We WERE looking forward to going out to local English Heritage and National Trust etc gardens, but now the 2 metre distance has been reduced to 1 metre and no requirement to wear face covering in public spaces, we no longer feel safe to go out after 4th July. Independence Day it may be for some but not for the elderly with medical conditions.
I'm sure it will be flouted by many, but the actual advice is still to keep 2 metres distance where possible, e.g. in outside spaces.
Where 2 metres is not possible, it can be relaxed to 1 metre +, as long as mitigation is made, e.g. face coverings, side by side rather than face to face etc.
So in the gardens, where there is usually room to keep apart, there should be no problem, face coverings won't be worn by many. These gardens are usually acres in size, easy to find somewhere quiet.
If you wanted to go in the house, I would expect the National Trust and English Heritage to set up one way systems etc. Government has mandated that it must be Covid secure. I would also expect them to enforce face coverings.
Having said that, we have been taking walks from our house over the last few months. Pleasant, not many people, all of them socially distancing. A few weeks ago we decided to drive a mile or so to where we used to walk before lockdown. A canal side walk, popular with young families and dog walkers, but never crowded. This time it was heaving with people, we haven't been back since.
A quandary for us vulnerable over 70s with health conditions. We will carry on as we have been doing for the past few months, certainly for the moment. We might see family indoors on a cold and rainy day, nothing much else will change.
Regards Margaret
