A farmer’s perspective on the hospitality sector
Oh, the Irony of running a family Farm Stay with Empty Chairs at Empty Tables, in this current theatre of life we find ourselves currently in, at a time of year where we are normally full with Christmas shopping trips and family get-togethers ahead of one of our busy times, being Christmas and New Year family breaks.
For those of you that are familiar with the lyrics from Les Misrelables, this is an amazing song, brilliantly written and when listened to brings the emotion of loss from many perspectives.
For Sue and I working on our family farm, our summer went from Lockdown to full capacity from the 4th July, and then sadly from November the 5th we find ourselves once again with empty chairs, at empty tables. This time however where our Hot Tubs would be bubbling and full of laughter they lie drained empty and quiet.
Lockdown
Whilst the early summer, as for most of the UK, found us all finding new ways of working and thinking differently under the threat of COVID-19, winter feels very different.
Though Lockdown2 was proposed to end on the 4th December, the reality could be that we remain closed for Christmas. Our Insurers “The NFU”, could not have been more supportive and where other insurers have walked away from their responsibility The NFU did not. Wychavon Local Authority have also been supportive, and Visit England’s Good To Go and The AA Covid Confident awards have put our business in a Great place for ensuring Guest Safety going forward.
Our Town Centres
Having to make a necessary journey into Redditch Town Centre though on Thursday, the reality of the decimation Covid-19 has brought to town centres countrywide is clear and apparent for all to see. Shops, which were already struggling in a changing world with online purchases lie closed, bingo halls, bookmakers and Shipley’s shop frontage all are closed, even the vacuum parts stall appears not to be essential. and there are more E-Scooters than there are people to ride them, so lie abandoned like rejected toys at Christmas. Shop internals are being ripped out by shopfitters, now essential workers funded by someone’s dreams and vision for the future, of course, the bars and restaurants are all closed and when looking through the windows reveal their own Empty Chairs at Empty Tables.
Whilst Takeaway options offer a short term lifeline for many pubs and restaurants, this will not be sustainable in the medium to long term at the risk of losing much of our loved culture as we knew it.
This week the iconic mirrored disks of the Selfridges store started to fall off, perhaps indicative of the fragile balance of the physical infrastructure we once took for granted.
Looking to the future
I write this blog the Sun is Rising, a new day on the farm, yes we have empty chairs at empty tables but our dreams for the future are bright as is the sunrise, even though today it is masked by cloud, there is hope in the form of the vaccine on the horizon and in reach. And a lone plane is crossing the sky, these to have become a rare sight in our fast-changing and unpredictable world.
Many have lost lives, loved ones and frontline staff have worked selflessly fighting a disease we could neither see nor at first understand.
Diversification is commonly banded around the farming sector, over the years we have diversified into green energy on the farm, initially through solar, then through biomass supporting the Farm Stay element of our business, so as with all businesses our plans have to remain fluid. This year we have a new barn going up, which is a significant investment for us, we have a good source of local tradespeople we can call on and all of the works which will contribute directly to the local economy.
Lucky to live in a rural location, I can only imagine the difficulties faced by those living in towns and cities during lockdown, going to the gym for us is cutting firewood for the winter, and gathering the sheep in. Our supermarket of choice has been the garden through summer and only yesterday picked the last of our tomatoes and peppers from the greenhouse, our store potatoes should see us through the other side of Christmas. where we will look to spring as inspiration for the growing season ahead.
Book a Farm Stay with us for 2021: https://visitoaksbarnfarm.wpcomstaging.com/accommodation-options/
Our accommodation options comprise of three properties each sleeping up to 6 easily accommodating up to 6 people, whether as restrictions allow this will be limited to 1 or 2 households, a new rule of 6 or in the future a new normality we are confident in our infrastructure to have the resilience to once again welcome Guests to our Farm. In the meantime, thank you for reading, please comment below and subscribe to our blog for future updates and of course Stay Safe and play our part towards a COVID-19 free future.
LyricsThere’s a grief that can’t be spoken,
There’s a pain goes on and on.
Empty chairs at empty tables,
Now my friends are dead and gone. Here they talked of revolution,
Here it was they lit the flame,
Here they sang about tomorrow and tomorrow never came. From the table in the corner,
They could see a world reborn,
And they rose with voices ringing,
And I can hear them now
The very words that they have sung
Became their last communion
On this lonely barricade, at dawn. Oh my friends, my friends forgive me
That I live and you are gone
There’s a grief that can’t be spoken,
And there’s a pain goes on and on phantom faces at the window,
Phantom shadows on the floor,
Empty chairs at empty tables Where my friends will meet no more.
Oh my friends, my friends don’t ask me
What your sacrifice was for
Empty chairs at empty tables
Where my friend will sing no more.Source: LyricFindSongwriters: Alain Albert Boublil / Claude Michel Schonberg / Herbert KretzmerEmpty Chairs at Empty Tables lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc
