Do you think Cornwall will be 'open' in July?

[NoSoapAndGory]

Hi all.

A purely speculative post to gauge opinions, as I know we don't know, don't have a crystal ball, etc etc.

We have booked a self catering holiday cottage near Bude for the first 10 days of July. We live in the South East, so it's about 5 hours drive to get there on a good day. We have a dog so would need to stop at a service station at least once.

As part of general future-focused conversation, DH and I are ruminating about

1: will we be 'allowed' to go
2: if we are, would we want to anyway?
3: if it's 'allowed', will the Bude community welcome us or hate us?
4: will the tourist industry want revenue or not?

Etc. Etc. Etc.

Anyone else having similar discussions, and if so, what are you thinking?

I don’t live in Cornwall to spend my £10,000! The money has left Cornwall! I cannot go and spend it in Cornwall. It’s compensation for no bookings! We had to become a business because Cornwall Council refused to empty our bins unless we were a business! It was forced on my group of owners. We would happily have paid normal council tax but now we are a business and pay £500 a year for waste removal.

I think far more people have posted on this thread saying that Cornish people hate tourists, than Cornish have posted saying they hate tourists.

I don't think even ten k would cover holiday let for the whole summer and beyond

The fact people feel they are not welcome is telling though. Why do so many feel like that?

Oh, and Cornwall Council contacted us about the £10,000!

No. £10k doesn’t.

I just read up thread that Gordon Ramsay is staying in Cornwall for the foreseeable?

If that’s true, no way am I setting foot anywhere inside Cornwall for the rest of the year.

The fact people feel they are not welcome is telling though. Why do so many feel like that?

I think if people really felt unwelcome they wouldn't visit, and they clearly do in large numbers.

Yes.

Actually, was about to repost and say please don't answer because that would be identifying. I am going to ask for my post to be deleted.

People like Ajimnotabadmother are what makes people feel unwelcome. I'm not especially a fan of Gordon Ramsay (although I don't hate him either) but it's aggressive comments like hers that scream insular local. Ramsay going, before lockdown, to his Cornish home makes her blood boil. Why? Because he isn't Cornish born and bred? Perhaps she hates people with Scottish backgrounds, I don't know. Whatever it is, it's unpleasant.

Shame they're not using the empty holiday homes to house domestic abuse victims. The holiday parks in particular are ideal for traumatised children to safely recover.

It’s the young people of Cornwall who I feel so sorry for - aside from the tourist trade there is very little alternative work and that which is available is temporary and pays the minimum wage.- intelligent social distancing needs to be in place otherwise the mental health of very many young people will deteriorate further

The thing is, it’s not the people; it’s the virus. People just carry the virus. So whilst the people would be welcome (I’m sure) the virus and subsequent illness wouldn’t be.

It’s rubbish, isn’t it; everyone wants to be able to go on holiday. But keeping the population safe depends on us making decisions which have the least impact on others, where that’s possible.
Please don’t go away from this thread thinking that the folk in the SW are unfriendly. We’re not. But scared of a potential outbreak caused by holiday makers this summer? Yep, that scares me (& I’m a doctor).

I totally understand the points of view from those who live in Devon and Cornwall. We go to Devon most years cos we've got friends there. I don't think residents there can expect people not to want to visit. They are fortunate to live there but those who aren't are entitled to take breaks there. I hope things improve and my holiday goes ahead along with anyone else who has booked. I'd hope not to need hospitals there. If I was unwell I'd rather be nearer to home. I'm sure most people are the same. We just need to hope the circumstances change.

Oh yeah don't get a Londoner started on tourists on the tube especially if they have a suitcase

I’m neither a doctor nor a scientist - but I am assuming that we won’t be allowed out til it’s safe? I think Matt Hancock said that? I speak as someone who is itching to book a week in Cornwall in August.

It’s unrealistic to think anyone is getting a holiday this summer. I seriously doubt that people in Devon & Cornwall will want the usual crowds putting strain on the health services there. It also means more chance of a second wave of the virus if we all start behaving like normal. It’s now Nearly May - I really cannot see much changing in the next 2 months. Sorry but This is a long term situation. Holidays and fun stuff isn’t really a necessity.

We are in the same boat as we have a week booked in Penzance for the last week of July for our DD's birthday, but don't think that will go ahead now.
Hopefully we will be able to reschedule for late August, but it's anyone's guess as to whether we will be out of lock down by then.

tryinghardnottocry I've thought for a long time how much better it would be to spread the economy more evenly across the country. Cramming ever more people into already overcrowded cities like London and others because there's little work elsewhere causes misery and resentment from less well off people in both cities and rural areas. Those in cities can't afford even somewhere to rent and so are forced to move away from their home and their families, those in rural areas can't afford to buy (and sometimes rent) on the mostly minimum wage jobs and are then priced away from their home and families. Various politicians from all parties talk only of a few selected cities in the North when they speak about taking the economic focus off London. Cornwall remains largely neglected. Jobs need to be more evenly spread.

Ach well you’re all welcome in London if Cornwall and Wales won’t have you.

The idea that we can all avoid this plague by shooing people away is extremely naive. We will all be exposed to it over the next 18 months and we’ve just got to take a our chances.

If you shut down the whole of Cornwall for 18 months every single pub, restaurant, shop, business will die.

There seems to be an assumption by some on this thread that tourists to Cornwall and Devon from eg SE England will be responsible for bringing Covid 19 to these areas. This may happen to some extent as we do live in a mobile world but it’s interesting that you don’t generally get eg Londoners up in arms that visitors from Devon, Manchester or wherever will ‘bring’ Covid 19 to London. We live in a highly mobile, globalised world and that applies wherever you live.

Also the NHS is funded by taxation. Devon doesn’t fund its own NHS, London doesn’t fund its own NHS etc. It’s all one system, with funds allocated centrally. So I’m finding it odd that people are so protective of ‘their local NHS’.

In my experience it's people from other parts of the UK who've moved to London who moan about tourists. Born and bred Londoners welcome tourists. It's flattering when someone wants to visit where you're from.

@ToffeeYoghurt totally agree! I get such a kick out of chatting to people in our area who are visiting from out of the region. There’s a burgeoning glamping scene here as well as a real foodie scene starting to develop and I think it’s great. Some people are making some serious money off it and more power to them !

There's only 1 major hospital in Cornwall, and as much as we do like tourists boosting our economy the worry will be people overwhelming the health service here.

It will be interesting to see if/when the restrictions are lifted wheither the b&b 's , hotels etc will re open and how that would work.
My mil is due to travel to our area ( Cumbria ) in August on a Shearings coach tour , stay in a hotel but visit us . I'm hoping that because that type of holiday is basically for older people, the answer is no.