THE GREAT INDOORS
Joy as bars, restaurants and attractions get ready for ... ... AND DON’T FORGET HUGS!
THE unlocking of lockdown has been welcomed with open arms by pubs, restaurants and hoteliers which have been closed for months in North East Lincolnshire.
Bar staff will be able to serve customers indoors again from Monday, April 17 as outlined by Boris Johnson on Monday. Attractions, such as arcades, cinemas and soft play centres, will also be able to open again while following hygiene rules to make them Covid-safe.
B&Bs in Cleethorpes, hotels and guesthouses can also open up for the season.
Dan Barrett, operations manager at The Foundry in Cleethorpes is looking forward to serving customers indoors again.
He said: “It is going to be nice getting back to serving indoors. It will be as it has been with people still with a face covering and a maximum of six to a table and taking bookings as before.
“We were just getting established last year when we had to close the doors. Hopefully this time we can stay open and people can come and enjoy our food.”
Richard Montague, operations director at The Fishermen’s Arms in Cleethorpes and at The Royal Oak at Holton-le-Clay can’t wait for Monday to arrive.
He said: “From a business perspective, we are all looking forward to living in a safer world.
“We are pleased with the response of our customers. We have looked after between 1,500 and 2,000 every week and they all follow the guidelines, keeping to the distances, sanitising and to the rule of six. It has been humbling to see.” At Parkway Cinema, Richard
Parkes said they will welcome the first cinema-goers on Monday after months of closure.
He said: “Parkway are delighted to be back. It’s been devastating to have our cinema empty and closed for so much of the year, but it finally feels like we’re turning an important corner.
“The whole building comes to life when we’re open and the atmosphere when the lights go down and the music starts is just going to be wonderful.
“We’ve made sure that there will be at least two empty seats and a fully empty row between customers.
“We’re encouraging everybody to book ahead as we’re selling less than half of the available seats to make sure there’s plenty of space. The film start times are also staggered to avoid too many people in the foyer at once, and there’s the usual sanitising, g cleaning g and safety screens reens we’ve all being getting ing used to.”
The lifting fting of lockdown also o means the ban on n hugging friends and nd family will has also be removed after months of no physical contact for many. any. Prime Minister, Boris Johnson said overnight stays ys will be allowed ed in groups of f up to six people e or two households. ds. Schoolchildren l children and college ge students will no longer r need to wear face coverings in class or communal areas.
While this is a return to a more normal way of life, Boris Johnson has urged caution for people to act responsibly and use common sense. This has also been echoed by business leaders in North East Lincolnshire who want people to remain cautious while premises get used to a new way of operating. Rob Marklew, visitor economy business adviser for Greater Lincolnshire at E-Factor, said: “We all have a part to play in acting responsibly. It will be busy at the start and operators are keen to ensure all the correct measures are in place to avoid any further lockdowns. “We have responsible operators in our area and some have remained closed until now so they can get it bang on right when they do open.
“It will be exciting. It is brilliant news that places p can open p up p at last and clearly there is light at the end of the tunnel. There are people who have booked time off work so they can enjoy the first days of opening.”