Golf, swimming and outdoor gyms open in England

People across England have begun taking advantage of the relaxation of lockdown measures as outdoor gatherings and sport events resumed.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Mar 2021, 10:02 BST
Swimmers in the water at Hillingdon Lido in Uxbridge, west London, on the first day of a major easing of England's coronavirus lockdown.Swimmers in the water at Hillingdon Lido in Uxbridge, west London, on the first day of a major easing of England's coronavirus lockdown.
Swimmers in the water at Hillingdon Lido in Uxbridge, west London, on the first day of a major easing of England's coronavirus lockdown.

Groups of up to six, or two households, can socialise in parks and gardens once more, while outdoor sports facilities can reopen after the stay-at-home order ended on Monday.

A group of golfers greeted the easing of coronavirus restrictions by hitting the fairways at just after midnight.

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Seven teams used glow-in-the-dark balls and floodlit greens at the Morley Hayes Golf Club, near Derby, with their opening drives coming at 12.01am.

Swimmers returned to outdoor pools and those taking advantage of the relaxation in the lockdown will enjoy balmy weather across parts of England with temperatures in parts of south-east England rising to 24C by Tuesday.

Glenn Earlam, chief executive of gym chain David Lloyd, which reopened outdoor facilities at 79 of its clubs in England, said people were “just desperate to get out of their houses and go and do something different”.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme there were “big marquees outside the clubs in the grounds and the sides of those marquees will be open to let the air come through, but you’ll be covered in case it chucks it down with rain”.

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English Heritage was also reopening some of its outdoor spaces include the grounds of Dover Castle in Kent, the Battle of Hastings site in East Sussex, Whitby Abbey in North Yorkshire, and the Osborne House site on the Isle of Wight.

After months of being told to stay at home, she said people were “desperate to get back to their local sites after what has been a very long winter for many and get that lift that they need from visiting some spectacular locations”.

Related topics:EnglandGolfSwimmers

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