Keeping our fingers and toes crossed for return of large events

IF everything goes to plan, if the number of coronavirus cases continues to fall, and if the

Prime Minister’s “road map” does represent our final path out of lockdown, it could mean a promise of a relatively normal summer for us. And a return of some of our favourite events.

The hope is, according to Monday’s announcements, that big events might be able to go ahead from Monday, June 21.

And there’s a lot of events that could bounce back, if we can stick to that date.

Ashbourne Show is perhaps our biggest event, with well over 10,000 people funnelling in to Osmaston Polo Ground in mid-august. Surely there’s enough margin for error there, and organisers can crack on with plans?

Likewise the Ashbourne Sheep Fair, which had to be axed last July, in what was hoped to be a welcome return to the town. Fingers crossed its mid-july date will be plausible this year. Dovedale Sheepdog Trials could also go ahead as hoped.

Ashbourne’s thrilling soap box race was cut off in its prime last year, with hopes of a second event dashed by the pandemic - but let’s hope its September date will give it a comfortable distance from the lockdown and we can line the streets for that once again.

Of more concern is one of the summer’s undoubted highlights, Ashbourne Festival. It’s fun and free curtain-raiser, International Streetfest, which looks set to fall on the wrong side of the proposed lifting of the lockdown.

The festival itself, including the much-loved Picnic in the Park - not to mention Ashbourne Running Club’s half marathon that runs alongside it - has very little wiggle room.

We’ll aim to speak to Ashbourne Festival next week. But for now, let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope that, at some point in the early summer, we will meet again.