Well, a lot has happened since our last update a month into lockdown, and with pubs opening in a week or so and the ability for those who want a haircut to get one done professionally again, it seems a good time for an update.
As before, if it's both safe and legal to hold the Event, it will be going ahead! We expect there will still be physical distancing measures and restrictions in place, possibly including restrictions on the size of events*, but licences are now being granted for events in that time period.
On the safety side, the planning continues to protect all of our community; you, our presenters, our volunteers, the Hill End staff and our contractors for things like toilets and sound. The preparations are taking account of every new piece of advice we receive from the government and government agencies like Public Health England and the ambulance service, and obviously some of those will be fluid as new guidance comes out and we amend our plans to be the safest they can be. However, we thought you might want to know a few of the precautions which will be in place:
temperature checks on arrival
increased cleaning of all communal areas, including presentation venues
hand sanitiser stations around the site, and refills available for personal hand sanitiser bottles if required
masks will be worn in all indoor areas, except by those with a medical need not to. If you can't wear a mask, bring a visor (or wear your lid!). Each presentation is only 45 minutes long, so wearing masks indoors allows a balance between the potential infection risk and your comfort
increased bar points, but with a reduced choice of ales compared to usual in order to reduce queuing. However, we'll still have a bigger selection than many other events, and it's just for this year and this particular situation!
sanitising materials will also be available at certain points for you to use yourself in order to look after the safety of yourselves and others
It's always possible that some of these measures will change, and it is certain that others will be added, but we thought it would be helpful to have an idea of a few of the precautions which will be in place.
As always we'll endeavour to ensure that it's the friendliest, most relaxed and enjoyable event on the calendar, even though some elements may have to be different from other years. So for now, stay safe. We continue to wish you and your loved ones all the very best. By keeping distanced now we maximise the chances of coming together again in September.
*If the restriction is lower than the capacity of the event, then only attendees who bought tickets in advance will be able to attend (no gate sales) and it will be "first bought, first served" - so if the law restricts us to a gathering of not more than 400 for example, only the first 400 ticket buyers would be able to attend this year (or 300, or a Winter Warmer sized 200).