This picture was taken on 8th April when Abingdon Cemeteries were closed .
We passed the gate again yesterday and saw it was now open.
Between then and now central government guidance to local government has changed. The Local Government Secretary, Robert Jenrick, said on 18th April 2020 ‘And I’m also asking councils to keep open or indeed reopen cemeteries and graveyards. Not for people to congregate in. That must not happen. But for people to make that private visit.’
I wonder if the minister also said B&Q and Greggs could re open, then wondered why the amount of traffic has gone up!
I believe that B&Q chose to close and were not forced to do so. Abingdon is still closed, I think.
Takeaway food and hardware stores have never been required to close.
Many closed anyway, but it’s not a change in policy if they now decide to open again.
We’re going to have to prepare for some years of social distancing. This could make the High Street unviable as a place to obtain goods. Customers having to queue just to get into the stores, and others inside feeling pressured by the queue not to linger or browse. Online retailers must be rubbing their hands.
People said 9/11 was going to change the world. It didn’t. Air travel became almost unbearable, but nothing else changed one iota.
CV-19 could be that game changer. The current death toll is just the start on a long battle to fight nature.