HIGH COUNTRY â After a topsy-turvy year in 2020 that severely affected businesses, especially the entertainment industry, virtually every usual festival hosted in the High Country was forced to suspend activities in the era of COVID-19.
Following a difficult year of gathering restrictions and heeding health protocols, light is perhaps seen at the end of the tunnel as the proliferation of vaccines and the reopening of counties and states provide hope for festival venues and activities to resume with some level of normalcy.
Traditionally, festivals throughout the High Country are filled with revelers and activities that range from bluegrass and Celtic music to fine arts and symphonies, from hand-created artwork to varieties of performing arts through drama, dance and more. A number of the long-standing festival events look to make their return amid safe guidelines in the summer of 2021.
THERE was an air of celebration and hope across Wantage and the surrounding area on Monday as the Government’s easing of lockdown restrictions took place. The town welcomed back eager shoppers as non-essential shops – from New Look to Fat Face and Argos – were finally allowed to reopen, alongside outside hospitality, fitness centres, and close-contact services like hairdressers, nail salons and tattoo parlours. Chris Tooley, landlord of the King’s Arms pub on Wallingford Street, revealed the spacious beer garden - which can fit up to 120 people - was packed on Monday Over the last few months he has been working on refurbishing the garden, which he said has kept him ‘sane’ as he lives on his own.
South Oxfordshire pubs and restaurants prepare to reopen heraldseries.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from heraldseries.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Pizza - not from Caprinos Pizza CONCERNS have been raised about chefs at a fast-food takeaway, who were alleged to have flouted Covid-19 rules by not wearing face masks. A post shared on Spotted: Wantage, Grove and surrounding villages community group on Facebook raised questions about hygiene measures at Caprinos Pizza in Wantage. One anonymous user claimed they visited the popular pizzeria on Wallingford Street on Friday and insisted they noticed that staff behind the counters were not wearing face coverings. The concerned local wrote: I went to Caprinos in Wantage where I had to cancel my order due to staff members not wearing face masks whilst they preparing the food.