With another scorching few days scheduled I wanted to take this opportunity to urge everyone to enjoy them carefully and safely. We have seen Covid-19 spikes in various parts of the country and local lockdowns introduced, what we really do not want is that here as well. Clearly it is an evolving picture and what I write on a Wednesday may not be current by the weekend, as we saw last week with the sudden announcements about quarantine from Spain and the brakes being applied to the relaxation of lockdown.
I visited this week “I wanna be” the new children’s role play facility at Abbotswood. It is a really innovative new business and I managed to learn an enormous amount during my visit. Children’s indoor play is still in lockdown, which is incredibly challenging for a new business, which is very different to the sort of soft play model that is perhaps more familiar to many of us. There are many challenges in trying to convey to DDCMS officials the difference between a ball pit and a miniature replica café / shop / fire station which provides much more space and a chance for children to interact with their own imagination.
Recess is always a great opportunity to catch up with local businesses, albeit this year in a socially distanced way. I have also been playing my part in trying to support many local cafes / restaurants / pubs via the Eat Out to Help Out scheme. To those who want to criticise, there are many local places who have really struggled through lockdown, and they provide a significant amount of local employment. I want our great local pubs to come through this crisis, and I want them to keep on employing local people (many of whom are young). So I am unapologetic about having been to the Rockingham Arms and Dish so far, I will be going to more next week. I know that our local businesses are crucially important, they provide great service, fabulous food and I want them to still be here in the future. I can well remember going to the Rockingham Arms as a child, when I was allowed a bottle of coke and packet of crisps in the car park, Monday night was streets ahead of that!
There are some great outdoor entertainment opportunities headed Romsey’s way through the coming weeks. We may have missed the Beggar’s Fayre and Romsey Show, but there is going to be live comedy at the Football Club and Musical Theatre at Broadlands, all done in a socially distanced way of course.
