Article about the Cheltenham Races. Makes me so angry!

[buttheywereonlysatilites]

Seeing it all in black and white makes me even more angry than I already was at our government and SAGE at the time.

I'm on other threads now supporting the reintroduction of outside activities, but not like this. What the hell were they thinking?!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/20/virus-dispersion-hub-packed-racecourse-cheltenham-festival?CMP=ShareiOSAppp_Other

It was always about the money. It brings in millions. I live next to the racecourse and I still remember the sense of doom I felt seeing all these people descending, knowing that my town would now be a hotspot for it. I know quite a few people who went and all but one caught covid. One spent a month in intensive care and still has lung problems. One can't walk for long without being exhausted. I think the government have a lot to answer for and so do the jockey club!

I went. I was really quite nervous about being there

This is why the people of Doncaster were very worried when the government decided that the Leger festival should go ahead in September as a test case for opening up large events, luckily it was cancelled after the first day.
It's all about the money with little thought to the human cost.

@buttheywereonlysatilites

Seeing it all in black and white makes me even more angry than I already was at our government and SAGE at the time.

I'm on other threads now supporting the reintroduction of outside activities, but not like this. What the hell were they thinking?!

[[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/feb/20/virus-dispersion-hub-packed-racecourse-cheltenham-festival?CMP=Share]]iOSAppp_Other

Yeah horse racing is gross.

I think the government have a lot to answer for and so do the jockey club!

The Jockey Club are no longer involved in governing or regulating racing and haven’t been for some years now.

Another Cheltenham resident here. Just seems so strange looking back.

Thought it was odd at the time

I live in a popular racecourse city and they have said they will be running race days with 5,000 a day from May because otherwise they can’t stay open. I’d rather we didn’t have 5,000 people descending on our city on these days personally.

@andante maybe not but they own Cheltenham racecourse

I remember thinking they were insane to go ahead at the time. I'd already stopped going to the gym and kids clubs at that point.
Interesting and really sad read.

Don’t forget the Liverpool v Real Madrid football match 11 mar 20
When supporters arrived into Liverpool from a country that was already locked down ., Liverpool and surrounding areaswent on to have one of the highest Covid / death rates in the country
Irresponsible decision
Whoever made it has blood on their hands

Cases had already been announced in Prestbury and Bishops Cleeve very close to racecourse, so it was known to be in the area, on top of which thousands attending and staying miles away to attend from all over. Going to be so different this year, very quiet.

@Cooltalkin

Don’t forget the Liverpool v Real Madrid football match 11 mar 20 When supporters arrived into Liverpool from a country that was already locked down ., Liverpool and surrounding areaswent on to have one of the highest Covid / death rates in the country Irresponsible decision Whoever made it has blood on their hands

That football match was utter madness. The fact that Spain had locked down and cancelled football games should have been a little sign that we should never have allowed crowds of Madrid fans to descend on Liverpool

The problem with Cheltenham was not only the mixing at the races but the amount of additional people mixing in the pubs etc afterwards. A friend did not go to the races but was out at a restaurant then pub in town on the evening. Him and all his friends became ill with what they believe was coronavirus.

In retrospect, most people seem to agree it shouldn’t have happened and question why the authorities let such events run. Yet with choice comes responsibilities. People could have equally stayed away. Surely good citizenship also means informing yourself and making prudent decisions

My brother caught covid at Cheltenham.

A family member was there. He was very very ill afterwards and eventually tested positive.

@Cooltalkin

Don’t forget the Liverpool v Real Madrid football match 11 mar 20 When supporters arrived into Liverpool from a country that was already locked down ., Liverpool and surrounding areaswent on to have one of the highest Covid / death rates in the country Irresponsible decision Whoever made it has blood on their hands

I work in Liverpool city centre. I remember finishing my shift and walking through town to Lime Street and there was groups of Madrid fans milling around everywhere in and outside bars and restaurants. This was 12th March.

There was still at that point a full schedule of fixtures to go ahead that weekend in the Premier League. It was only because a high profile manager and some players came down with Covid that the matches were called off a day or two after that.

@lorisparkle

The problem with Cheltenham was not only the mixing at the races but the amount of additional people mixing in the pubs etc afterwards. A friend did not go to the races but was out at a restaurant then pub in town on the evening. Him and all his friends became ill with what they believe was coronavirus.

Also, if you've ever got the train into Cheltenham during race week, they're total sardine cans.

And all the buses that Stagecoach lay on to ferry people between town and the racecourse.

I used to take race week off when I worked in Cheltenham because I couldn't face negotiating the racegoers. I wish it'd be cancelled full stop, personally.

Had tickets to go last year.

Didn't go.

It went ahead because of Dido Harding (Track and Trace - or lack of) She is on the board of the Jockey Club and last year had a horse at the festival

Pathetic

There was also a big gig in Cardiff I think, headlined by The Stereophonic.
Totally irresponsible.

@Roussette

Had tickets to go last year.

Didn't go.

It went ahead because of Dido Harding (Track and Trace - or lack of) She is on the board of the Jockey Club and last year had a horse at the festival

Pathetic

Oh she’s smarter than I realised.

Create the problem. Then fix it.

Pity she failed hard at the second part.

@User133847
I probably saw u in the station , that’s my route too

Yes I remember all those fans and it was strange , I couldn’t wait to get out ,if the centre if I remember correctly it was one of my last days in the office before wfh

Most of us living in Cheltenham were sickened that it was going ahead, in fact I was bloody furious. Dh works at Cheltenham hospital, he and his colleagues were seething as they knew full well what was going to happen.

I was in Cheltenham that week for work (unrelated to the races) and it was weird. I remember standing in the queue in Starbucks reassuring myself that I was unlikely to catch it and then opening the door by putting my hand inside my coat (first time of many).

A colleague of dh’s went to the races and probably caught COVID there - dh was invited but didn’t go and colleague was quite sneery about it.