The Guardian | OzSeeker

Cineworld closures could “turn leisure parks into disaster movies”

14th October 202014th October 2020 The Guardian

Experts fear firm’s mothballing of UK cinemas will spark a grim chain reaction for surrounding hospitality trade The nationwide closure of Cineworld’s theatres was the disaster movie nobody working in the UK’s battered leisure industry wanted to see. The mothballing of the country’s largest cinema operator not only spells hardship for its 5,500 staff but has set off a chain reaction that threatens the livelihoods of many more working in the neighbouring restaurants that rely on the multiplex trade. On Friday, the billboards outside the 14-screen Cineworld in Feltham, west…

Pub diners. Photo by Tabitha Turner on Unsplash

UK Government launches discount scheme to feed summer dining numbers

3rd August 20204th August 2020 The Guardian

The Eat out to help out scheme launches across the UK on Monday and has been hailed by Rishi Sunak as a lifeline for the beleaguered hospitality industry. It will give diners 50% off food and soft drinks, with a maximum discount of £10, on certain days in August. Here is a guide to the scheme. What’s the deal? If you dine out on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday this month you can save up to half the price of your meal – subject to some terms and conditions. You…

Cambridge Theatre, London. Photo by Anastasiia Pyvovarova on Unsplash

England: plan to reopen theatres with reduced capacity ‘not viable’

22nd July 202022nd July 2020 The Guardian

Plans for 1 August reopening criticised by industry figures as not enough to keep many venues open Theatres and venues in England will be able to host socially distanced performances and gigs from 1 August under new government plans, but the move has been criticised for not being economically viable for most venues. The culture secretary, Oliver Dowden, said the plan, which is the fourth stage of the government’s five-step plan for reopening arts venues, was a “welcome step in the path to a return to normal”. But industry figures…