Comedian James Alderson 'over the moon' as outdoor performances permitted by government

Outdoor performances, gyms, beauticians and sports facilities have been given the green light following a government announcement yesterday evening.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told the country that outdoor swimming pools will be allowed to open on Saturday, with indoor pools and gyms reopening towards the end of this month, as more restrictions put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic are relaxed.

But in a bid to support the struggling arts industry, Mr Dowden also announced that outdoor arts performances – including theatres, opera, dance and music – will also be able to resume from the weekend, although audience numbers will be restricted and will be subject to social distancing rules.

For Waterlooville-based comedian James Alderson, who also runs a local comedy club, the announcement couldn’t have come at a better time.

He said: ‘I’ve only just stopped bawling my eyes out – it’s great news.

'I haven’t stepped on a stage since March and it has been so tough keeping a roof over my head, so I’m over the moon about this.

‘For ages I have been arguing with council officials about outdoor events until I’m blue in the face.’

Mr Alderson already has a handful of outdoor events lined up, with social distancing measures in place.

He says the timing of the announcement has been frustrating for comedians – who are now chomping at the bit to perform again – but everything has to be in place in terms of safety.

‘The last thing we need is to go into lockdown again,’ he said.

‘It would be deadly for so many people so it has to be done sensibly and it has to be done right.

‘At it’s lowest level though, comedy is just someone in the corner of a pub with a microphone, cracking jokes – so it's annoying that we’ve had to wait so long for this.

‘Hopefully theatres and arts centres will be able to reopen in due course.’

News that gyms will be allowed to reopen has also come as a relief to business owners.

Sean Cole, owner of SC Vital Fitness in Drayton, has been holding socially-distanced outdoor sessions for bodybuilders.

He said: ‘I’m really pleased that the government has made this announcement.

‘This has been a very difficult time for everyone but I do understand why the gyms have been kept closed for so long.

‘Everyone who owns a gym now has a responsibility to follow whatever guidelines the government puts in place to the letter – we’ve got to play our part.’

Mr Cole, a former Royal Navy physical training instructor, says he will have a cleaning team that can make their equipment Covid-secure.

Further guidelines about the reopening of sports and beauty facilities, as well as outdoor performances, are expected to be published in due course.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.