WMN2 Here’s hoping we can safely welcome visitors this summer
Summer staycations are in the news. Alison Hernandez has planned hers, and she is not the only leading figure intending to holiday in the Westcountry
DEVON and Cornwall’s position as the UK’s favourite holiday destination has once again been in the headlines, as first Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced his intention to head here this summer, then Labour leader Keir Starmer said he would too.
Of course, there’s also the small matter of the G7 leaders’ summit which is due to be held in Carbis Bay. It should bring Prime Ministers and Presidents from around the world to the resort, near St Ives in Cornwall, in June.
I too, plan to keep it local and will take my regular break at Butlin’s in Minehead. So if the rules allow it the Westcountry will not be short of a politician or two this year!
Some people reacted with incredulity to these announcements, which is understandable given the severity of the current lockdown, but of course none of these bookings will be honoured if the regulations do not allow them.
I sincerely hope that overnight stays that are currently illegal will be possible this summer (and not just for politicians!). Quite frankly most of the country is in need of a break, especially after the relentlessly challenging period that has stressed working and family relationships. The requirement of many parents to juggle work and home schooling, for example, is extremely difficult – I know, I’ve been doing it.
But I also hope that we can open up again because the hospitality and tourism trades are so vital to our region’s economy.
The fact that Cornwall was chosen for the G7 summit is not only because north Cornwall is stunning, its people are welcoming and its hotels and restaurants world class, it is also a recognition by the Government that more must be done to ‘level up’ the economy and to do more in regions outside the South East. Cornwall’s burgeoning industries in green technology and Devon’s knowledge economy will grow, but for now visitors are crucial to so many livelihoods.
There are reasons to be cautiously optimistic. You will remember that we were able to open to visitors last summer, and that was before many millions of people were vaccinated. The incredible vaccination programme has seen more than 15 million people receive at least their first injection since then.
Tourism in a normal year is worth an incredible £6bn a year to Devon and Cornwall. The South West Tourism Covid-19 Impact Survey last week indicated that despite last summer’s relaxation of the regulations the region’s tourism sector lost more than half its annual revenue – £3.7bn – in 2020 because of coronavirus. I think we must do everything in our power to avoid another hit like that and give hope to our hoteliers, restauranteurs and pubs – many of which are small family firms employing local people and therefore doing so much to support other local businesses. Policing and the partnerships supported by my office had an important role to play last summer in reassuring local communities and visitors. They helped us welcome people in while maintaining some of the lowest Covid-19 infection rates in the country.
My office supplied an additional £400,000 to Devon and Cornwall Police last year to help us cope with the spike in population. This paid for services like specialist cars to attend domestic abuse and mental health incidents, therefore reducing strain on neighbourhood teams.
We also provided £500,000 to work with local authorities on a Safer Summer Scheme that pioneered Covid-19 wardens to visitor hotspots. These wardens gave communities in resorts like St Ives and Torquay reassurance that there was a resource to help advise local residents and visitors of the need to maintain social distancing and to behave themselves.
I sincerely hope that when our Prime Minister addresses the nation on Monday, February 22, it will be to pave the way for a summer that will allow not only Kier, Matt, Angela, Justin, Joe, Sergio, Boris, Emmanuel and Shinzo to safely enjoy our wonderful part of the world but also the thousands of others who love to come here.
Until then, I have been repeating the Come Back Later message that police and partners shared in the first lockdown. I think high profile individuals with homes or family here have an additional responsibility to set an example by abiding by the rules.
Like the vast majority of our residents I will be spending this week exercising locally and only leaving the home for essential activities, but I am looking forward to better times in 2021.
THE switchover to decimal currency – a move which broke with centuries of monetary tradition – happened 50 years ago yesterday. The Royal Mint is marking the half-century with a string of initiatives aiming to encourage those who remember the monumental change to share their memories and inspire younger generations.
The new decimal currency system was formally adopted on February 15 1971, evolving from a tradition which had spanned generations, of pounds, shillings and pence.
The new currency was based on 100 pennies to the pound. Under the previous system there were 12 pennies to a shilling and 20 shillings in a pound.
The transition to decimalisation took around five years of planning, after the decision to go decimal was announced in 1966.
It involved a huge information campaign to help households and businesses adapt.
The first of the new coins made their way on to high streets in 1968, giving people time to familiarise themselves with them before the full switch. It was reported that some shoppers initially refused to take them.
Some retail staff were given special training to help customers understand the new money in their purses and wallets. At Harrods in London, there were “Decimal Penny” assistants helping customers with the new coins.
A Decimal Currency Board was also set up to oversee the switchover.
Singer Max Bygraves recorded a song called Decimalisation, and TV shows, films and posters helped people to understand the new coinage.
To meet the challenge of striking the new coins, a new factory was also needed, along with new machinery, production techniques and processes.
In 1971, Sir Edward Heath was prime minister, the country was going through a period of industrial upheaval, and Elvis Presley, T-Rex, the Kinks and Benny Hill were in the music charts. It was also the year that Jim Morrison, the lead singer of The Doors, died.
The Equal Pay Act had been introduced the year before, and the Sex Discrimination Act and the Race Relations Act came into being later on in the decade.
Sarah Coles, personal finance analyst, Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “Life has changed dramatically since February 15 1971. The way we live, work and spend have altered beyond recognition.
“Inflation makes the past feel like another world, with a 5p pint of milk and 15p pint of beer.
“After you take inflation into account, some things are much cheaper now than in 1971, and basic groceries have fallen in price. The
cost of beer, sadly, has escalated as the taxman has grabbed a bigger share.” To help mark 50 years since Decimal Day, the Royal Mint, based in Llantrisant, South Wales, has created 50 “museums in a box”, which are touring care homes to help people with dementia.
Each box contains pre-decimal coins, posters and conversion charts, which aim to evoke childhood memories.
The Royal Mint Museum is making the boxes available to care homes free of charge. Each care home will receive a box for two weeks, and they will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between uses.
Those wanting to register for a box can contact decimalisation@royalmint.com or visit https://www.royalmintmuseum.org.uk/decimalisation.
The Royal Mint also has a 50p commemorative coin for sale on its website, featuring “old money” in the design.
Clare Maclennan, divisional director for commemorative coin at the Royal Mint, said: “The Royal Mint made decimalisation happen 50 years ago, introducing the coins we use and collect today.
“We’re celebrating with a special Decimal Day 50p featuring ‘old money’ as well as launching memory boxes for care homes – helping people with dementia recall their memories of ‘the changeover’.
“Although we are famous for making coins, we make so much more and have changed a lot over 50 years.
“Today the Royal Mint has grown to become the home of gold investment in the UK, we make collectable coins for all interests, and even have a tourist attraction. Our historic coin business is also booming, as we use our unique expertise to source rare coins for collectors.
“Decimalisation offers a great opportunity to celebrate our past, and look to our future and the exciting changes we’ve making.”
The Mint is also asking coin collectors to share images of their pre-decimal coins for its online gallery at https://www.royalmint.com/ourcoins/events/the-50th-anniversaryof-decimal-day/inspiration-wallcollections.