Musicians hire a fishing boat to beat quarantine
A GROUP of innovative musicians chartered a fishing boat to dash back from France as they joined thousands trying to beat the deadline for new quarantine rules.
Members of Scottish baroque band the Dunedin Consort made a run for it after they had played a concert at Lessay Abbey in Normandy – their first live performance since February.
Writing on Twitter just before midnight on Friday they said: “Au revoir France! As exits from concerts go, this one is quite unique.
“We’re sailing back to the UK on a fishing boat overnight to beat the quarantine.”
“Air corridors” between France, the Netherlands, Monaco, and Malta closed at 4am yesterday meaning any travellers arriving in the UK after the deadline must self isolate for 14 days. With about 160,000 holidaymakers in France alone, travellers rushed for any spare plane, train or ferry tickets, as prices soared.
One mother could only get
tickets for herself and her baby on the last Eurostar train to arrive before the cut off and left her two older daughters with her husband in France.
They are due back tomorrow but she fears her girls may not be out of quarantine in time for the new school term.
She said: “This has ruined our summer. I am so upset about this.”
Teacher Kim Wells was also on one of the last ferries to arrive at Newhaven from Dieppe with just eight minutes to spare.
He said he and his key worker wife had a “pretty fraught 40 minutes” online after hearing of the restrictions through a news alert.
Others left stranded included Alexis Walmsley and her disabled son who missed their connecting Eurostar service because of a delay.
Ms Walmsley, from Basingstoke, Hants, said her son “won’t understand quarantine” adding: “So near and yet so far.”
The Edmondson family were also relieved to land at Gatwick before the deadline.
Ministers in France have warned that the UK decision would lead to “reciprocal measures” across the Channel.
This has led to fears that those arriving in France could be ordered to stay locked down in hotels for 14 days or banned from going to shops.