To remember a time when we didn’t book everything

[labamba007]

Did you prefer it when we didn’t have to book everything in advance? I feel like since Covid everything has to be booked - restaurants, cafes, softplay, museums, bowling, any sports, swimming etc. I just remember turning up to stuff and it being fine. Now you can’t go anywhere without booking and nothing is spontaneous. Maybe it’s because there’s more people so you need to book to guarantee but I do miss it!

You've had to pay to enter for at least the last 10 years. It's also to limit the number of visitors per day, to protect the monuments. Residents of the local neighbourhood get in for free, although I think they will still need to book

I booked our local Santa experience in June. I hate that nonsense but then I end up joining in as I don't want to miss out and it has ended up fully booked now. Social media doesn't help as Christmas and Halloween events are hyped up for weeks before tickets are released too.
When we were young you just turned up and queued for a bit to see Santa and it was still lovely.

I obviously have a very dull life, the thing I really object to being expected to book is taking stuff to our local tip.

I definitely didn’t pay when I went there in 2018. You only had to pay to get into to part with the Gaudi House and museum. The rest of the park was free entry.

Fortunately where I live - not the UK - we don't have to book everything. It would drive me mad.

DH and I have started getting membership for one or two museums and galleries in central London. If you are going to go to a couple of paid exhibitions during the year it pays for itself. Not only on cost but you don't need a timed ticket for most of them, you just turn up.

I used o work in a leisure centre. Many people did book swimming and soft play in advance but it was usually not necessary (except for soft play it was on rainy days in school holidays)..

I also find this difficult. Yes agree about soft play “sessions” they rarely line up with the day and clash with baby’s nap etc so I find I just don’t go as much.

I did learn my lesson a few months ago though and tried for pop out for Sunday lunch, we tried about 5 pubs, all booked and had to come home, so will never do that again 😅

I'd always book for Sunday lunch or for dinner anywhere. Saturday lunch is much easier to be spontaneous about though, and if it's only the two of you.

Totally agree about booking the tip! What a complete palaver and I cannot believe there are THAT many people trying to go at 2pm on a Weds that they couldn’t let you just come and queue. We just end up with piles of stuff waiting because if we book 2 weeks in advance chances are the baby is ill or some other thing comes up.

I wonder if this also makes people feel more stressed because they are “always behind/late”. If they abolished booking I could get up, take the kid swimming when we were ready. Maybe have lunch out or go to a softplay. Then childcare swap and get rubbish to the tip. All without feeling rushed.

Yes, it’s a shame. Life used to be a lot more free and easy but there are now so many more people in the country, it makes booking essential.

Yes! Someone was always carted off in an ambulance suffering from exposure, crying because they were going to miss out on tickets!

Honestly, I think we suffered for our spontaneity — I inter-railed around Europe with friends in the summer of 1993, without a single pre-booked night of accommodation, busking (not very well) for food/drink money. It was absolutely wonderful, but we did end up sleeping in parks or beaches when we couldn’t find somewhere to stay. And pre-mobiles, if someone agreed to meet you, you just had to show up as agreed and hope they did, whether it was a matter of a night’s accommodation in Paris or going to the cinema, so in some ways more rigid...

Same here. Some things that are strictly limited numbers have booking but even then you can usually just turn up and join if there's space - booking is recommended rather than mandatory.

Yes!!

The problem is too many people trying to use limited resources.

I don't think it's an enormous 'mental load' to remember to book a swim/class. Takes about 10 seconds on the EA app. I love it. It's a half hour walk for me so I don't want to arrive only to find I can't get in!

ticket hotlines, go to the box office or send a cheque. Now more people want to go and the ticket firms control the market/limit access. Admission to anything allows the data to be captured and the money stream to be regulated. More control they have the better it can be managed

My sports session gets booked up as soon as slots are released. I have to sit up until midnight one night a week to book my weekly sports session

I preferred it when I didn’t have to book a slot at the local tip! (And there’s still a queue)

I just find it a real fun suck. Also that despite the advantages of this managed approach the places you've booked are usually still really crowded.

@labamba007is the booking site Better You? It’s appalling

This isn't the problem. It's venues trying to spread demand across the whole opening period to maximise profits.

I really miss not having to book. I'm dyslexic and it causes me a lot of worry about whether I booked the right time and date. I avoid things you have to book as much as possible. The more expensive places tend to be non refundable too. I've also found with things like swimming they've kept the price the same, or increased it, but now you only get an hour instead of unlimited time. I used to take the kids to the leisure pool when they were little and they'd play all morning and be tired out for the afternoon now they're not ready to come out after an hour and want to know what's next.

Agree completely you could wake up and think I fancy doing so and so today and just go. Now you have to decide weeks n advance what you want to do on a specific day. Far less fun.