ANY JOURNO FEEL FREE TO PICK THIS UP

[lowwtide]

Parkdean resorts refusing to shut their 67 parks across the UK. All open for business as usual including pools, restaurants, bars, arcades, the lot. No consideration for the local healthboards where these parks are based, no consideration for the elderly / vulnerable permanent residents that live in the areas these parks are based. No refunds being offered as they are 'open for business' so customers who aren't willing to lose their money are travelling regardless of government advice and blatant disregard for their customers and staffs health! Haven, Center Parcs, Pontins, Butlins even small independent businesses are closing but this large corporation REFUSES.

[Cam77]

Every day the government dithers and dithers and dithers at the beginning (ie now) to try and save money by not ordering closures will probably equate to a whole week of a shut UK economy at the end. It’s so blindingly obvious, but Tories seemingly can’t change their nature even in a crisis. Losing money and risking lives.

[catwithflowers]

NettleTea. That’s sounds awful. Very sorry for your situation ☹️

[KatyaZamolodchikova]

Hoseasons are also remaining open at the moment. They have offered to move our booking for a new date in the next 12 months, but if it’s a more expensive date we will have to pay the difference. We have booked Scotland so moving it to a cold month isn’t ideal so we will have to pay more. Problem being our travel insurance won’t cover us for any moved holidays so if this isn’t all done by the date we pay more to move it to we have even less protection. I am still hoping they will do the right thing and close or the government will enforce a decision.

[ShellsAndSunrises]

Everyone else know we're part of a society and owe each other something.

I’ve been to two supermarkets in two towns this morning to shop for vulnerable people. They were both packed with elderly people. Packed. They were talking, shaking hands, shopping. Waitrose had a massive queue of old people waiting for a coffee and a newspaper. A sizeable amount had small children with them.

I’m not sure it’s fair to say it’s just the kids still going out. It appears to be a lot of the elderly, too.

I’m genuinely wondering if this is a bit like the election and Brexit; where a subsection of society that is vocal on MN and social media is making it seem like people are doing one thing, and actually they’re not.

[NettleTea]

@catwithflowers thank you.

[LakieLady]

Good grief, this is no time to be a proponent of personal bloody liberty

Quite.

Some of these companies (see also Wetherspoons, Stonegate and many, many others) have shown that they can't be trusted to use that liberty responsibly.

They deserve to have it taken away from them.

[FreshFancyFrogglette]

I am more confused every day. I know someone will come along with the. Stay at home its not hard! But then someone else will come along say, we should be supporting small businesses by visiting them! There's just so many conflicting interpretations of the advice. Well done Boris.

[FreshFancyFrogglette]

Nb I know haven is not a small business

[alloutoffucks]

I have known people who would go on a booked holiday in this situation even if their kid had a new cough.

That is why the idea of public health exists. It is about safeguarding the public even though there are idiots. But it needs a PM who is prepared to make difficult decisions. We don't have that.

[lowwtide]

@sestras Haven have closed completely as of yesterday to all holidaymakers. Originally they planned to stay open but shut facilities but eventually saw sense. Parkdean are business as usual - all facilities included.

[LakieLady]

@doomedbar, thank you for acting responsibly.

If only more people were like you.

[Mary1935]

Very poor company.
Maybe people will vote with their feet next year and don’t go to their resorts. (If you can call them that!!)

[Enough4me]

This is crazy, Parkdean must know this this is highly likely to spread Covid-19. If they have any sense of corporate social responsibility and the damage this could do to their reputation, they will see sense and soon.

[fizzlekat]

Away Resorts parks are the same, still continuing to stay open including the gym, pool etc. We were supposed to be visiting one in the New Forest next week. I think the government need to force them to close.

[Glaceon]

Weatherspoons are the same www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8133303/amp/Pubs-packed-revellers-despite-calls-social-distancing.html

Our local one has its doors wide open. All the usual regulars outside it and surrounding pubs.

And its filthy inside. Absolutely filthy. The food is cold and often heated multiple times in microwaves. Never seen a hand sanitizer or staff member with freshly washed looking hand they look sweaty and greasy most of the time and the finger nail hygiene is appalling I've been served by people with visible dirt on their nails.

[AwdBovril]

The problem is, who covers the financial losses? The government - not likely, they'll let them go bust first rather than be held liable. The parks - their insurance isn't likely to as Coronavirus won't be on the list of notifiable diseases, plus their excess to make a claim will be astronomically high. It'll be the customers that lose out, one way or another. It always is.

I do agree that people shouldn't be going though - I wouldn't go. Even if I'd paid in full.

[Sockbogies]

Meant to be attending a kids party at a local council leisure centre (how can they be allowed to stay open!?!) this weekend, which is still going ahead as usual. We have declined but seems we are the only ones to do so. Child is devastated as this is best school friend's party. At least 2 other party goers have respiratory conditions, absolutely nuts. Thing is, in a week or so's time I think they will be made to close, so having a week's extra income, in the grand scheme of things, isn't going to make much of a difference.

[MulticolourMophead]

Local businesses do need support. But that can take many forms, not just blindly rushing in and spreading the disease.

My local cinema has closed it's doors for now, and local people like me have bought memberships and vouchers for the future to help keep them going (it's a small family run place).

It's time to get creative.

[Aesopfable]

A lot of businesses, eg pubs/bars/cafes, would be very pleased to be ordered to shut as then they may have a chance of getting insurance paying out. By the government just advising their customers to stay away they are stuck.

[Asterisktheknackered]

IV emailed parkdean to ask for a refund as I'm high risk but told basically tough!! Praying it gets shut down so I get money back.

[Hoggleludo]

Same for Hoburne!!!!!

[Alsohuman]

Our local posh hotel has just closed everything, room bookings cancelled and dining room and bar closed. If a relatively small business can do it, so can the big chains.

[BlueOooChristmas]

Forest Holidays are taking the same approach and saying that people can isolate in their cabins so it's all perfectly safe. Their facebook is also full of disgruntled customers and they are just copy and pasting the same reply to them all. It's so disappointing.

[GrouchoMrx]

Xenia Fri 20-Mar-20 10:41:10
It is not unlawful to stay open. Boris Johnson was very clear yesterday - thankfully - about being a strong proponent of personal liberty.

Yes, the personal liberty to put the lives of others in peril.

Only a complete bounder would support Boris Johnson here.

[pigsDOfly]

Boris Johnson was very clear yesterday - thankfully - about being a strong proponent of personal liberty

What is there to be thankful for about that.

I don't want someone else's 'personal liberty' to mean they can do as they like and put other people in danger.

I don't want my loved ones to die, nor indeed do I want to die, because someone who made good use of their personal liberty coughs on one of us and passes on this virus when we slip out to the supermarket for vital necessities like food.

Why does someone else's personal liberty override other people's right to not be put at risk of catching this thing.