Can I ask how everyone's holidays in UK tourist areas are going so far?

[ScrapThatThen]

Anyone away this week? How are you finding things? I guess not many families have gone yet.

I live in the Lakes and town is filling back up again; you can tell the tourists because they wear full hiking gear to come in for a scone and a cuppa and a mooch round the shops (including walking poles, frequently!) A lot of the recent poor behaviour is local youths who are bored. However there have been people camping etc during lockdown who have come from a couple of hundred miles away, made a mess and then been gobby with the coppers. There have been quite a few rescues from the fells already. Normality!

@JMG1234 We were also in St Ives for a long weekend and were pleasantly surprised at the beaches. Although there were plenty of people around, particularly on the Sunday when the weather was lovely, they were all massively spaced out and everyone was keeping their distance. They have tried their best in the little lanes in town to have a pedestrian walking system where people walking in one direction go on one side of the road and those walking in the opposite direction walk on the other side. It took a bit of getting used to. We also went into two restaurants, one where they took our temp, and both had tables a good 2 metres apart, windows open and had hand sanitisers as you went in. It all felt well organised.

I doubt we will get away again the summer and this was a well needed break as both my DH have been working in school throughout with all the kids in (SEN schools have stayed open) and are knackered to be honest. It was soooo lovely to be able to do some of the things we used to take for granted.

I'm visiting my elderly Mum in West Cumbria. Quite busy on the roads but most people out and about seem local. Shops are quiet.

Surprised that virtually no one is wearing a mask in shops or apparently concerned about social distancing compared to London where I live.

We are in Weymouth this week, visiting family and it's feels ok. Pretty quiet really but there is a bit of a strange vibe in shops etc. I feel the urge to tell people we were born here and aren't strictly tourists!
They definitely need to open more toilets though!

We are having problems with localish groups meeting up and littering here too and not a tourist area. Probably a bit snobby to say, but I wonder if these are the problems the UK usually exports to Magaluf at this time of year.

Or just the pubs in town centres

It seems to be mostly very bored and definitely local young teens at fault. There is a real antisocial behaviour problem brewing in my opinion.
In my corner of Cumbria, the teenagers have been cleaning up the litter left by others

This littering thing; I keep seeing posts on SM of photos of litter around bins accompanied by outraged denouncements. That's not really littering though, it's the council not keeping up with easing lockdown.

We live in Suffolk and took the dog to our local beach on Saturday. Walking through the popular seaside town you could tell there had been an influx of tourists and second home owners. Lots of badly parked cars, long queues to the ice cream shop which blocked the entrance to the towns only grocery store and an awful lot of very slow ambling couples who seem to imagine they can wander along at a glacial speed taking in the sights while blocking the entire pavement. Not usually an issue but with the one way system in place on all footpaths and the fact that residents have been having to stand in queues for 20 mins just to get a pint of milk there's definitely an air of tension in the town.

The beach itself was clean and tidy though and as it was cold and windy it was only us dog walkers on the sand.

@ILoveTotoro

We're off to Northumberland tomorrow so will let you know

@ILoveTotoro We are in Northumberland right now. The weather hasn't been brilliant, but it hasn't rained every day. It is pretty quiet.

Whereabouts are you going?

Re the littering and anti-social behaviour: we live in a rural part of South Yorkshire and it is a massive problem. Young, bored people are meeting up in fields, on the showground and the Trans Pennine Trail, and leaving piles of empty cans and bottles and nitrous oxide cannisters. Some dogs have died after ingesting dubious substances (the vets believe they are illegal drugs) found on the TPT.

This isn't a touristy area, but is pretty, and near a couple of large towns.

Live in the lakes and have tourism focused business. Things are ramping up slowly definitely more traffic and self catering / campsites filling up but still very quiet for time of the year. Hoping for some good weather need to get some cash in

Lots of the recent problems were due to councils not opening toilets and some car parks but that seems most are open now.

Still lots of businesses closed but they’re all slowly safely opening up.

Driving me demented!
There was an actual long queue of people to get out of a shopping centre the other day!

All patiently waiting for the hand gel dispenser upon leaving.
Those who spritz then stand there vigilantly ensuring every square inch of their hands are covered rubbing and smearing before then picking up their shopping and moving on.
Meanwhile a huge crowd gathers behind them while the next does the same and then stands and waits for whoever they are with to do the same.
Trouble is, they had put barriers up for in and out traffic of people which narrowed down the entrance and exit to single file only!!

Spritz then move out of the way people...MOVE ON!

It’s akin to stopping dead at the foot of the elevator with a huge queue of people behind you trying to exit.

If these were only locals, God help us when the coach loads start up again.

We were in Cornwall last week doing maintenance on our holiday home before bookings start. It was quiet. Our next door neighbour (doing the same jobs as us!) was spoken to sharply in the local co op and told she wasn’t wanted there. Fortunately we found a farm shop which did welcome us. A tip from a maintenance guy! So I feel this view that tourists are not wanted is going to continue which will make people feel unwelcome.

We also discovered a member of staff at our agents had received hate emails from local people and was still upset by it when she told us about it. People have become very nasty to each other and judgemental about their jobs. It doesn’t sound as if our house is in a nice place to live to be honest.

I do know lots of people depend on income from tourists. Whether it’s little shops, farm businesses, pubs and restaurants. I think if locals want these to survive and money flowing into otherwise very poor economies, tourists and holidaymakers do have to be accommodated with a bit more grace. At the moment it feels hostile. We are back there on Sunday so we will see what happens now more places will have opened up. Hopefully a bit more “normal”.

Just to add: under lockdown various items had been taken from my house and several things damaged. That felt like my space had been invaded and someone helped themselves to my belongings - they must have had a key.

If Cornwall residents don't want visitors how are the locals in mainland Europe and the Mediterranean Islands going to react when flights start arriving from the UK?

Perhaps they do want their businesses to survive? There will be other nationals arriving in the Med too! Not just Brits.

I know Cornwall doubles in size with holiday makers but businesses are there to support this. Cornwall already says it’s a poor area but some people clearly want this to continue. Perhaps it should?

@Velvian

This littering thing; I keep seeing posts on SM of photos of litter around bins accompanied by outraged denouncements. That's not really littering though, it's the council not keeping up with easing lockdown.

Sorry, but this gets my goat. Litter is not the Councils fault!

Did you know many small Councils parks teams, the people who empty bins in pretty rural places, are also responsible for multiple other jobs sometimes including digging graves?

There is a big increase in litter this year compared to a typical summer. Council workers are also subject to all of the same covid-19 working regulations as everyone else, meaning that it takes them longer to do some jobs and they have to prioritise the most important tasks.

They are bloody busy and have been working through the whole of lockdown.

It is littering to leave rubbish next to a bin, the wind and animals spread it around before the bins can be collected. If the bin is full you should take your rubbish home.

You carried it there, we know you can carry it back.

Currently in perranporth. Empty beach!

but there is a weird vibe

That!

I went to Cornwall at the weekend (as soon as we were allowed in - 5 past midnight). We have a holiday flat there and needed to sort it out for the summer. Last person in was my SIL on 8th March. Luckily we leave it cleared out - water off etc - because the shower had broken, and as soon as I turned the water on at the mains, showered water all over the bathroom. Had that been running for 4 months, the people downstairs would have known about it!!

There is already a 'them and us' feeling in the place where we have our flat, between second homers and permanent residents. The residents are without exception retirees. We've all kept completely away, not done daytime maintenance or anything because so many of them are vulnerable due to age. But, we also pay a massive management fee for sea defences and harbour management, and it's only fair that we get to use some of that this year.

People who are normally friendly there, were backing away from us and there were definitely NO smiles. We took all our food with us and didn't need to go to local shops or anything (I was on my own with a 5 year old, I just wanted a different view and a play on a beach). I did my plumbing job on the shower, then came home.

There is a mixed feeling amongst friends. Some in the village can't wait for tourists to come back because they rely on the business, others are terrified. Same as everywhere else in the world I guess.

@Scruffyoak

Currently in perranporth. Empty beach!

I'm very envious - my happiest childhood holidays were spent in Perranporth. Enjoy!

Well said @SushiGo

No them and us in Northumberland, but DH is from here, so the locals know us anyway. Also the county doesn't get the hordes of (whispers) the wrong kind of visitor that the South and South West coast does.

Another in St Ives. It’s been lovely but that’s been helped by the surprisingly nice weather. We’ve been on the beach every day so it’s easy to social distance. I haven’t been in many shops as I have young DC but I haven’t experienced any hostility from locals.

I live in South Devon- the biggest thing we’ve noticed since the 4th is the number of cars with top boxes/caravans/campervans who literally have no clue how to drive on Devon lanes/seemingly can’t reverse.

This is a big pet peeve of locals- I work for the emergency services and I am trying to get to work stuck behind vehicles travelling 15 mph in a 60 and stopping in the middle of the road at junctions to check which way to go- madness!

We want sensible tourists back; following social distancing like locals have been (not like the scenes in London) and not holding people up by driving/ walking/ parking in inconsiderate ways.

I live in Cornwall, and it is much busier. Streets are bustling and there is nowhere to park. I really can't see how people can socially distance in our towns, it is just not practical. It's already not happening. The businesses are doing their best though to make things as safe as possible.
A few pubs and restaurants are still not open as they're just too small to do so safely. I'm proud of our little town for all working together to make things welcoming and safe for everyone.

I work in hospitality, and we absolutely will not survive without tourists. We are looking forward to opening up again, but are understandably anxious.
During lockdown I've realised how much I value the peace and quite. I am seriously considering moving in a few years. Anyone know anywhere beautiful but quiet?

I'm off to Dartmoor this weekend to escape the madness. Going camping on a tiny campsite. Going to go shopping beforehand and just got for long walks. Would usually go into town but not going to this time. All the campsites round here are rammed.