Covid-19 Update

Hello all,

Long time, no see šŸ™

We hope that Covid-19 has treated you and your families kindly and Iā€™m sure you are just as fed up as we are with hand sanitizer and face masks šŸ˜ The reason for the update today is that we have been in discussions with the hall in relation to when we might want to resume racing and there has also been some speculation that maybe after such a long break that we may never return at all!

So, in reverse order, letā€™s start with the speculation first. Right now, it is impossible to predict the future however what I will say is that myself and Alan are still committed to resuming normal Wednesday operations as soon as it is practical to do so. Will we still feel the same way in a yearsā€™ time if weā€™re still not racing? Thereā€™s no way we can answer that and weā€™ll just have to cross that bridge if we get to it.

So when can we go racing? The hall committee have made their assessment in line with the current government guidelines as to how many people can be in each part of the hall while maintaining social distancing and for us it is not good news. By the very nature of what we do, we leave the largest part of the hall empty except for a few marshals. The limits currently being set by the hall are 32 people in the main hall, 6 on the stage and 8 in the pavilion. The cloakroom, foyer and kitchen must remain clear. The situation is non-negotiable and the hall committeeā€™s word is final. The hall has 14 clubs/groups that hire the hall on a regular basis. All 14 (including us) have deferred returning to the hall until 2021. Some, like us, are not returning yet because the numbers allowed simply donā€™t make it practical. The others are not comfortable retuning yet for their own reasons and concerns over safety. The government guidance is changing all the time but until there is a significant change in the social distancing requirements, there is nothing we can do.

So there you have it folks, it is unlikely that we will return this year and we donā€™t know when we will return next year. In the meantime, Barham is back up and running and I know Les would love to see you there if you fancy giving it a go. EPR isnā€™t open yet, but Iā€™m sure they will be as soon as they are able so keep tabs on their Facebook page etc. to get the latest news.

Stay safe and hopefully this will all be a distant memory soon šŸ™‚

Cheers,

Jon and Alan.