HOLIDAYS ON HOLD DUE TO VIRUS
THE coronavirus lockdown cabin fever is well and truly setting in as many of us are finding ourselves bored indoors and struggling to keep ourselves entertained.
Following Government advice, the country is pulling together and staying inside in a bid to fight the spread of the disease.
But, while many people have some very serious and difficult issues to deal with which other problems pale besides, perhaps we should spare some thought for all those who have to live with the knowledge that they should around about now have been going on their dream holidays instead of sitting in the living room watching catch-up television or getting acquainted with their back gardens.
Many booked trips of a lifetime, long before they had even heard the word coronavirus, and had been counting down the days until they could fly off to sunnier shores.
Here are some of them...
■ The dream honeymoon
Carrie Davies was not only forced to postpone her wedding, but her dream honeymoon to Mexico as well. The 32-year-old was meant to wed her partner of three years, Richard Owen, today at Llangoed Hall, Brecon, surrounded by their family and friends.
And next Monday, they were heading off to enjoy a week in the sun in Cancun.
She said: “Everything was paid for and everything was perfect, it’s disappointing. The final thing we were waiting on was the hotels and whether they had to close, so it was a waiting game to let everybody know.
“The wedding has now been rebooked for the end of July and we’ve moved everything across. We’ll be going to Cancun in September. We’ve never been before and it was always somewhere we wanted to go. We booked the holiday with TUI and they were not giving a refund, but we’ve moved our holiday and found something that matched.”
She has also seen disruption in her work, as she is landlady of the Shepherds Country Inn in Felindre, which has also had to close. They are now having the roof repaired, and redecorating. But it’s a million miles away from what Miss Davies expected to be doing.
Carrie, who has lived in Felindre village all her life and took over the pub in 2016, said: “It’s not too bad, I have come to accept it, it is what it is. Everything has been rearranged so that’s the main thing.
“It’s strange at the moment not socialising with everybody in the village. The elderly are self isolating and not leaving their homes.
“We can be outside painting and people are driving up the street and are scared to stop, whereas before people would stop.
“We managed to get to B&Q the Monday before lockdown and spent a fortune on paint and we’re able to get the roof redone by a self employed roofer in the village. In a way this has fallen quite nicely in terms of getting those things done.”
■ The stag do, that now doesn’t
Ashley Morrell was getting set to jet off to Las Vegas for the stag do of his longtime friend Jeff Creedy ahead of his wedding to his fiance Michaela.
It was set to be a trip of a lifetime, and the group of 13 had booked a pool party, a trip to the Grand Canyon, a shooting range experience and the chance to drive a muscle car.
They were due to fly on April 28, but the trip, booked through TUI, has not yet been cancelled, so the group say they are currently “in limbo”.
“If we cancel it before April 16 we lose half the money, if the world settles down but we don’t want to go, we lose half our money,” the 31-year-old, of Skewen, explained.
“Our only choice, as morbid as it sounds, is to hope America stays in lockdown so the holiday company cancel the trip not us.”
Ashley explained he had been monitoring the emergence of the virus for months after he first began to read more about it whilst in New York for New Year. “I have been seeing it get progressively worse,” he said. “To be honest I didn’t think about our holiday at first, and then we heard Donald Trump announce he was banning flights from the UK. The best way to describe it was we were devastated. I rang Jeff and told him.”
Each member of the group has paid around £2,500 for the trip so far, including £4,000 between them for the pool party.
“I’m going to be gutted if we can’t go, but if we can reschedule it will mean we’ve got something to look forward to next year,” Mr Morrell added.
■ The family Disneyland adventure
Helen Brown was due to go to Disneyland Paris yesterday with her husband David and their six kids with a coach travel company, but cancelled their holiday.
The resort holds special memories for the family, as that is where David proposed five years ago.
“We are disappointed,” said Helen. “The last time we went five years ago my husband proposed to me outside the Disney castle. It would have been nice to go back as a married couple with all the kids.”
The family booked the trip last October and had all been looking forward to it. But the 48-year-old, of Birchgrove, admitted things at home were a priority.
“The oldest daughter Lucy is pregnant and is due to give birth at the end of May, beginning of June,” Helen explained. “My husband is a postman and is still working, and I’m still working as I’m the cook in charge at Penyrheol Comprehensive School.
“I’m preparing grab and go packed lunches for the key workers’ children, and free school meals in my school, and I also transport them to eight other primary schools in my area which are still open. I’m going to work on Monday and that would have been our first day in the park in Disneyland, now I’m going to be doing packed lunches!
“It’s a service which is really needed so it’s one of those things. I love my job anyway and I’d rather be there than be at home doing nothing.”
It would have been nice to go back as a married couple with all the kids
HELEN BROWN
The best way to describe it was we were devastated
ASHLEY MORRELL
Everything was paid for and everything was perfect, it’s disappointing
CARRIE DAVIES