Coronavirus

[JohnK]

I think that most people in the Lakes accept that tourists are needed for survival, and hopefully make them welcome - those nice little shops/pubs/cafes cannot survive on local trade only. But it is nice when, in the quieter months of the year, most of them have gone, so we can walk on the pavements, and not have to drive on those same pavements to avoid badly parked cars. Having gone from a frequent visitor - for decades - to a permanent resident, I have seen both sides.
There have been no problems "fitting in" - we try to contribute by shopping locally, and by volunteering - my partner in social care/food bank, and I coach with AAC juniors, and try to support the vets. What people say behind our backs of course we may never know. Our neighbours are lovely - one chap nearby has lived in the same street for over 80 years - though he did move from one side of the road to the other!

AS an off-comer of some 30 years into Cumbria and having run, walked, back packed several thousand miles on foot and Mountain biked a whole load more all on Public Rights of way (not only in Cumbria) I can honestly say that on the odd occaision that my right to cross a piece of land has been challenged it has never been by a native land owner. (Always resolved on production of a map and pointing out my right to be there, mind you the land owners not always understand a map, neither are they always happy when I carry on but hey ho buy a property with a public right of way over the land then expect people to use it.

It is the same when proposed reasonable changes and developements are proposed to improve an area the native locals tend to see it as a long term investment that will help maintain tourism and therefore their liveliehhood and it is usually off-comers and second Home owners that do the objecting mostly along the n.i.m.b.y lines

Like Mike T says the native folk on the whole are great, wellcoming and helpfull and that has been the case from the very first day my wife and I came up here to work,live, and adapt to a different way of thinking and living as a long term members of the community, whilst we realise that even after 30 years we will never be regarded as locals, we do feel that having worked with and involving ourselves in the community we have now been accepted and become part of the that community, and best of all our Daughter and Grandchildren are most definitely Native locals.

Being a Covid 19 hotspot has really borne out the strength of character of the local people in the way that they have pulled together and are looking out for one another.

This post is merely to say what I find on the the ground as a off-comer long term resident and to hopefully balance out the assumptions made by people from afar , as such I have no intention of discussing my life or reasoning.