Girlfriend's brother is in Cardiff and happens to be self isolating at the moment after contact with someone positive. Would have been fine by Christmas, but to escape Wales last night would have meant him coming up when isolating, he's decided to stay and spend Christmas with some friends. Delay Christmas to Feb or something. She's still going to her parents.
I'm just going to do Christmas day itself with my side, no overnights.
Sort of, it's closed but there are exceptions. Apparently one of those exceptions is to visit an extended household. Hence my sister should still be able to visit legally, unless they change anything last minute!
Likewise, I *think* I'm legally able to travel between mine and Gaynor's, due to the extended household exception. My original plan was to go to my sister's (in the middle of nowhere in the borders) on Christmas day, where my parents will also be going, then drive to Gaynor's in the evening. She was going to be at her mum & brother (who she's been looking after, but at a distance) during the day, and we'd then pretty much not leave the house for a week (which is usually what happens anyway).
My dad's still determined to get to my sister's, but isn't wild about driving at night with his advancing age. It's too far for him to do there and back in daylight without leaving at 7am and having Christmas dinner done by 1pm, which will NEVER happen. He figures that it's better to be driving home in daylight on Boxing day, regardless of law/advice. My mum was not as keen to go, but when I suggested they could come to my flat and *I* could cook them Christmas dinner, her resolve strengthened, and now she's much happier about going to my sister's.
I'm still not sure what I should do; everyone else thinks I should just do what was planned. We've all been taking suitable precautions against the virus, and it should all be fine. Better to cross the border near my sister's than on the M74. Spirit-of-the-law-not-letter-of-the-law and all that. I'm slightly more nervous - visions of being turned back at the border, nephew being a plague-bearer, phone and numberplate tracking, and all that. Also the nagging feeling that, as ever, I'm doing Christmas to make everyone else happy, and what would make me happy would be a day of sitting around in my pants playing computer games, watching films, and cooking something nice for myself, without the risk of having to sit through Michael McIntyre.
We still managed the Manthorp clan annual (socially distanced) Christmas Eve walk to the Doubler Stones on Addingham Moor, to give the alleged 'Druid Altars' (fun fact: wind-eroded natural formations) their annual two bottles of beer.
"We all have flaws, and mine is being wicked."
James Thurber, The Thirteen Clocks 1951
