Social distancing in force as model town prepares to reopen

SOCIAL DISTANCING signs have been installed on a smaller scale at the Wimborne Model Town as it readies to welcome back guests.

The model town, which first launched in 1951, will open its doors to the public once again tomorrow having been closed since March.

Volunteers, readying the attraction, have placed miniature ‘no entry’ and one-way social distancing signs in the windows of its various butchers and bakers shops.

The vintage model town has over 100 such shops, banks, and homes, on a one-tenth scale in size, and is usually bustling with crowds.

As volunteers yesterday began sweeping the streets and preparing for smaller groups, season ticket holders were invited to be among the first to return.

Through the town, footprints have been painted onto the streets to demonstrate a new one-way system for guests to follow as they visit the attraction and its gardens.

The town crier for Wimborne, Chris Brown, had previously taken to social media to declare the town officially ‘open for business’.

“A most important day is upon us, as we begin to try and get back to some kind of normality,” he said as rules were gradually relaxed.

“We welcome the opportunity that comes with our shops and businesses beginning to open.”

Outdoor attractions such as the Wimborne Model Town are now encouraged to reopen, with the Ryedale Folk Museum in North Yorkshire having cautiously begun the process this week.

The museum, which has been opening for half the week, hopes to extend its hours in a slow return to normal over coming weeks.