Tourists? Don't bank on them

One of the first casualties in the battle to bring tourists back to East Lancashire is a tearoom in Slaidburn where five employees were this week made redundant.

Two full-time and three part-time staff are now working their notice at the Riverbank Tearooms at The Green, owned for the past seven years by Julie Greenwood.

Mrs Greenwood said she had noticed a downturn in trade since the foot and mouth epidemic started seven weeks ago.

She said: "A few people have said they feel guilty about coming to the countryside because they have been told not to by the Government. A lot of people are under the impression that the roads are closed and that they cannot actually get to us.

"There is not a lot for people to do once they get to us. People are starting to walk on the roads but they are few and far between.

"The business is in grave jeopardy and the staff are devastated. The problem is they are going to try and find work with everybody else. The only business one of them knows is catering or farming, of which there is neither..

"I really don't know what is going to happen. We will be open every day over Easter and hopefully we will have a good Easter."

Mary Parker, tourist information officer for Ribble Valley Borough Council, said tea shops in outlying villages had been hit badly by the crisis. "People are tending not to go out as much for drives, so the lunchtime and afternoon tea trade is suffering quite a bit," she said.

"We are advising people that the villages are open. We are trying to promote some village trails and we have a leaflet on activities and attractions that are open."

Travel agents are reporting a record-breaking Easter as more than 1.75million British holidaymakers prepare to desert these shores.

But even though a spokeswoman for the Association of British Travel Agents said it was not necessarily because of foot and mouth, the no-go areas and general "gloom" in the countryside mean tourism staff are working hard to promote the attractions not affected by the crisis.

They are telling would-be visitors: "Our fields and footpaths may be out of bounds but our towns and villages still have plenty to offer."

Warmer climes are attracting East Lancashire people, according to Geoff Catterall, owner of Tenerife Connection, in Brierfield.

"If the price is cheap enough people will go, and there are plenty of bargains about," he said. David Johns, supervisor of the Clitheroe Tourist Information Centre, said: "The countryside remains closed as far as the footpaths are concerned but generally speaking we are encouraging people to come here and visit the towns and villages.

"I have been working here for nine years and I cannot remember it being as quiet. Everyone is notifying vacancies. We have had plenty of people asking what the state of play is and we are saying, please come, but do not walk in the countryside. "The Ribble Valley is the jewel in Lancashire's crown and all we can do is encourage people to come."

A spokesman for the leisure department of Rossendale Borough Council said many attractions in the district would be open for Easter, including the East Lancashire Railway, all mill shops, Ski Rossendale and Helmshore Textile Museum.

The urban sections of Irwell Sculpture Trail are open but the country sections are closed. Lancashire County Council has closed all non-urban rights of way and all bridleways and off-road cycling routes are closed.

But visitors are still travelling to East Lancashire and, although some farms offering bed and breakfast are closed, urban B and Bs and hotels in Rossendale do not appear to be badly affected.

Thousands of travellers from across the country are expected this weekend for the Britannia Coconutters' traditional dances from Bacup to Waterfoot. The festival also includes two guided circular walks on Easter Sunday.

Tourists, particularly hikers and ramblers, are being kept informed of the latest developments in the crisis.

The spokesman said: "Apart from keeping people informed as much as we possibly can there is not a lot we can do. I think there will be some impact over the summer but hopefully we can minimise that."

Caravanners have not been deterred from the Ribble Valley, with one of the most popular touring parks fully booked for Easter.

The Camping and Caravanning Club's site in Edisford Road, Clitheroe, opened for the season on March 22 and has not been affected by the crisis, which has resulted in farm sites having to turn campers away.

In fact the club site, which has 80 pitches, has gained custom from those not allowed to spend their weekends in farmers' fields.

Manager Gail Fitzsimmons, who runs the site with her husband Alan, said some caravanners attended "meets" or rallies. Many are held on grassland and provide a get-away-from-it-all weekend with caravanners using on-board toilet and shower facilities and gas and battery power. Mrs Fitzsimmons said: "Quite a lot of these have been cancelled by the landowners so people have been ringing the club site asking if we could host a rally for them."

The site's pitches are also fully booked for both May bank holidays.

"We have bookings for most nights for the rest of the year and obviously, now people realise the countryside is open and that the camp sites are open, they are beginning to start booking for later on in the year," she said.

Customers at Cowman's Famous Sausage Shop in Castle Street, Clitheroe, have been thanked for staying loyal and continuing to buy British meat during the crisis.

Manager Simon Giles said there had been a mad rush to buy meat at the start of the outbreak but then customers were faced with increases in chicken prices of 40-60 per cent and pork prices rocketed by 60-70 per cent because there was a ban on animal movement and fewer were being slaughtered.

Now most prices have returned to normal, with the exception of bacon, and the shop, owned by Cliff Cowburn is anticipating sales will gradually rise up to and beyond Easter.

Mr Giles said: "Everybody has understood and not complained about the prices. That is the nice thing -- it is a tragedy but hopefully everybody knows we are not here to make a fast buck."

Blackburn's County Hotel has seen its coach and group travel bookings slashed by about 25 per cent because of the foot and mouth epidemic. Although this is only a small part of the hotel's trade -- 90 per cent of its business is corporate -- many visitors have not travelled to the area because they used the town as a stop-over on their way to Scotland or the Lakes.

General manager Nick Taylor said there would have been a bigger impact on the hotel if the Grand National had been cancelled, because the hotel was full over the weekend because of the race.

"The biggest problem is for those hotels which rely on overseas coach groups," he said.

The Government is urging people to find out which areas of the countryside they can venture into.

Details of many stately homes, theme parks and museums which are open despite the crisis can be found on www.openbritain.gov.uk or by telephoning 0845 6071 071.

Three simple rules have been issued to prevent the spread of foot and mouth:

Respect all closed signs and do not use closed footpaths or bridleways;

Do not go near cows, pigs, sheep, goats or deer. Do not feed them and do not leave waste food anywhere;

Keep dogs on short leads at all times and do not take them where there are livestock.