The need for good communication came home to me last night. I had tickets with my son for Les Miserables at Norwich Theatre Royal. Throughout the day I checked the theatre's official website and also the Facebook page and found no indication as to whether the performance would go ahead.
Then came the Prime Minister's announcement urging people not to go to pubs, clubs and theatres. Still nothing from the theatre. Drove into Norwich to be met at the theatre door by a member of staff to tell us that the performance had been cancelled. That decision must have been made around 6 pm. That decision should have immediately have been put on Social Media to prevent people having a wasted journey - after all we are continually being told only to go out if it is really necessary. The decision was eventually placed on the website around 7.10 pm - far too late to be of any use. Bad communications and bad public relations.
Hopefully in Hethersett we can do a little better. So here goes. Tonight's Heart of Hethersett Bereavement Support Group at Woodcote Sheltered Housing complex has been cancelled, Hethersett Methodist Church has cancelled its music and tea afternoon and Lent groups, First Step Playgroup which meets on Tuesdays has closed its doors until further notice, Hethersett Academy has cancelled a school trip to Italy and its production of Hairspray scheduled for March 26th and 27th has been called off and it is hoped to re-schedule later in the year.
Hethersett Hall Care Home has stopped all visits out of the home for residents and cancelled a talk by Dawson's Law on Power of Attorney scheduled for March 25th. Hethersett Hawks Cycle Speedway club has cancelled all activities until further notice.
Jubilee Youth Club's Wednesday sessions are continuing for the present as schools haven't been closed and the threat from the virus seems to be much lower for children. Parents and carers are being asked to pick up their youngsters from the foyer, however.
Hethersett Brownies, Beavers and Cubs have called off all meetings until further notice and we are expecting a statement from Hethersett Primary School in the near future.
As I write this I have just heard that the village's VE Day celebrations have been cancelled. These were due to run over the weekend of May 8th to 10th and included a 1940s youth camp, a family street party, an afternoon tea. I will have more on this later.
Obviously the situation is changing all the time and we will try to keep you abreast of any further cancellations with blogs throughout the days and more than the one each day when necessary.
One thing that did go ahead as scheduled was the first visit to the village of a new fish and chip van. Paul Hill and Simon Place (yes that really is his name) will be on the village hall car park every Monday from 4.30 pm until 8 pm.
I will have a photograph of the van's first appearance in my next blog.