Gatherings at funerals from Mon 14th September

Robin9

elsien said:

There will be clearer guidance published; you need to wait for that.
It’s possible the funeral may mean the service itself. Although if 30 odd people have been mingling at a funeral it does seem silly that they then can’t do so half an hour later at the gathering afterwards. 

Social distancing applies , the funeral whether at the crem or at church with a limit of 30 - may be less in small buildings. The 6 will apply at the wake - which means there isn't one.

Spendless

Thanks for the further replies and the description of how a previous funeral during lockdown was. Yes it's the have to drive away afterwards that's proving the most diffiult to come to terms with.
I don't believe relative will see next month so it will be soon-ish. I think Monday's rules will be in place for some time.
Going to a pub afterwards, just isn't going to be possible. I've eaten out at various pubs since lockdown eased around early July, they follow the same format. The tables are spaced out. We would sit in our household groups and/or no more than 6 at a table. You order via app or table service usually. You're not allowed to go and talk to someone at another table. 
Immediate family numbers 8. Close family upto early 20s, depending on who would/woun't come.
If we risked going to someone's house afterwards, of the relatives that live in this town a few aren't suitable due to location/size. My neighbour would love nothing better than to stir up trouble for me (we've not been on speaking terms for years) which leaves only the house  that ill relative lives in with spouse. The closest neighbours are lovely and the garden relatively private, but it's just taking the chance. The amount of cars that would be parked outside (nowhere else to park) would be a giveaway

74jax

I can't lie, the driving away part was the hardest.  I wanted to hug my daughter, but she was following us back for 2 hours so we spoke pretty much all the way back and just let our partners drive us, so it was like we were in the car together I guess.  But not seeing my brother after, that was hard.  I'm sure though you won't be 'choo'd' as we were, you will at least be able to stand in a group of 6 to say goodbye etc, but it's not great.  I only listed my points so you have the worst case scenario really and what to expect.

JGB1955

My father died in early June,  We delayed the funeral until mid July in the (forlorn) hope that my brother might be able to attend from Singapore.  There were 10 of us at the cremation.  There was a webcast, so everyone could watch the service.  Afterwards, 5 of us went to the pub for a drink and the other 5 made their way back 200 miles to London.  Such is life (and death).

Torry_Quine

I don't know about England. In Scotland though the exception on numbers applying to weddings and funerals which is 20 includes the reception or wake.

MoneySeeker1

It would help to know what part of the country OP is in - and then advice as to how to "do as Normal as possible" could be tailored accordingly. We know different parts of the country are doing things sometimes on a different timescale to the rest of the country....and it is so variable as to whether "England comes first, Wales comes first, Scotland comes first - we barely hear about Northern Ireland/Jersey/Guernsey/etc and what they are doing".

The only certainty right now seems to be that "If one part of the country is doing X today - then that other part of the country did it a week ago or will do it in a weeks time" etc etc as all bits of the country are tending to do much the same - but a few days apart.

Spendless

MoneySeeker1 said:

It would help to know what part of the country OP is in - and then advice as to how to "do as Normal as possible" could be tailored accordingly. We know different parts of the country are doing things sometimes on a different timescale to the rest of the country....and it is so variable as to whether "England comes first, Wales comes first, Scotland comes first - we barely hear about Northern Ireland/Jersey/Guernsey/etc and what they are doing".

The only certainty right now seems to be that "If one part of the country is doing X today - then that other part of the country did it a week ago or will do it in a weeks time" etc etc as all bits of the country are tending to do much the same - but a few days apart.

I'm in mainland England. I'd prefer not to say exactly where unless this info is  needed. I'm not in an area that's been put back into lockdown.
My local crem is allowing people to attend upto 25. If that remains the same we will be under that number, even if everyone expected to attend does so.
Immediate family number 8. I've asked elsewhere on this forum if we could form 2 support bubbles using the 2 single households that there will be to join the multi number households so at least all these could go back somewhere after the service, but after Monday that isn't going to be allowed afterwards, we can't go above 6 in one place..
To abide by the rules we would need to exclude 2 from the immediate family from attending anything afterwards.
I've seen a couple of news items (BBC?) saying the rules won't apply to 'exceptional life events' but nothing so far on what this means and if it would include a wake. 

MoneySeeker1

"They" don't make life easy for us do they?

So English rules apply and we know what to advise accordingly.

In your position I'd tend to the "exceptional life event" argument - and it's highly unlikely that a "little Hitler" will be in the vicinity in the event arguing the odds about the "2 (extra) from immediate family" and I'd "put on the big girl knickers" personally and be ready to "argue their corner" if it came to it.

Robin9

Spendless said:

T

I've seen a couple of news items (BBC?) saying the rules won't apply to 'exceptional life events' but nothing so far on what this means and if it would include a wake. 

THis relates to the service only - church or crem.  The "Rule of 6" applies to the wake - whether in a pub or a house.

Spendless

Yes it's definately 6 only afterwards. I've found this. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-for-managing-a-funeral-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic/covid-19-guidance-for-managing-a-funeral-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic. Post funeral ceremonies come under this.  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing/staying-alert-and-safe-social-distancing-after-4-july