Covid-19: Businesses shut for months keen to reopen

A possible reopening of gyms has been pencilled in for no earlier than 12 April

Reopening gyms in April, following the latest coronavirus lockdown, will mean an owner can "provide for his family" again.

The government's "roadmap" announced on Monday sets out how gyms might open no earlier than 12 April.

Owner and personal trainer Alan Knight, from Bristol, said the closures had left him "worrying where the next money would come from".

Hospitality venues could start to serve people outdoors on the same date.

Mr Knight, from the Hengrove area of the city, said: "For my clients it will make it feel like everything is back to normal a little bit, everyone can come to the gym, have a catch-up.

"When everyone can finally walk through the doors again it will just be lovely to see their faces."

But Damien Godwin, an outdoor fitness instructor from Devizes, Wiltshire, is looking for more clarity on what the announcement means for him.

"It's kind of hard for me because it's where I fall within those dates. Where it's unclear is about outdoor gyms because everything I do is outside."

Gareth Jenkins said the current lockdown has been "quite hard"

Gareth Jenkins, head chef at The Speech House in Coleford, Gloucestershire, can also tentatively plan to open - but will not have customers indoors any earlier than 17 May.

"We've got a date to aim for. Until now this lockdown has been quite hard because there has been no timescale on it", he said.

"I don't want to think about all the menus and seasons that have been wasted, I just want to look forward to being ready."

Other non-essential shops and hairdressers could also open in April and legal limits on social distancing could end by 21 June.

Adele Gill said the rule over only being able to drink alcohol with a substantial meal in pubs was "stupid"

Adele Gill, who runs the White Hart in Warminster, Wiltshire, said she was relieved to see that the rules on customers needing to buy a substantial meal discarded.

"I'm so glad they've got rid of this stupid substantial meal. I thought that was absolutely ridiculous. Everyone has a different opinion on it and I'm fed-up of hearing about Scotch eggs.

"It's brilliant that we can open but is it going to be profitable? Who knows. Obviously there are going to be restrictions and the weather is not always fantastic.

"It's hard to know how to feel to be honest. I do think pubs have been treated unfairly."

Kevin Allin, landlord at The Carpenters Arms in Miserden, Gloucestershire, said the reopening was too late, and pubs would miss out on the busy Easter weekend.

"We haven't made any money at all since the beginning of this lockdown. If they'd let us open for the Easter weekend, even with outside tables, that would have been a massive boost."

Adam Henson, owner of Gloucestershire's Cotswold Farm Park, is disappointed that people will miss out on lambing season

Cotswold Farm Park owner Adam Henson was also unhappy that people would miss the spring and Easter season.

"With it being spring time on the farm with baby lambs being born and people wanting to get back out into the countryside after a long, dark winter, it's such a shame to miss it.

"We'll have all our ewes giving birth and no one will be able to watch them lambing."

While Ruth Lambert, development manager for the Federation of Small Businesses in Somerset and Wiltshire, said business owners had been keen to see a plan laid out.

"The big problem for small businesses has been the flip-flopping about", she said.

But Claire Hembrough, a gift shop owner in Bradford-on-Avon, said she was "disappointed" not to be opening earlier.

"I'm shocked that non-essential retail is not opening sooner. If you think about Mother's Day, Easter coming up. I've still got Easter stock from last year that never went out."