Families flocked to a town centre park including some who hadn’t been able to see each other since lockdown.
Most were social distancing in The Walks, in King’s Lynn, with picnics, games and presents.
Siobhan Yates, 53, from Lynn was enjoying the sun with her 80-year-old mother Eileen Lambourne, who lives in Wisbech.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen my mum for three months,” she said. “So we’ve had three months’ catching up to do.” Mrs Lambourne added: “I’ve been in isolation - I’ve been one of the shielded people. We’ve talked on the phone but it’s not the same as face to face.”
Roland and Susan Furniss, both 67, travelled from Pytchley, near Kettering, in Northants, to see their daughter Sarah Oakley and grandsons Oliver, aged nine and William, aged five.
“It’s great, we’ve really missed seeing them,” said Mrs Furniss. “It’s funny, we’ve been talking on FaceTime a lot but it’s still nice to see them in the flesh.”
Her husband, a retired heating engineer, added: “You can’t hug them, that’s the problem. Hopefully it will all work out in the end but who knows, maybe this will be the new normal.”
MORE - What are you allowed to do under new lockdown laws?Mrs Oakley, 44, from Watlington, said the park had been far busier when she visited at the weekend, when large groups were in attendance.
“It’s a lot quieter today,” she said. “I don’t know whether that’s got anything to do with the kids being back at school.”
Civil servant Jonathan Harvey, 26, who lives near the park, said he had seen regular police patrols, with officers moving on groups of youths who were using play equipment.
Annette McGarry and Mandy Wilson, both 50, walk their dogs Sparky and Fergus in the park most afternoons.
“I would say it’s got a lot busier,” said Mrs Wilson, who works as a teaching assistant. “Some times I haven’t been comfortable.”
MORE - Warnings after revellers flock to the BroadsMiss McGarry, a full-time carer, said: “Is it because it’s been lockdown and we’ve got used to it being so quiet?”
She added police had moved on a group of 12 adults and three children playing football over the weekend.
“I could hear the police asking if they really all lived in the same house,” she said. “There were 15 of them.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here