Shropshire tourist attractions in rallying call to get visitors back
Tourist attractions across Shropshire today spoke of their dismay at missing out on much of the Easter rush – and urged people to return in numbers when they eventually reopen.
Outdoor venues are working towards an opening date of April 12, in line with the Government roadmap out of lockdown.
That will catch the tail-end of the Easter holidays, but will miss the two bank holidays.
It is another blow to attractions that have lost months of revenue. Many say the first weeks of reopening will be make or break and that the lockdown has pushed some venues to the brink of collapse.
Tony Scott, at Scotty’s Donkeys and Animal Park in Apley said the next few months were “vital”.
It has faced monthly bills to look after the animals of £3,000, but has seen income from visitors wiped out.
Mr Scott today revealed he had had to sell animals and equipment to stay afloat.
He added: “It was a toss up on whether we could carry on or not. We are just hoping we can open and get people through the doors.”
Experts have warned the UK could lose up to £60 million a day in revenue from the closure of tourist attractions, wiping up to £22 billion from the UK economy and bringing uncertainty to three million jobs in the sector.
It is hoped another bumper staycation summer will help attractions catch up.
Rachel Mottram from Park Hall Countryside Experience in Oswestry said staff at the attraction would be thrilled to finally see people coming back through the doors.
She said: “We are sorry we are going to be missing all of our loyal visitors over Easter, but we are hoping to open on April 12 with all our outdoor activities.”
With a definite sense of optimism in the air for the first time in months, the county’s outdoor visitor attractions are now making tentative steps towards reopening.
The government roadmap has set a date of April 12 for the reopening of a number of outdoor venues in England, and across Shropshire there are fingers crossed that there are no hiccups as the date approaches.
For many, they have been starved of income for the majority of the last 12 months, with successive lockdowns and restrictions all limiting when the public could visit.
The nature of a lot of attractions also means that the overheads don’t disappear just because people are not coming through the gates.
Those with live animals can’t simply shut the doors and come back six months later, they need constant care, attention, medical treatment, and food – all of which costs a considerable amount.
For some the April 12 date will be the start of a make-or-break period as they try to get back on track, but for others where the situation isn’t as stark there is just excitement at the possibility of welcoming back visitors.
Clive Knowles, owner of the British Ironwork Centre outside Oswestry, said he was planning for opening on April 12, but that the date was not yet confirmed.
He said: “We are going all out to reopen on the 12th. There is no guarantee because we won’t open unless we are firing on all cylinders.”
Mr Knowles said that like many they had taken the opportunity during the shut-down to carry out improvement work, but that initially the centre would reopen Monday to Friday, and not for weekends, as he assesses the levels of interest.
He said he was hopeful that the public would show their support and want to get back out and back to some sort of normality.
He said: “It has given us a lot of time to reflect – as everyone has done – on life and while we are reopening we will only be reopening Monday to Friday because we want to salvage some of the week for ourselves.
“We also want to see how the public react to being unlocked.
“My fear is we bring all the staff back and then the public are apprehensive and we have a drop-off in visitor numbers. I think we ourselves would rather see how the public react before committing to being open seven days a week.”
Vital
Tony Scott, at Scotty’s Donkeys and Animal Park, said that he would be opening on April 12, and that the next few months would be vital for the future of the business.
He said: “The impact of the lockdown has been very bad. You are trying to get the money in to feed the animals and it has been very difficult. We have had to sell some of the animals to pay for feed, we have had to sell some of the equipment.
“It was a toss-up on whether we could carry on or not. We are just hoping we can open and get people through the doors.”
Mr Scott said they were excited about the prospect of welcoming people back, but that the summer period would dictate what happens in the future.
The site, which is home to more than 100 animals, has been running for more than nine years.
Fight
Mr Scott said that the monthly bills just for looking after the animals had been anywhere between £2,500 and £3,000.
He said that the public had shown huge support for the attraction and that had been a welcome boost.
“It is very sad, that is why I keep trying to fight to keep it going," he said.
"It would break my heart, I don’t know what I would do if we have to finish.”
And while Mr Scott is looking forward to the return of visitors – he said the park’s residents were also looking forward to welcoming people back.
He said: “People would not believe how the animals know the people are not here. Sometimes I walk round and they are coming to the fences to see you even though they have been fed, they just like a bit of company.”
Rachel Mottram from Park Hall Countryside Experience in Oswestry said staff at the attraction would be thrilled to finally see people coming back through the doors.
She said: “We are sorry we are going to be missing all of our loyal visitors over Easter, but we are hoping to open on April 12 with all our outdoor activities.”
Park Hall will be getting ready for the opening by moving some of its indoor activities outside for visitors, such as petting bunnies, along with unveiling the all new Goat Towers – a playground just for goats.
Mrs Mottram said she was hopeful that there would be a good level of interest with tickets having gone on sale online yesterday, and already attracting a good response.
Hoo Farm in Telford will also be reopening on April 12, although visitors will notice something new as the attraction has re-branded as Hoo Zoo and Dinosaur World.
Earlier this month the attraction announced it would be adding 15 full-size moving dinosaurs spread throughout a woodland walk, as well as other prehistoric activities.
Will Dorrell, partner at Hoo Farm, said they had been in a good position going into the most recent lockdown, after a successful summer period last year.
He said: "We are hoping to open for the 12th but it just depends what happens in the meantime. I consider ourselves to be one of the lucky places, because we are an outdoor attraction we did very well last summer and because we are careful with how we manage things we have got through to now.
Influx
"It has not been an easy 12 months but there are indoor attractions that have been in a far worse position."
Mr Dorrell said they were hopeful there would be an influx of visitors when the doors reopen.
He said: "There is the news we announced about the rebranding and we are definitely looking forward to a bumper summer – fingers crossed. It has been one of the benefits to being closed, it has given us the opportunity to do jobs we would not have been able to do with the public around.
"The real hope is people will still come out and use these sort of facilities, It is sort of a Catch 22 for a lot of businesses, especially with the government aid like furlough. Is it better to be closed or open? If you are open you have got to be getting people through the doors. But that is the one area where we really benefit, being an outdoor attraction, and I think people will certainly want to get out – and rightly or wrongly will feel safer outdoors."
The National Trust's Attingham Park already has its grounds open for local residents to use for exercise, but said it would be working on plans to reopen some of its indoor elements from May 17.
Helen Rowse, collections and house manager said: "Our priority is to reopen the mansion safely for our visitors, team and local communities. While closed, our house team has been busy working behind the scenes to look at how we can reopen the mansion for visitors to experience a safe and enjoyable visit.
"In line with government guidance, we hope to initially reopen the basement from May 17 onwards, where we will be focusing on telling some of the hidden stories of the life of the servants. We then plan to reopen other parts of the Mansion for different experiences later in the year."
