toilet and shower blocks would have to remain closed. Or perhaps restricted to one-at-a-time followed by an immediate deep clean of all surfaces.
What i find interesting about all this is that i can see the govt having to underwrite new job creation for all the jobs lost. Put that together with a brighter prospect for campsites and we may find those issues being addressed by increased staffing levels. We can but hope!
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by karena » Thu May 14, 2020 12:32 pm

To put this from the perspective of living in a national park - yes absolutely we need tourism for the economy - but apart from a handful of local food shops our shops pubs and and cafes are not re-opening yet.

On the first weekend the usual hotspots filled up with walkers and cyclists (and not just individuals but big groups cycling together) - no way from the same household -- and of course its horribly unfair if you are confined in a city flat -and we are enjoying the country side - no one wants to keep it for ourselves - but there are concerns and in some cases very unwelcoming and unwelcome behavior by a few locals to the point of vigilante ism (throwing tacks on cycle tracks etc) - but that was mostly driven by the rule breakers and fear - for the majority of the population you are welcome as long as you stay within the rules.and as we know the rules are not easy to follow - so although i know bongo people are all really responsible folks there are a few points below which may help.

1.That first weekend - the tourists came and emptied local shops - for some that was the usual picnic drinks pasties etc - for others their eyes lit up and they took more essential things - in bulk meaning people from here were then forced to travel into towns to go to supermarkets until the local shops could get more delivered - which again rural community's are often at the bottom of the priority listings for - including supermarket delivery to homes. Restricting to 2 items after that helped a bit but you have to consider that 2 items can be half the stock of an item in a small shop.So if you do go for days out etc i would advise you bring you own bottled water etc etc as the available shelf space is now prioritizing essentials - you can get it but i wouldn't guarantee it,- so bring a picnic for now and then please if you can support local pubs and cafes later when they do re-open -it will be appreciated because we will lose many of them otherwise tumbleweed is perhaps not what people want to see in rural villages.
2. The car parks are not massive and people were going to the hotspots on the usual beaten track. Socially isolating in a packed car park or while queuing for tickets didn't happen its almost as though people thought they didn't apply here -. Go along the usual popular footpath and you are bound to meet people coming the other way - not a problem if is a nice wide path in a flat area - some-one can step aside but if its a narrow path with steep slopes on the sides - then you have a problem.
The water board and the woodland trust have issued statements saying they will have to put social distancing measures in place before they can re-open particularly the smaller car parks - so you may find the places you usually go are not yet re-opened and it might be an idea to look for less popular walks or the safer footpaths.

3. Farmers are keeping everyone going too -providing milk etc to the much wider community not just us - they are very much key workers - a sick farmer who cant work cant be easily replaced to continue providing those supplies - this started in lambing season - the busiest time of the year here - few people have the expertise to lamb or milk cows.
Every gate they open or stile they touch while checking stock has potentially been touched by many others from outside the area and this virus remains transferable on hard surfaces for up to 36 hours they can wear gloves but some tasks are difficult to do in gloves and again supplies of them are an issue here- Many have started leaving gates which are not containing life stock open to reduce contact points - so where the usual close all gates rules differ is a little confusing - did the farmer leave it open purposefully or did the last person who went through before you leave it open neglectfully - all we can do really is use common sense on that in each case.
Paths often go through the middle of a flat field - a narrow path well trodden is obvious to spot but now you have to be 2 meters apart there is a chance of many well trodden narrow paths becoming established - the grass is growing to make hay and sileage essential for the winter months - so if its a busy place and lots of people using the path - tracking the wall edge, which is difficult to mow anyway is a better option for the farmers crop.

4 Finally many of our emergency services are volunteers - fell rescue - fire brigade - first responders they don't have any protection and live and work in our community's which have a disproportionately high % of older people so please be extra vigilant about road safety - there are some idiots who have taken empty roads as an opportunity to pretend they are rally drivers - but also about the activity - take the right clothes / shoes/ equipment/maps etc (it was - 3 here yesterday but deceptively warm in the sun ) basically just take extra care around your safety so they wont need to be called out as much - but if something does go awry and you do need help don't hesitate to call for it either.

Mostly though welcome back, enjoy, and take care.
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by Ian » Thu May 14, 2020 12:37 pm

Excellent advice Karena =D>
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by mikeonb4c » Thu May 14, 2020 4:03 pm

Very interesting post Karen and lots to think about there. It will be interesting to see what happens in terms of support for rural communities who need the return of visitors for their economic wellbeing but who need measures in place to control the risks that visitors bring.

Hope you're keeping well and safe. Xxx
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Re: Travelling as lockdown slowly lifted?

Post by Bob » Thu May 14, 2020 5:35 pm

Thanks Karen.

A very balanced and sensible viewpoint. 8)
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