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In the Welsh border town of Chepstow, the main shopping area on High Street remains largely empty and quiet.
For seven weeks, residents have listened to tips for “staying home, protecting the NHS, and saving lives.”
They have been adjusting to the new work arrangements, or are without permission, and have isolated themselves with their families during the pandemic.
Just over a half mile from High Street are the towns of Sedbury and Tutshill, both in England.
Starting Wednesday (May 13), residents of Sedbury and Tutshill are expected to adhere to England’s new message to “stay alert, control the virus, save lives,” along with a host of different rules on work. , exercise and schools established by Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Sunday.
People there and across the Welsh border in Chepstow, whose lives span two nations, have to adjust to the slowly widening gap between the Welsh government’s closure measures and the UK government’s restrictions.
The Welsh government’s general advice remains to stay home, although Prime Minister Mark Drakeford announced last Friday modest adjustments to the closing rules, such as allowing him to exercise more than once a day and reopen garden centers.
Evelyn Williams owns the Mucky Pups dog grooming boutique in downtown Chepstow.
Evelyn said she has opened her store with social distancing measures in place, but is concerned that some of her customers living in England may not be able to come to her store.
(Image: Rob Browne / WalesOnline)
(Image: WalesOnline / Rob Browne)
“It is absolutely insane when I travel from Newport every day to open the store, however people just two minutes across the bridge cannot come to use the service,” he said.
“It is such a close case but so far away and I really don’t think anyone understands exactly what we can and cannot do right now.”
“We reopened here and are working under social distancing measures, but for other businesses in Chepstow who are thinking of doing the same, it is difficult because many of our clients who come from England are now told they can’t.
“The staff will also be affected if they have to travel back and forth, so it really is a disaster.”
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On Sunday, Johnson announced plans to ease the blockade restrictions in England, which will take effect today. Under that new guidance, those who cannot work from home will be encouraged to return to work if they can do so without using public transportation, while those who can work from home should continue to do so.
The Prime Minister also confirmed plans for children to start returning to school in England starting June 1, starting with reception, the first and sixth years of primary school, while secondary schools and universities in Higher education are preparing for face-to-face contact over the years. 10 and 12.
The motto “stay home, protect the NHS, save lives” has also been removed by the UK Government in favor of the new “stay alert, control the virus, save lives”.
In contrast, the Welsh government’s message has remained “stay home”, and Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams has clarified that Welsh schools It will not reopen on June 1.
Cassie Stephens, 29, travels across the border every day from her Newport home to Tutshill, where she works at an off-license location.
“To be honest, I don’t fully understand what I’m expected to do right now as I work across the border in Gloucestershire and they’ll normally take turns,” Cassie said.
(Image: Rob Browne / WalesOnline)
(Image: WalesOnline / Rob Browne)
“My workplace is completely open again now and with the bills to pay it’s important for me to go back to work.
“It has been difficult since public transport has been canceled or greatly reduced, which means that I have to walk from Chepstow every day, which is quite long.
“But with so much up in the air, I’m really not sure what it’s like to do the right thing.
“What makes it worse is that it’s very close, and while I understand that people want to stay safe, the fact that they have relaxed the rules in England and not in Wales has put me in a really awkward position.”
“I think it is a little unfair, and something must be done to ensure that people in this country are aligned with what is happening during such a difficult period.”
(Image: Rob Browne / WalesOnline)
It is established that one of the biggest conflicts is the rules on exercise.
The Prime Minister has told people in England that they can drive for exercise, but the Welsh Government does not want the English to drive to Wales to do that.
This could cause real problems in another border community, Redbrook, because Offa’s Dyke Trail and Wye Valley Walk traverse the town and is an access point for walkers and bikers.
The main car park is on the English side and is run by the Dean Forest District Council.
It is closed for now, but under the Prime Minister’s direction, it could reopen to allow people to explore the countryside.
But Welsh politicians have made it clear that they would not want anyone to come by car and then walk across the railway bridge to exercise in Wales.
And it could also affect families, as relatives often live on different sides of the England-Wales border.
One other person in Chepstow summed it up when they pointed out that their daughter who lives in Tutshill, a town in Gloucestershire that many consider a suburb of the Welsh city, could visit them under the guidelines announced by the English government.
However, Welsh law prohibits them from visiting it in Tutshill.
Armand Watts is the local councilor for Thornwell Hall in Chepstow and lives in the city with his partner and children.
Armand, 52, said that many children living in Chepstow normally attend schools that are under English jurisdiction.
“What happens when some kids in England go back to school and then in Wales don’t make a decision about it?” he said.
“Let’s say the Prime Minister decides’ wait a minute, politicians are not allowed to go back to work, you or I cannot go back to work, so why is it okay for children to be sent back to school and teachers are exposed to that potential risk?
“I think this is where it gets a little bit more fragile and worrying rather than confused.”
(Image: WalesOnline / Rob Browne)
Peter Moon is the owner of Moon & Co real estate agents, based in the city center.
Peter said he is aware that other estate agents in England plan to start allowing the viewing of vacant properties, but he is not yet able to do so.
“My office is 300 yards from the English border,” said Peter.
“A good 30 or 35% of our properties that we sell or rent are in England but physically we are in Wales.
“As far as we are concerned, seeing houses is not essential.
“We had a conversation with someone last week who is in an abusive relationship and desperate to see a rental property, but we cannot because we are not allowed to.
“There is a mixed message between England and Wales.”
(Image: WalesOnline / Rob Browne)
(Image: WalesOnline / Rob Browne)
Peter said half of his staff is currently without permission, and the other half works from home.
He said that some staff members living in England have occasionally had to go to the office to pick up the mail.
“Are they allowed to do that?” Peter said. “I suppose so, but then the Welsh government tells him not to enter Wales.
“It’s not very clear”.
The former rail bridge over the River Wye in Redbrook, which is now a popular trail, is a visible sign that it is a border community.
On both sides of the bridge there are two pubs, The Bell at Redbrook and The Boat, a riverside pub that is officially called the Penalt in Wales.
Boris Johnson told the landlord at The Bell that it could open in a certain capacity in July subject to certain conditions.
But owners of The Boat have received no hope from Welsh Prime Minister Mark Drakeford, who updated the Coronavirus advice in Wales on Friday.
If this continues, villagers may end up using one location this summer but not the other.
A Welsh government spokeswoman said: “The situation of schools in Wales will not change on June 1. This week, the Minister for Education will issue a working document setting out the next steps for education in Wales, this will include what the Key decisions reached and who will provide advice on those decisions.
“We continue to be guided by the latest scientific advice and will only seek to have more students and staff in schools when it is safe to do so. Of course, we will need to ensure that social distancing requirements can be met.”
“Any decision to increase the operation of the schools will be communicated well in advance. We are working closely with local authorities to ensure that schools are supported in this preparatory work.”
A UK government spokesperson said: “We have confronted this virus as a United Kingdom and have worked closely with delegated administrations every step of the way.
“However, the virus has spread at different speeds and the response must be flexible and move at slightly different speeds across the UK.”
“The UK Government is supporting delegated governments with unprecedented evidence, funding and logistical support from our armed forces.”
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