The UK Government have started the process of lifting some of the restrictions of lockdown and have announced that as of this week we will be able to drive to parks and open spaces and can exercise and enjoy the outdoors as much as we want; so long as we stay 2 metres apart from others.
This potentially opens the door to me being able to finally get out with my camera, but I feel myself quite torn about what is the right thing to do. I am a photographer, I am someone who loves the outdoors, loves hiking, loves an adventure and two months of being stuck in my flat, not being able to do the things I love has been difficult at times.
Of course I would love nothing more than to get out and properly enjoy the outdoors again and maybe do some landscape photography again. It would certainly be good for my soul, my mental health and would bring me a lot of happiness and return some normality to my life.
Understandably though the Lake District National Park - concerned with this new measure - have released a statement telling people to stay away and that they are still not ready for visitors. I completely understand that, for many people the Lake District is their home and I would have no intention of visiting at the moment anyway.
As I have mentioned in previous videos however, there are many fells and open places of beauty, very close to where I live which are secluded and rarely visited. But with people being in total lockdown for 2 months and this being the first taste of freedom again, will everyone have the same idea?
I am hoping if I am sensible and think carefully about where I go, I should be able to enjoy the outdoors again, take some photos and hopefully make some videos again too, but I am cautious. The last thing I want to do is to put anyone at risk or to put any more strain on any of our services.
It is of course not impossible that I could go on a hike up a nearby fell with no other people around, but could fall, twist my ankle and need to be rescued putting a strain on emergency services which could be better used elsewhere.
I am keen to test the waters later in the week to see how things go, I do have a couple of places in mind which should be quiet and simple walks but do please let me know in the comments your own thoughts and interpretations of the new rules, it would really help.