All the things we can look forward to in York as restrictions ease

There’s finally some hope that this summer will be slightly more exciting with increasing opportunities to see people and get out of the house. Nobody wants to get their hopes up too much but using the government’s guidelines I have tried to figure out exactly what we could be looking forward to in York if (and it is a big if) everything goes to plan with the vaccine and social distancing.

There’s a lot riding on this Summer term at York after the last three have been so unsuccessful. Students want to get back to normal and according to Boris Johnson’s “road map” out of lockdown, this is how we can hope to spend the next few months.

Here are all the dates we can (hopefully) expect to welcome our favourite York things back into our lives:

29^th March

The first thing we can look forward to in the plans out of lockdown is allowing groups of six people to meet outdoors. This would mean being able to meet a group of friends for a picnic on the River Ouse or some sunny bevs on on the Hes Hall gardens. This also marks the beginning of outdoor sport being allowed to re-open. So get ready to see the start of  Summer term welcoming college and uni sport alike, with most outdoor training to resume.

12^th April

Pubs, bars and restaurants could be back if everything is going to plan on this date. In York, this means a return for some of the nightlife even if there is still the limit of six people per table. Hopefully we will be able to get to The Stone Roses Bar for the first blue shit of 2021. The University of York also stated they will if possible “open up more social opportunities, including recreational and sporting activities as restrictions ease.” They are also “adding four more covered outdoor structures around campus for learning and teaching. They will also be available to book by student societies, college groups and students wanting to engage more socially with course mates.”

Non-essential retail could open up again so trips into town to visit The Shambles can resume at last.

17^th May

The website states that “most social contact rules will be lifted”, which sounds very promising for summer plans, but this only applies outdoors so hopefully the weather won’t let us down. This could mean campus barbeques, outdoor socials and much more.

We might also see the return of outdoor events such as festivals, concerts and sporting fixtures with reduced capacity.

Gatherings will be allowed as long as they don’t exceed 30 people.

June 21^st

Finally, the government hopes to reopen clubs and lets be honest this is what us students have missed the most. The freshers could even get to finally experience the excitement of a Salvos Wednesday if they can squeeze it in before the end of term on 25^th June. Hopefully more news will start to come in about the state of York’s nightlife soon, as recent years have seen a significant drop in the number of clubs open for students. But most importantly this date could mean finally being able to get up and have a dance and a VK after far too long.

All pictures included were taken before social distancing guidelines.

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