Stay alert

Now we know what to 'stay alert' for! Day trippers. Obvious from early morning that the town was much busier than it has been for weeks, and there's much more traffic on the roads. And, this evening, local pages on social media are awash with tales of visitors looking for public loos (shut) and cafes (shut), and completely ignoring social distancing when shopping at the local Co-op. 

The Northumberland National Park Authority are requesting people to "practice social distancing at all times", "avoid towns and villages where possible" and "only visit with people from your own household". I'm sure that lots of people enjoyed walks in the countryside in a responsible way, and caused no problems whatsoever. But others expected to have a 'normal' day out, and government advice stating that you can now "travel to an outdoor space irrespective of distance" doesn't help. It fails to mention that, as no facilities are open, you should be self-sufficient - take food and drink and, if you may get caught short, a pee bucket. 

Anyway, MrM and I avoided all the eejits and went for an evening walk  along some very minor roads. We didn't pass anyone! A little too dark to capture any of the scenic views, but I like these chimney pots - must have passed them hundreds of times, but never noticed them before.

Lockdown, day 54, Saturday