Wales’ hottest day brings crowds back to the beach #IAmOpen campaign
HUNDREDS of people from across Wales flocked to beaches yesterday to enjoy the sunshine on the hottest day of the year so far.
It comes after non-essential shops reopened for the first time since closing at the start of lockdown in March.
In Cardiff Bay, there were large queues outside Cadwaladers, as dozens of people hoped to get some ice cream in the scorching hot sunshine.
Sandra Johnson, senior assistant manager, said: “There are lots of people queuing for ice cream and coffee. We’re working with a reduced number of staff as there are only three of us in the shop. We’re trying to serve people as quickly as possible because we don’t want people to queue for ages in the sunshine but everyone is being understanding.
“There are a large number of people walking around and enjoying the sunshine. It’s really busy and we have been really busy since re-opening.”
Hundreds of people also went to Porthcawl to see the views at Rest Bay Beach.
Mansel Green, owner of Mansel’s Chippy, said the shop was really busy with people looking to buy fish and
WE’VE launched the #IAmOpen campaign to support shops and businesses across Wales as they reopen following weeks of enforced closure.
Throughout this week we’ll be featuring shops, sectors and high streets across the nation as they open their doors to customers once more.
We’ll be speaking to them about the effect the pandemic has had, and how they’ve been getting their premises ready to ensure the public can shop in safety.
Throughout the week we’ll be:
chips but no public toilets or carparks were open.
He said: “It has been really busy since we opened today. Lots of people have come in for food and then walked towards the beach. There are social distancing measures in place and hand sanitizer available to all customers. People have been really good and understanding of the situation.
■■Reporting live from around Wales as shoppers return to our high streets and retail parks; ■■Running daily Twitter hours, showcasing any business that tweets us with the hashtag #IAmOpen during the week; ■■Offering guidance to shoppers on the measures being taken to safeguard the public as the pandemic continues; and
■■Telling the stories of how individuals and businesses have weathered one of the most turbulent economic storms of our times.
“The problem is there are no public toilets open or any car parks so there’s a lot of traffic.
“Plenty of people have come in and asked if they can use the toilets but obviously right now I can’t let them. That’s definitely something that needs to be worked out.”
April Keelee, owner of Teddy T’s cafe in Barry, opens from tomorrow, but did open for a few hours yesterday with a limited menu.
“We had a practice run today for a few hours ahead of Friday,” she said.
“There were dozens and dozens of people on the beach and hardly anybody was social distancing. The fivemile rule was also clearly being broken as people had come from all over Wales and England. Usually we have around 13 staff during this period but right now I only need two, one in the kitchen and one out front.
“There are five staff on furlough at the moment and although it’s been difficult, I’m grateful to the government for supporting us with grants.”
However, one café owner who has decided not to open is David Lewis, owner of Whitmore Jackson, a café located on the Barry seafront.
Mr Lewis has decided to remain closed for another week.
He said: “It is a difficult decision to decide to close while other businesses are re-opening but I felt it was the right thing to do. We decided to stay closed for at least another week to see how the situation plays out. The rules are constantly changing so we felt it would be good to monitor them leading in to next week.
“There were hundreds of people on the beach today and I just hope people are keeping safe. The majority are bringing food from home and having picnics, but the business owners here say they’re busy also.”