Travel advice - Christmas and tiers ... from 19.12.2020

[whole diary]

[grahame]

Drove past Spencer's Sports and Social Club in Melksham today ... open and doing the first round of Covid vacinations. We may have infections climbing at the moment - and we need to take precautions to stop it climbing just as much as we can, but soon we're going to go over the crest and like a rollercoaster it may drop rapidly.

My best wishes to our MRUG^» (Melksham Rail User Group - site) elder statesman and his wife who had their injection today. And I look forward to seeing him - in real life - at the MRUG AGM^▸ (Annual General Meeting) on the approaches to next summer.  His words and wisdom, and those of our secretary and the rest of the team, will be so valuable as we open the shutters, brush off the cobwebs, and promote sustainable and enjoyable travel some time next year.

For the moment - message to all. Only travel if you need to. Keep it local. Wear your mask. Wash your paws. Socially distance.  You know it makes sense now that we have the flicker of the light at the end of the tunnel visible ahead.

[grahame]

Looking to make sense of tiers from Saturday ... subject to correction and I will keep adding services.
However, it makes sense not to travel unless you have to.

4   Paddington
4    Reading
4   Didcot
3    Swindon
2   Chippenham
2 or 3   Bath Spa
3   Bristol

4   Paddington
4    Reading
4   Newbury
4   Hungerford
4   Kintbury
2   Bedwyn
2   Pewsey
2   Westbury
3   Frome
3   Bruton
3   Castle Cary
3   Taunton
2   Tiverton Parkway and beyond

4   Portsmouth
4    Southampton
4   Romsey
2   Salisbury
2    Warminster
2   Westbury
2   Trowbridge
2   Bradford-on-Avon
2 or 3   Bath
2 or 3   Keynsham
3   Bristol Temple Meads
3   Filton Abbey Wood
Wales   Welsh Rules

I am unclear on Bath - is it in with Somerset in 3, or remaining in 2??  Will come back to edit. Edit - almost certainly tier 2 for Bath and North East Somerset. That's a significant worry with regard to people travelling in from Somerset and South Gloucestershire catchments.

The Coffee Shop is virtual and we can mix online here.

[TonyN]

Official postcode check to find which tier you are in
https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions

[grahame]

Official postcode check to find which tier you are in
https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions

Thanks ... utter confusion for Bath.  Official (I think) map showing 3, Postcode checker showing 2 ....  Taking a Swindon Postcode as a comparator, the checker correctly says 2 moving to 3, and map shows 3.

[eXPassenger]

Official postcode check to find which tier you are in
https://www.gov.uk/find-coronavirus-local-restrictions

Thanks ... utter confusion for Bath.  Official (I think) map showing 3, Postcode checker showing 2 ....  Taking a Swindon Postcode as a comparator, the checker correctly says 2 moving to 3, and map shows 3.

Hancock stated that Bristol and Somerset were in tier 3 and never mentioned N Somerset or BANES.  The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) now states ...Somerset (including N Somerset) is in tier 3 and is silent on BANES.

[bobm]

He did mention North Somerset.

[grahame]

Hancock stated that Bristol and Somerset were in tier 3 and never mentioned N Somerset or BANES.  The BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page) now states ...Somerset (including N Somerset) is in tier 3 and is silent on BANES.

Evidence is suggesting tier 2 for BaNES more and more to me ... updated map:



I will add it as the backdrop to maps once I'm sure.

[grahame]

He did mention North Somerset.

And North Somerset show as tier 3 on the map ... but North Somerset is not Bath and North EAST Somerset!

The people of Frome (Somerset) are revolting - picked up from social media:

This is ridiculous for people like myself who live in Frome. We are about 2 miles from the Wiltshire boarder. 9 miles from the bath and north east Somerset border.

[PhilWakely]

Evidence is suggesting tier 2 for BaNES more and more to me ...

He did mention North Somerset.

And North Somerset show as tier 3 on the map ... but North Somerset is not Bath and North EAST Somerset!

If you put a BaNES postcode into the gov.uk site for 'What tier am I in, it shows as Tier 2 and not changing. If you put a (say) Clevedon or Templecombe postcode into the same page, it tells you that the tier is changing soon. So, you can safely assume that BaNES will remain as Tier 2

[bobm]

Why would anyone put a Templecombe postcode in?   

[JayMac]

Why would anyone put a Templecombe postcode in?   

Like those in Frome, I'm also somewhat inconvenienced by having close neighbouring counties in different tiers. Templecombe is just 2.5 miles from the Dorset border, and 8 miles from the Wiltshire border.

I use Stalbridge in Dorset a lot for shopping. There's an excellent independent supermarket there (Dike & Sons) full of local produce. Stalbridge also has a proper butcher. Decent Chinese and pizza/kebab takeaways. Also has my nearest petrol station.

Then there's Sherborne, with the only Sainsburys/Argos in the immediate area. Sherborne also has some scenic dog walking areas - the two castles and their grounds, and the meadow near the station. Not forgetting all its great independent retailers.

I can no longer visit those neighbouring Dorset towns. Although to get to Yeovil, whether by road or rail, means going through Sherborne, Dorset. Guess if I'm in the car I'll have to keep the windows wound up!

Then there's Wiltshire, just up the A357/A303 from Templecombe. I had booked a timed entry to Stourhead for a Boxing Day dog walk around the lake and gardens. Thankfully no charge as I'm an NT member. I can no longer make that visit thanks to the Moonrakers staying in Tier 2. Wurzels like me are no longer welcome!

Another interesting anomaly is I could theoretically drive across Dorset for a nice dog walk in the New Forest, which, like Somerset, is in Tier 3. Yet someone who lives in Dorset or Hampshire, outside the New Forest, cannot visit because they are in different tiers, Dorset 2, most of Hampshire 4.

The perils of living in border country. 

[bobm]

Bit like that in Swindon - Tier 4 to the right and Tier 2 to the left.

[JayMac]

Tier 4 to the right and Tier 2 to the left.

Isn't that a lyric from 'Stuck in the Middle with You' by Stealers Wheel?

[grahame]

Bit like that in Swindon - Tier 4 to the right and Tier 2 to the left.

Wessex seems to be dappled, brindle or striped depending if you're using horses, greyhounds or zebras as your comparator.   I am trying to make sense of the crossborder rules - hopefully before the borders change again in another week.

Edit - correcting quoting

[PhilWakely]

If you put a BaNES postcode into the gov.uk site for 'What tier am I in, it shows as Tier 2 and not changing. If you put a (say) Clevedon or Templecombe postcode into the same page, it tells you that the tier is changing soon. So, you can safely assume that BaNES will remain as Tier 2

That should have read ....."will remain as Tier 2 until Boris and Matt finally agree to lock down the whole country early in the New Year"