Coronavirus update
- The Potters Arms in Winchmore Hill had a change of heart over the weekend and decided to open from Wednesday after all. The pub announced last week it would not open until next year because the management team didn’t think that the tier 2 restriction that states pubs can only serve drinks with “substantial” meals would be worth their while. However the pub’s brewery, Budweiser, has introduced a post-lockdown “Save Pub Life” voucher scheme where customers can buy a voucher to use in the pub and in addition the brewery pays the pub the value of the voucher.
- Two other local pubs also confirmed over the weekend they will be opening from Wednesday within the tier 2 restrictions. The Red Lion in Penn is asking customers to call and reserve a table. The Horse and Jockey in Tylers Green said that it too will be serving drinks with a meal.
- Without a whole school Christmas celebration this year, children in individual classes at Manor Farm Junior School begin rehearsing a Christmas song of their choice this week to be sung in a virtual concert at the end of the term.
- Wycombe Wanderers hope to have 1,000 fans at their match with Stoke City at Adams Park on Wednesday evening but that depends on successful talks with the local authority and the police today. If that happens the socially distanced seats (not the standing-only terrace) will be made available, probably to the first 1,000 fans to buy season tickets for this season.
- Windsor’s Legoland is to reopen on Friday, although pre-booking is essential and numbers of people limited.
Local news
Grammar U turn – John Bercow, the former Buckinghamshire MP and Commons Speaker, said at the weekend he has now changed his mind over supporting grammar schools in the county and wants to see them abolished. “Eleven (years of age) is far too young to select and it is massively damaging to the self-esteem of the child (if they fail the 11-plus),” he told The Guardian. Children in the county receive their 11-plus exam results today.
Bird numbers fall – A new survey shows that in the last 50 years the number of farmland birds in the Chilterns has dropped by 60 per cent and the number of woodland birds by 30 per cent.