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The warm weather across much of England has drawn crowds to parks, cafes and bars, as people made the most of the final opportunity to gather in large groups before new rules were set.
Temperatures spiked the last weekend before the ‘rule of six’ was imposed for socializing in the UK, giving people a chance to enjoy a nice weekend in the sun.
The public has been urged to avoid a “one last hit” mentality, but the British followed up on a Friday night with a sun-drenched Saturday session.
In London’s Soho, outdoor dining areas were busy late into the night and the capital’s parks also drew crowds.
In Leicester Square, a large group was seen enjoying a spontaneous party while a busker played the keyboard and revelers sang.
The new rules restricting groups to no more than six people apply both indoors and outdoors in England and Scotland from Monday, just as temperatures are expected to rise to their highest levels since the early heat wave. of August.
It is not known how long the new restrictions will last, but health officials have told the country to prepare to live by the rules for “months instead of weeks.”
With travel abroad restricted, the British have made the most of the UK’s best beaches on sunny days this summer. This has raised concerns about overcrowding and difficulties in observing social distancing.
Today in Brighton, crowds were pictured partying on the promenade and sitting in open-air restaurants, though the crowded scenes seen in July and August were not repeated.
The weather has not been so good in the north of England and Scotland. The Met Office issued a weather advisory for western Scotland, where up to 150mm of rain could fall in mountainous areas on Sunday.
In Newcastle, one of the areas added to the government’s watch list as an “area of concern” on Friday, health officials have said they trust people “to behave sensibly.”
Newcastle upon Tyne Health Director Eugene Milne has allayed fears that people will do their best this weekend.
He told Tyne Tees TV News: ‘At the opening of the lockdown there was a real fear that that might happen in the city, and that didn’t happen, so I think we can trust people.
“ The idea of the rule of six is to make it easier for people to know how to follow orientation and I think one of the big problems has been that orientation has become progressively so complicated, so specific to particular areas that it becomes very difficult. . confusing for everyone. ‘
Dave Stone, director of Wylam Brewery and one of the founders of By The River Brew Co, a popular food and drink venue on the Quayside, was equally confident.
He said: “We agree with the director of public health and we think people will be sensible.”
Tim Robson, the Northeast representative on the national Pubwatch scheme, expected police officers to strictly monitor the bars over the weekend to make sure they are operating safely.
He said: “There is an expectation that everyone is going to have one big last binge, but people are starting to get scared and the police have already cracked down.”
Robson, a former police officer, said it will be up to licensees to manage their facilities and prevent large groups from meeting in unsafe ways.
He said that a recent outbreak at a workers’ club that organized a charity soccer game, which led to more than 60 people testing positive and about 300 people self-isolating, had focused the mind.
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