The beach pictures and this discussion put me in mind of people's behaviour in cars.
Some drive a safe distance from the car in front, but when they find that other people then drive into that space, they get into an "oh, no you don't" mindset, and end up driving closer to the car in front in order to not leave enough space for someone to drive into their "stopping distance gap".
Some years ago, I decided that the intelligent response was to just keep dropping back, and back, and back. "Winning" / "Not being taken for a mug", and being safe are mutually exclusive in this scenario, so I just allow myself a bit of feeling smug about making better choices, and don't fret about arriving 5 minutes later on a two hour journey...
So, if it were me arriving at Bournemouth beach to that, I would turn around and decide not to do the beach today. And if I was on the beach and it became impossible to maintain even 1m distance, I would decide that that was the end of beach time today.
I do completely understand how people who have been locked down, and especially with kids under their feet 24x7 for the duration, really really want to get out and have some beach time, but my view is that we each are responsible for our own choices. Mine is to keep myself safe and not put others at risk. Others make different choices.
The NHS is now considerably better prepared than it was. The disease and its treatments are better understood, the Nightingale field hospitals are equipped and ready. This time of year there is less other pressure on the NHS, and less other flu/pneumonia type stuff circulating and exacerbating the COVID problems. So, actually, allowing people who choose to take risks to cause a second wave is not an unintelligent choice, and probably won't result in more deaths than any other choice at this point, all things considered. And perhaps it will be better to have the second wave now, before the next flu season...
But, if you are vulnerable or feel so, for goodness sake take more precautions not less. Good on you, Annie, stick to your 3m and no less! And Fleecewife, stay out of stores and other high-risk places, please!
I do utterly understand that the expected influx of tourists into Cornwall and other places is going to make it harder for folks like yourself, arobwk, to stay safe. But we can take avoiding action : shop early in the morning, don't visit the popular beaches and cafes, etc. Because there does come a point when keeping people caged up, preventing businesses from operating at all, not getting some semblance of self-determination back, would of itself start to be the bigger killer. Less measurable, but equally deadly.