Both animal lovers and adrenaline junkies had faced massive queues at zoos and theme parks that have just reopened as the lockdown restrictions were eased on 12 April.
Huge queues formed at London Zoo and Thorpe Park in Surrey, and Cheshire Live reports that demand for tickets for Chester Zoo crashed its website.
Many people took advantage of the first day of the easing of the lockdown to get themselves outdoors, although many found themselves contending with ‘ridiculous’ waiting times as well as social distancing and other rules, as well as the weather, added to the congestion at Thorpe Park, which has had some rides, including the Tidal Wave log flume, refurbished over the winter.
However, some of the rides remained closed due to the rain. A Thorpe Park spokesperson said on Twitter: “We have activated our Island Return Guarantee for today as due to the weather we are unfortunately facing delays.”
In London, families queued along Regents Park to visit the capital’s famous zoo. While many of the exhibits won't be re-opening fully until May, visitors were seen enjoying getting up close and personal with animals from around the world.
England's shops, hairdressers, pub beer gardens and pavement cafes have also all reopened today. However, the warm sunny days of a few weeks ago have been replaced with April snow showers, making the prospect of al fresco dining or joining huge queues for shipping centres and theme parks a chilly prospect.
Boris Johnson urged the nation to "behave responsibly" as life takes another step back towards normality, with indoor gyms, swimming pools and nail salons also welcoming customers.
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