TONY Blair says Britain is open for business, I'm afraid he's wrong.
The PM is appealing to people to head for the countryside to help the struggling tourist industry recover from the foot and mouth crisis.
However, when I went to an antiques fair at Rivington Barn last week, the West Pennine Moors were shut. Well and truly.
The place, a favourite of local lovers of wide open spaces, was deserted apart from the would-be Lovejoys. The once crowded paths were cordoned off with tape, parking spots blocked with stakes and red plastic fencing erected along all the entrance roads.
It was a far from pleasant site. Visitors even had to drive across disinfected foam rubber mats, which I would say were as much use as a chocolate fireguard to protect the sheep grazing nearby.
In no way are visitors going to head for such places if they are not allowed to ramble across the land. There's not much pleasure to be had walking along the roads dodging traffic.
I'm afraid until restrictions are lifted people are bound to stay away -- and who can blame them?
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