9 things to look forward to in York after the pandemic

Now, we all have a face mask at hand and it feel like a lifetime ago since we could head to the shops without a bottle of hand sanitizer at the ready.

While the pandemic is far from over, vaccines are being rolled out and health secretary, Matt Hancock, said there is “light at the end of the tunnel”.

To give yourself a break from the doom and gloom and also keep your spirits up, here are some things that locals can look forward to when lockdown finally ends:

Having a few pints at the pub

After some challenging weeks stuck in the house and homeschooling the kids, I bet a lot of people are missing the pub right now.

However, the day will come when pubs can once again open and you can enjoy a few drinks with friends.

You could even embark on a pub crawl without needing to book in advance.

Ye Olde Starre Inn

(Photo: Geograph/Christine Matthews)

Perhaps you are missing the historic Ye Olde Starre Inn or maybe you have been craving some pub grub from The Gillygate.

The Euros and Olympics will be back when lockdown eases, meaning we have something to watch with our mates at the pub

Which local pubs will be at the top of your list?

Days out with the kids

By now, it’s likely that your kids are clawing at the walls, desperate to have a day out.

When restrictions ease, you will never complain about a day out at the Wacky Warehouse again.

Once the pandemic is behind us and lockdown is a thing of the past, why don’t you make the most of family time and take the kids somewhere a bit different?

The Askham Bryan Wildlife Conservation park is a great little day out for animal lovers.

(Facebook/@ABCwildlifepark)

Alternatively, have you ever been rock climbing? the Red Goat Climbing company will welcome you through their doors helping novices and experts alike to train their climbing skills.

Who knows? It may even become a long-term hobby.

Going dancing

The pubs were able to reopen, at least for a short time, last year.

However, the same cannot be said for nightclubs which have been forced to close their doors since March of last year- and many of us are desperate to go dancing again.

The knock-on effects of this have been devastating for many nightclub owners who are struggling to stay afloat.

In December, popular nightclub Kuda confirmed that it is closed for good.

Watching a show at the theatre

When lockdown is over, we can all once again enjoy a show at the theatre.

From pantomimes to live music, we will be eager to book it all just so we can get out of the house and get away from a screen for a while.

Last year, the York Theatre Royal came up with a clever solution with their travelling pantomime.

Sadly, this had to be cut short as coronavirus cases began to climb.

(Facebook/ yorktheatreroyal)

A few performances are set to take place at the theatre later this year, depending on the latest updates and government guidelines at the time.

Comedy show ‘Live at the Theatre with Phil Wang’ is scheduled for June, while children’s show ‘Justin Live’ is set to take place 8-9 May.

The pantomime this year is Cinderella- fingers crossed it can go ahead without a hitch.

Finally taking part in that marathon

After sitting on the sofa and gorging chocolate throughout lockdown, the last thing on many of our minds will be running a marathon.

However, many runners would have been devastated last year after the Yorkshire Marathon was cancelled.

(Facebook/RunYorkshire)

However, it’s currently set to take place this October and the start line is at the University of York.

If you’re a new runner, it might be too late to enter the marathon this year- but you can still get your trainers on and start training for the next one.

A stress-free holiday

The travel rules since the pandemic have been ever changing and evolving, making many apprehensive about travelling abroad even when they were allowed to.

Matt Hancock has also advised Brits against travelling abroad this year and plan to have a “great British summer” instead.

 Many of us can’t wait to jet off on a plane- but we can still dream and start planning the next big holiday.

Until then, we can still book staycations close to our home city with a little more confidence.

Luckily for us, there are plenty of beautiful places right on our doorstep.

For a spot of Glamping, Jollydays Glamping in York is the place to go.

Here you can spend a few nights in the middle of the woods, while staying in your very own luxe tent or hut.

Going to a festival

The coronavirus brought an end to festivals- even local ones.

Many people were excited about York Festival last year- but it had to be cancelled.

Lionel Richie, Westlife and Madness were just some big names headlining the stage .

However, some local festivals have scheduled dates for 2021 in the hopes that they will be able to go ahead this year.

The York Blues festival is currently set to take place on the 24 July and the York Balloon Festival is hopeful that it can go ahead at the end of May.

Excitingly, the York Proms has also rescheduled until 3 July- hopefully, we can all enjoy a picnic and some beautiful music then.

Getting to see your loved ones

I’m sure many will agree that the hardest thing about lockdown Is not being able to spend time with our loved ones.

Videos calls simply aren’t enough and many are desperate to go shopping in the city centre or even just walk around Rowntree Park without fear of passing the virus on to them.

Seeing Santa

Christmas was a very different affair for everyone.

If the kids got to see Santa at all, it was likely from behind a Perspex screen or via a video call.

Last year in York the traditional Christmas light switch and market were axed and replaced with virtual events.

When lockdown restrictions ease we can once again resume our normal Christmas traditions.

What are you most looking forward to when lockdown ends? Let us know in the comments.