bbcuk--2020-06-01--Coronavirus: 'Our business can now get cracking' after lockdown

`` It 's been hard financially , but our business can now get cracking , '' says Neil Conway , who runs a towel and bedding stall at Barnsley outdoor market with his wife Susanne .
Open air markets and car showrooms will be allowed to re-open in England on Monday , with coronavirus-related measures in place .
As with garden centres ( which re-opened in May across the UK ) , the government says the risk of transmission of Covid-19 `` is lower in these outdoor and more open spaces '' .
To try to keep their customers safe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they work .
The pair have printed new signs to encourage shoppers to keep a two-metre distance , as well as introducing contactless payments and designated payment and `` pick-up '' points for orders .
`` We 're hoping we can provide a good example of how things can work , and hopefully others will follow , '' says Susanne .
She says that it 's been a `` funny few months '' not trading during lockdown , having started work at the market when she was 12-years-old .
`` We have wanted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and we were questioning if it was ever going to happen . ''
`` But now we 're really looking forward to getting started , and helping get the economy back on its feet , safety-first of course , '' she adds .
Although their market stall might benefit from lockdown measures gradually being lifted , Neil anticipates it might take some time for trade - and customer confidence - to return .
`` I do n't think we 'll take a great deal of money at first , but we 've @ @ @ @ @ @ @ working again , '' Neil says .
• When will shops open and what will the rules be ?
One trade body says that those who 've carried on selling essential items like food during lockdown have shown that trading can be done safely .
But they told the BBC they believe only a fraction of outdoor markets will resume straight away .
Joe Harrison , chief executive of the National Market Traders Federation said : `` It will take a lot of time for markets to get back to their full potential @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
Car showrooms have also been working to put measures in place to ensure the safety of staff and customers ahead of re-opening , said Sue Robinson , director of the National Franchised Dealers Association .
She said they include one-way systems , hand sanitising stations , protective screens and more frequent cleaning for each car .
At Sytner , the UK 's largest car dealer , customers will have to test drive cars by themselves .
Boss Darren Edwards told the BBC 's Today programme customers were unlikely to buy cars @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the firm would do `` due diligence '' to ensure it was safe .
He said he was hopeful that demand would pick up from current low levels but that the future remained uncertain .
`` Clearly once the government 's furlough scheme finishes in October we do n't know what that is going to do to the economy and general consumer confidence .
That 's a bit of an unknown . ''
Other retailers in England have also been pressing ahead with their coronavirus-secure re-opening plans .
Ikea , for example , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But it chose to shut , and will only re-open in England and Northern Ireland from Monday .
One store manager told the BBC that `` wardens '' will be working in-store , reminding customers of social distancing guidelines .
Other shops classed as non-essential in England , however , wo n't be able to re-open until 15 June .
No firm dates have been set for the reopening of non-essential shops in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland , but each country has plans in place .
This includes shops selling things @ @ @ @ @ @ @ electronics , as well as tailors , auction houses , photography studios , and indoor markets .
Tony Symons , owner of Roger 's Menswear in Kent , has already been gearing-up to start trading again .
He says that he has ordered a Perspex screen for the till area , and will introduce shorter openings hours and a cap on the number of customers allowed in his shop at one time .
But like Neil the market trader , Tony only expects a trickle of trade initially .
`` To be optimistic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flocking through the door .
Unfortunately , I do n't think that will be the case . ''
As an independent retailer without an online sales platform , Tony is relying on customer visits , and hopes that footfall will build up over time .
`` I 'd like to think everyone is like me and wants to get out there and do things , but we shall see . ''
• VACCINE : How close are we to finding one ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters

At Sytner, the UK's largest car dealer, customers will have to test drive cars by themselves. Boss Darren Edwards told the BBC's Today programme customers were unlikely to buy cars they had not driven, and that the firm would do "due diligence" to ensure it was safe.


bbcuk--2020-06-01--Holiday firms in fresh plea over 2-week flight quarantine plans

A group of 200 travel companies has written to Home Secretary Priti Patel asking for current quarantine plans for people entering the UK to be scrapped .
It follows calls last week from MPs and travel bosses to reconsider the rules .
From 8 June , people entering the UK from abroad will be told to isolate for 14 days .
The letter suggests travel should be possible for people - without quarantine - between destinations `` deemed safe from coronavirus '' .
So-called air bridges would allow visitors from countries where coronavirus infection rates are low into the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weeks .
• Coronavirus : How safe is it to get on a plane ?
The lead author of the letter , George Morgan-Grenville , boss of tour operator Red Savannah , said : `` This is not just a group of company bosses complaining , but employees from bottom to top calling for the quarantine plans to be quashed . ''
Other firms and travel bosses who have signed include hotelier Sir Rocco Forte , hotels The Ritz , The Connaught and Mandarin Oriental , and upmarket travel agent Kuoni .
Last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ prime minister , bosses of airlines such as EasyJet , Tui , Jet2 and Virgin Atlantic , as well as industry bodies Airlines UK , the British Chambers of Commerce , UK Hospitality and manufacturing association Make UK said that while they fully support the government 's commitment to public health , they have `` serious reservations '' about a `` blanket approach '' to all arrivals into Britain .
Passengers arriving in the UK by plane , ferry or train - including UK nationals - will have to provide an address where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ There is a £100 penalty for anyone found to have not filled in this `` contact locator '' form .
Surprise visits will be used to check they are following the rules .
Those in England could be fined up to £1,000 if they fail to self-isolate , while governments in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland can also impose penalties .
Passengers will be asked to drive in their own car to their destination , where possible .
If they do not provide an address , the government will arrange accommodation .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , school , or public areas , or use public transport or taxis .
They should also not have any visitors unless they are providing essential support , and should not go out to buy food or other essentials where they can rely on others .
• VACCINE : How close are we to finding one ?
• SCHOOLS : When will children be returning ?
• EXERCISE : What are the guidelines on getting out ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters

They must then not go to work, school, or public areas, or use public transport or taxis. They should also not have any visitors unless they are providing essential support, and should not go out to buy food or other essentials where they can rely on others.


bbcuk--2020-06-01--Coronavirus: Queen pictured outside for first time since lockdown

The Queen has been photographed riding in the grounds of Windsor Castle - the first time she has been seen outside since the coronavirus lockdown began .
The 94-year-old monarch was pictured on a 14-year-old Fell Pony called Balmoral Fern over the weekend .
She regularly rides in the grounds of Windsor , which is said to be her favourite royal residence .
The Queen has been isolating there with her husband , the Duke of Edinburgh , 98 , and a small number of staff .
• Queen : 'We will succeed ' in fight against virus • Streets @ @ @ @ @ @ @ says Queen The last public picture of the Queen was taken as she was driven away from Buckingham Palace to her Berkshire home on 19 March .
One of her two Dorgis - named Candy and Vulcan - could be seen next to her as they both looked out of the car window .
A Dorgi is a cross between a Corgi and a Dachshund .
The Queen carried out official duties the day before her planned departure , but held her weekly face-to-face audience with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the phone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ horse lover and breeder of thoroughbred racehorses .
Wearing a colourful headscarf and smartly dressed in a tweed jacket , jodhpurs , white gloves and boots , the Queen can be seen in the new photographs taken by the Press Association riding during the weekend 's sunny weather .
• A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • RECOVERY : How long does it take ?
• LOCKDOWN : How can we lift restrictions ?
• ENDGAME : How do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Queen has made two rare televised addresses to the nation during the lockdown .
In the first , she said the UK `` will succeed '' in its fight against the virus and thanked people for following government rules to stay at home .
It came less than a week after her son , the Prince of Wales , came out of self-isolation , following his coronavirus diagnosis .
In the second , she gave a poignant address to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day , praising Britain 's response to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ streets with `` love '' .
Members of Royal Family have also been sending messages of thanks and support to key workers and the public during the lockdown .
The Queen and senior royals - including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - video-called healthcare workers around the world to mark International Nurses Day .
The monarch spent her birthday on 21 April in lockdown with Prince Philip .
A number of annual events that mark the occasion had to be cancelled due to the pandemic - including Trooping the Colour , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ June .
Members of the Royal Family , including the Duke and Duchess of Sussex , telephoned and video-called the monarch to deliver their birthday wishes .
• CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL : Take a look behind the scenes of the NHS

One of her two Dorgis - named Candy and Vulcan - could be seen next to her as they both looked out of the car window.


bbcuk--2020-06-01--Coronation Street to resume filming next week

Coronation Street cameras will start rolling again next week , meaning the ITV soap will not fall off air , despite an 11-week interruption to filming .
Bosses have said filming will resume on 9 June , and crew have already returned to the Manchester set to prepare .
Social distancing and other safety measures will be in place .
But no actors with underlying health conditions or aged over 70 will be allowed back yet - ruling out the likes of William Roache and Maureen Lipman .
After filming was halted in March , ITV went down to airing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ filming pattern will allow the same broadcast schedule to continue , ITV said .
'The time is right' Cast and crew will have their temperatures checked on a daily basis , and actors will put on their own make-up and costumes .
Actors over 70 or those with underlying conditions `` wo n't be on set in the initial period of filming '' , a statement said .
Other measures will include crew members being assigned only to certain parts of the set and having designated equipment .
• TV shows to resume @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to come to Coronation Street Actor Andrew Whyment , who plays Kirk Sutherland , told ITV 's Good Morning Britain With Lorraine Kelly : `` I think everybody is ready to get back to work now .
It 's going to be different , but I think we 're all ready to get back now , get back to shooting the show again . ''
John Whiston , ITV managing director of continuing drama , said : `` With the peak past , all indications are that the time is right for a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extensive protocols we have put in place , we have made our workplace as safe as possible .
`` I 'm sure our audience will appreciate having the show they love continue on air .
For many who have written in it is a vital escape from all the fears and stresses this virus brings in its wake . ''
In remarks reported by Broadcast magazine last week , Whiston said there were some challenges to making life on the cobbles look like it is picking up from where it left off .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ all the men have shaved their heads , while the women have dyed their hair , '' he said .
`` That is proving quite a headache - particularly as we ca n't go near them to do anything with it . ''
Emmerdale has already returned to filming , by recording new episodes showing characters dealing with lockdown .
EastEnders is also expected to resume this month .
It follows the publication in May of guidelines for the TV industry to get back to work .
Meanwhile on Monday , further safety @ @ @ @ @ @ @ film and `` high-end '' , bigger-budget TV drama .
They include measures such as social distancing , and they also say : • Cast members should try to avoid performing face-to-face • Social distancing may be impractical due to the intimate work required and proximity between cast and crew • In which case , people should form small `` fixed teams '' that do not mix with other teams • Stars and crew members flying in from abroad must follow government quarantine rules • Crowd scenes should be avoided where the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ observed • Cast and extras should be asked to do their own hair and make-up • Daily symptom checks should be carried out Follow us on Facebook or on Twitter @ BBCNewsEnts .
If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news @ bbc.co.uk .

"For some reason during lockdown, all the men have shaved their heads, while the women have dyed their hair," he said. "That is proving quite a headache - particularly as we can't go near them to do anything with it."


bbcuk--2020-06-01--In pictures: Back to school in England

In pictures: Back to school in England

Some children in England have gone back to school for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown began .
Many @ @ @ @ @ to children in Reception and Years 1 and 6 .
On arrival parents and children @ @ @ @ @ they queued to enter school .
Parents said goodbye at the door , as children @ @ @ @ @ their socially distant classrooms were like .
At this school in Mortlake , south-west London @ @ @ @ @ their own desk , which were spaced around the classroom .
Some of the older @ @ @ @ @ but were still seated apart .
At this school in Watlington , in Oxfordshire , @ @ @ @ @ were allowed into each classroom so they could maintain social distancing .
Pupils are told @ @ @ @ @ .
At this school in Bristol a one way system is marked out on the @ @ @ @ @ playground , the children are told to keep their distance .

At this school in Mortlake, south-west London, each child was assigned their own desk, which were spaced around the classroom.


bbcuk--2020-06-01--Coronavirus: When will shops open and what will the rules be?

Outdoor markets and car showrooms have been able to open again in England from Monday as the government eases its restrictions on some retail sites classed as `` non-essential '' .
So , what can customers expect and what is the timetable for the reopening of other types of outlets ?
Supermarkets , corner shops , banks , pharmacies and petrol stations have been able to remain open during the coronavirus lockdown .
But now that list has grown in England .
From Monday , open air markets and car showrooms have been allowed to reopen .
The government says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect shoppers and workers .
It says , as with garden centres ( which reopened in England on 13 May ) , the risk of transmission of the virus `` is lower in these outdoor and more open spaces '' .
One car dealership is trusting customers to take test drives alone .
The National Association of British Markets Authorities chief executive , David Preston , though expects a lot of older stallholders will not return because of virus fears .
Furniture giant Ikea opened 19 of its stores across England and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ queues .
Hundreds of people starting queueing hours before the stores opened as Ikea asked them to come prepared with ready-made shopping lists and their own bags .
From 15 June , non-essential stores in England will be able to reopen .
This includes shops selling things like clothes , toys , books and electronics , as well as tailors , auction houses , photography studios , and indoor markets .
Among department stores , John Lewis will open 13 branches initially , while Next will only reopen 25 of its 500 stores @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its 190 shops closed until it is `` convinced that it is safe and right '' to open them .
What about the rest of the UK ?
No dates have been set for the reopening of shops in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland , but each country has plans in place .
Smaller shops and outdoor markets will be allowed to reopen in Scotland in phase two of its lockdown easing plan .
In Wales , non-essential shops and services could happen in the amber phase of its exit strategy .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ two of Northern Ireland 's plan .
How will shopping be different ?
Perspex screens at the tills and floor markings to keep shoppers 2m ( 6ft ) apart have already become a regular fixture in supermarkets .
And those measures are also likely to feature in other shops .
But some more unfamiliar measures are also expected to be put in place to try to reduce the spread of the virus .
Shoe shop Kurt Geiger will put footwear aside for 24 hours after a customer has tried them on , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for 72 hours after people have touched them .
Stores have been asked to encourage people to shop alone , if they can , and talk to local authorities about providing extra parking and bike racks where possible , to stop people using public transport .
The number of customers in stores will be limited and shopping centres have been told they are responsible for controlling queues in common areas outside stores .
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long does it take to get better ?
The British Retail Consortium ( BRC ) estimates that the current lockdown is costing non-essential retailers £1.8bn a week in lost sales , and it does not expect that to pick up immediately shops reopen .
`` Evidence from other countries suggests that , despite an initial bounce in spending in the weeks after restrictions are lifted , discretionary spend is likely to remain subdued as the coronavirus pandemic wears on , '' said the BRC 's Kyle Monk .
The British Independent Retailers Association @ @ @ @ @ @ @ believes fewer people than before will go shopping and they may `` soon become weary of queuing '' .
He told the BBC : `` Social distancing also takes away the fun and positive experience of shopping .
All these factors mean that it will be difficult at first , and for many months after . ''
When will hairdressers , cafes and pubs open ?
Pubs , restaurants , hairdressers , hotels , cinemas and places of worship will be allowed to open from 4 July at the earliest , if they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , indoor public spaces such as beauty salons , where social distancing may be difficult , could reopen `` significantly later '' , depending on when the rate of infection falls .
Hospitality firms and some other small businesses may have to wait longer to reopen .
And Mike Cherry , national chairman for the Federation of Small Businesses , wants the government to `` provide those firms some idea of when they 'll be able to get back to work '' .
He added : `` High Streets up and down the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ now , and while more businesses in England may be able to open up soon , there may well be not enough custom to justify the financial and health costs .
`` Until people feel safe enough to spend , small businesses face a long struggle back to steady ground . ''

Currys PC World says only 42 of its shops will be fully open from Monday, with full browsing access for customers. In another 89 outlets, shoppers will be able to request products at the entrance and have them collected by staff.


bbcuk--2020-05-31--A cluster of islands: How Shetland locked down early and stopped the virus in its tracks

Early in the Covid-19 outbreak , the Shetland Islands were one of the worst-hit areas of the UK by head of population .
Now , no new cases have been detected there for six weeks .
Some experts say it offers the rest of the country a route map out of lockdown - but for the first family on the islands to test positive , it has n't been easy .
It was a clear , bright Tuesday in early March when the plane began its descent .
The Shetland archipelago stretched out ahead of the tiny twin-propeller aircraft .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at the sprawl of islands , aware of how far north he 'd just travelled .
Iain , 53 , an architect , was on his way home .
He and his wife , Suzanne , had spent a long weekend in the Italian city of Naples with four friends .
They 'd hesitated before setting off on 28 February - news bulletins were full of alarming footage of the Covid-19 cluster in Lombardy , 500 miles to the north of where they were staying .
But official travel advice at that point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ visit the south of the country - so they 'd gone as planned .
All the same , Iain recalled spending the trip fastidiously wiping down restaurant tables and washing his hands .
Now , after an overnight stop in Edinburgh , Iain would soon be back at the house in the tiny settlement of Nesting , about 12 miles north of the islands ' capital , Lerwick .
Locals call this leg of the journey the `` white-knuckle express '' ; in strong winds , the plane has to take off and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crab .
Normally , Iain preferred the 14-hour overnight ferry from Aberdeen .
But on this occasion everything seemed calm .
During the first week of March 2020 , the novel coronavirus pandemic that had raged out of Wuhan still seemed far away .
Here in the tiny aeroplane , Scotland 's mainland was 110 miles to the south , Norway was 190 miles to the east .
It was still possible to conceive that Shetland might be spared .
`` You have to understand what Shetland is like , '' says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and I think most people thought it would be something that would happen to other people .
It would n't have come to Shetland . ''
Then , two days after he landed , on the evening of Thursday 5 March , Iain noticed he had a headache .
From Sumburgh Head in the south to Out Stack , the northernmost point in the British Isles , Shetland has 567 sq miles of land and 1,679 miles of coastline .
Of its 100-odd islands , 16 are inhabited , and about half @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his family , live close to Lerwick .
In the summer , days are up to 19 hours long ; in the winter , if you 're lucky , you can see the Northern Lights .
The islands were pledged to Scotland by Norway in 1468 , and the Norn language - a form of Old Norse spoken on the islands - died out in the mid-19th Century .
The Scandinavian influence is still strong , from the Nordic-derived placenames - Burravoe , Grutness , Mavis Grind - to the brightly coloured timber-clad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the annual Up Helly Aa fire festivals , which conclude with the torching of a Viking galley .
But despite this Shetlanders do n't want the rest of Scotland to forget about them .
A 2018 law introduced by the islands ' Member of the Scottish Parliament banned public bodies from producing maps that depict Shetland , for reasons of cartographical convenience , in a box in the Moray Firth or east of Orkney rather than its true geographical location .
Iain was raised as a Shetlander .
He left to study architecture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , but two decades later , after starting a family , they decided to open a practice back on Shetland .
It had been their dream for a long time .
`` It 's just the freedom that you have , '' he says .
`` You 've got family , friends and that sort of thing .
It 's a very friendly , positive sort of place . ''
He 's a well-known figure in Shetland - he sits on the local community council , is a keen Up Helly Aa participant @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The property he and Suzanne designed for their family to the dimensions of a Norse longhouse was featured on the BBC 's Scotland 's Home of the Year programme .
Shetland might be remote , but it is no backwater .
Thanks in part to the discovery of North Sea oil in the late 20th Century , its per capita GDP is among the highest of all Scotland 's local authority areas .
In the 1970s , the local council drove an extraordinarily hard bargain with the energy companies who wanted to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Compensation payments were invested in a charitable trust that ensures the islands have exceptionally good public services .
`` The facilities up here are second to none , '' says Iain .
`` Every little community has its own leisure centre or pool . ''
When he woke on the morning of Friday 6 March , Iain still did n't feel well .
For the past two days he 'd gone in to work , but now he clearly was n't up to it .
One of the friends he 'd travelled to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was n't feeling great either and had been advised by the NHS to get tested ; so Iain and Suzanne arranged to be tested too .
Nurses arrived at the couple 's house .
They stripped off on the porch and , before stepping inside , changed into full PPE - visors , protective suits - before taking swabs from the Malcomsons ' noses and the backs of their throats .
`` It was like something off the telly , '' Iain says .
The whole scenario was unnerving , but the staff @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : 'You 'll be fine , the chances of you having it where you 've been are almost zero .
So do n't worry about it . '
'' He says he and Suzanne stayed indoors that weekend anyway .
There was a delay while the samples were tested - Iain was told they had to be flown down to Aberdeen and then taken to Glasgow .
On Sunday evening the results came through : Shetland had its first confirmed cases of Covid-19 .
`` Everybody was gobsmacked , '' says Iain .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ there . ''
At least one person on Shetland was n't surprised by the arrival of the virus .
His name is Michael Dickson .
Not long before , as NHS Shetland 's chief executive , he 'd been summoned to the mainland for a presentation on the likely impact of the pandemic .
`` I can honestly say when I came out of the government briefing , it was without a doubt the worst day of my entire career , '' he says .
`` To go back to Shetland and have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shetland was incredibly difficult . ''
He also knew that Shetland 's geographical isolation would make treating the virus there especially challenging .
`` Lovely as it is , '' he says , Lerwick 's Gilbert Bain Hospital `` was never built for this . ''
There is no intensive care unit anywhere on the islands .
At that stage , any patients who became critically unwell would need to be flown to Aberdeen or elsewhere on the mainland in an enormous RAF Atlas military transport aircraft .
But Shetland would have advantages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ door , `` I can cast my eye out and see no-one '' , he says .
`` There 's houses but I 'm not going to see anyone walking down the street .
If I go for a five-mile run I might run into three or four people .
It 's just a completely different place to socially distance . ''
Also , an outbreak of measles on the Aberdeen ferry meant NHS Shetland had very recent experience of carrying out contact tracing .
`` That was hugely useful , '' he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ knowing the geography of Shetland , the different communities , makes a huge difference . ''
This was crucial , Dickson says , after the first positive test results came in .
`` When that call went out from the Public Health teams to say we need to do this now , there was n't a debate .
People came in on their Sundays and said 'Right , let 's start , let 's get on with this . '
'' The nurses in visors and PPE suits who came to test the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had come in contact with and tested them too .
According to Dr Susan Laidlaw , NHS Shetland 's public health consultant , staff from other NHS departments were drafted in to phone contacts .
`` We had a week of very long hours and intense work following up the contacts , identifying new cases and getting them tested and isolated , '' she says .
`` Although difficult at the time , this did help to contain the initial outbreak . ''
`` Everybody at our work got it , '' Iain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work 's family ended up getting it . ''
Some had diarrhoea , others lost all sense of smell and taste .
Others fared worse - Iain says the father of one of his employees had to be airlifted to Aberdeen .
He would later make a full recovery .
While the contact tracers scrambled to identify how far the virus had spread , Iain 's condition was getting worse .
Suzanne 's symptoms were cold-like , but his were more like the flu - a high temperature , shivering .
There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Aberdeen .
The prospect terrified him .
`` I really did n't want to go off the island , '' he says .
After a few days , Iain 's symptoms began to improve .
But the knowledge he might have given the virus to others in less robust health weighed heavily on him .
He was terrified he 'd given it to his parents , both in their 80s .
`` That stress was there , knowing that you could have given it to people who were n't going to be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ while he 'd been feeling unwell , Iain had n't felt much like looking at social media .
He had n't yet seen the rumours about him .
The virus spread quickly on Shetland .
On 12 March , four days after Iain and Suzanne 's test results came back , the number of confirmed cases announced in the local press rose from two to six ; five days later , they stood at 15 ; by 19 March , they had risen again to 24 .
These were not enormous numbers , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Shetland had the highest number of Covid-19 patients in Scotland relative to its population , and one of the highest in the UK .
`` I think we were top of the graph possibly in the world at one point , '' says Dickson .
As Dickson sees it , this early spike was , in part , testament to the efficiency of the contact tracing teams .
A dedicated Covid ward had already been set aside at the hospital .
But compared to Orkney and the Western Isles , which had largely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stood out - and Shetlanders were understandably anxious .
Dickson believes this was a crucial factor in containing the outbreak ; it meant islanders were already taking social distancing seriously before controls on movements were enforced .
`` It 's a difficult thing to say , but I think having those cases early on enabled us to move possibly more quickly than had we not had cases until later on in the pandemic , '' he says .
`` My family live down in Brighton and if you went down to the beach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ you would n't have known anything was different .
In Shetland , things have been different pretty much from day one . ''
As early as 11 and 12 March , two Up Helly Aa fire festivals - hugely important events in Shetland 's social calendar - were called off , in response to appeals from the health board .
The following day , while the Cheltenham Gold Cup was going ahead as planned 700 miles away , it was announced that nearly all Shetland 's schools would close from 16 March - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country .
Cafes , bars , restaurants and leisure centres were already shutting down across the islands long before the Scottish and Westminster government imposed their lockdowns , says Maggie Sandison , chief executive of the Shetland Islands Council .
`` I think there 's a really strong sense of community in Shetland , '' says Sandison .
Naturally , islanders were anxious to do the right thing by their neighbours .
But also , because such a high proportion of the population knew each other , `` people were aware that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who then became a positive case '' - and this in turn meant they knew to self-isolate .
Sandison says the early decision to close schools was taken in part because some teachers had been part of the contact tracing teams and were advised to stay home after coming into face-to-face contact with people who had tested positive .
On a sparsely populated group of islands , this was enough to put a strain on staffing levels .
At the same time , `` there was quite heightened anxiety from parents '' some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home already .
Ferry operators also began preventing tourists and non-residents from travelling to the islands before nationwide restrictions were brought in .
`` Because the transport links with the mainland were reduced early on , and the transport operators are only taking people who have essential reasons for travel , this has to some extent isolated the islands , '' says Laidlaw .
A weekly Covid-19 Facebook livestream hosted by Dickson would attract as many as 600 viewers at a time .
And Shetland 's community spirit was n't just about locking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staff at the hospital found they had a shortage of scrubs , a sewing pattern was posted on Facebook along with an appeal to turn any unwanted bedsheets into medical clothing .
`` We had bags and bags of finished scrubs within days , '' says a personal assistant working for NHS Shetland , 38-year-old Lisa Grey , who oversaw the Shetland Scrubs project .
As well as bringing extra colour to the wards , superhero patterns on erstwhile children 's duvet covers proved especially popular with medical staff .
`` You can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook - folk saying , 'If anyone needs shopping , I 'm off tomorrow . '
If anyone needs help , there will always be someone that 'll help , '' Grey says .
With the rest of Scotland and the UK soon following Shetland 's example in locking down , and many other Covid-19 clusters emerging around the UK , the islands felt less like an outlier .
But as March turned to April the archipelago 's cases kept rising , and before long it would report its first death .
Word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Malcolmsons had been the first to test positive ; Iain had never expected otherwise .
`` One thing about Shetland is you have absolutely no anonymity , '' he says .
`` People know you 're the person that 's brought it in . ''
To Iain , it was understandable , in a perverse way , when rumours about his family began to circulate on social media .
Their names had n't been officially released , and `` in the absence of fact , people just make stuff up '' , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ going to change .
There 's always a few idiots out there . ''
As he had n't been looking at Facebook , it was news to him when friends got in touch to say the family was `` getting a serious amount of flak '' .
According to the gossip , on the weekend he and his wife had been tested , `` we were everywhere - we were out on pub crawls , we were out at concerts , '' says Iain .
`` That weekend we did everything in Shetland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I do n't know why , but they were totally convinced that they 'd seen us there . ''
It was bad enough when it was confined to Facebook .
Then tabloid journalists began calling the house .
Iain 's friends and family were feeling the pressure .
They urged him to go on Facebook and correct the record .
Iain really did n't want to do it .
He was n't a big social media person .
What if it backfired ?
Might this not antagonise people further ?
But something needed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Iain sat down at his computer and began typing .
• RISK AT WORK : How exposed is your job ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • COMPARING COUNTRIES : The pitfalls of doing so • R0 , FURLOUGH : The language of the outbreak • RECOVERY : How long does it take to get better ?
`` After some of the hardest few days we have ever experienced , and it is only getting harder , it is with a heavy heart that Suzanne @ @ @ @ @ @ @ put straight some of the more vicious rumours that are circulating about us on social media in Shetland , '' he wrote .
After being told they were to be tested and advised to self-isolate , `` we have not left the house since and have not been out partying , or socialising of any kind '' .
The response was overwhelmingly positive .
The post was shared over 1,000 times ; friends and neighbours backed up their account ; the record was duly corrected .
Iain did n't bear a grudge - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of reliable information .
`` It showed you the good side and the bad side of social media . ''
According to National Records of Scotland ( NRS ) , the first death of a person in Shetland with Covid-19 took place some time between 30 March and 5 April .
Five more came the following week ; a sixth the week after that .
On 6 May , another death was announced ; there have been no more since then .
Tragically , five of the seven were in a single care @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hope it has seen its last coronavirus death of the current peak .
The last time a resident of the islands tested positive was 20 April - since then , the total number of confirmed cases has stood still at 54 .
Nine days afterwards , Dickson told Shetland 's local media that the outbreak there may have `` plateaued '' .
`` They 've obviously managed to control the virus by doing an early lockdown , '' says Hugh Pennington , emeritus professor of bacteriology at the University of Aberdeen , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` Full marks to them , really .
Whatever they did worked . ''
Shetland 's isolation and lack of new cases makes it , along with Orkney , effectively `` a very small-scale New Zealand '' , says Prof Pennington - and like New Zealand , he says , the islands could in theory lift their lockdowns by strictly controlling who comes and goes .
But the islands ' authorities are cool on the idea of a New Zealand-style quarantine .
Dickson notes how many patients have to travel to Aberdeen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` So are we saying those people are n't able to go to the mainland because we 've closed our borders ? ''
It 's also necessary for the fishing and oil industries for some people to have the ability to travel in and out .
It 's not just winter and spring events like the Up Helly Aa festivals that have been postponed though , as a result of the lockdown .
In 2020 the long summer days will pass on the islands without sheepdog trials , the accordion and fiddle festival @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's no end in sight - the first fire festival of 2021 has already been cancelled .
The absence of tourists is also being keenly felt .
`` My business would n't exist without tourism , '' says Lynn Johnson , who runs the Cake Fridge tea room on a single-track road between Voe and Aith on West Shetland Mainland 's northern coast .
To keep it going , she needs both the lockdown to be lifted and travel to resume .
`` We really , really need that spring , summer , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our islands get , to see us through the winter .
And we 're not going to have that at all . ''
But for now , the lockdown is holding .
Shetland is ready to resume contact tracing - which was halted in late March , as in the rest of the UK - and Laidlaw says the islands are well prepared for the next phase .
Since late April , Shetland has had its own Covid-19 testing equipment , meaning samples no longer have to be sent to the mainland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ one Iain flew back from holiday on - have been converted into air ambulances .
In spite of the apparent success of Shetland 's track-and-trace operation , no-one may ever know how the virus arrived there .
Iain and his wife may have been the first people on Shetland to have tested positive , but that does n't mean they were the first to bring it .
`` Obviously I know about the contact tracing , the Malcomsons and their experience , '' says Dickson .
`` We picked up those people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
I always say , those are the ones we know about .
Shetland is a small community but we do have people who come in and out of the islands frequently . ''
The couple most likely travelled in with the virus , but `` what we ca n't guarantee is they were the only people '' .
And there is no guarantee the Malcolmsons caught the virus in Italy either , as it is thought to have been circulating in Edinburgh , where they changed flights , since February .
Iain @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social distancing .
And he knows he 's fortunate to being doing so in Shetland , where keeping apart from others is easier .
`` It 's absolutely beautiful , '' he says .
`` You feel like you 're on holiday .
You have to be pretty disciplined about actually working .
But this could be our summer , so you have to make hay while the sun shines . ''

"After some of the hardest few days we have ever experienced, and it is only getting harder, it is with a heavy heart that Suzanne and I feel it is necessary to put straight some of the more vicious rumours that are circulating about us on social media in Shetland," he wrote. After being told they were to be tested and advised to self-isolate, "we have not left the house since and have not been out partying, or socialising of any kind".


bbcuk--2020-06-01--Coronavirus: Which schools are reopening for pupils?

Some primary schools in England have reopened for some children .
Exact rules vary , but head teachers have been working out how best to minimise risks for pupils , staff and parents .
Which children are being prioritised ?
Head teachers have been told to keep focussing on priority pupils - vulnerable children and those of critical workers - across all year groups .
The government has also published guidance for children with special educational needs or a disability .
Beyond these groups , nursery and pre-school children plus pupils in Reception , Year 1 and Year 6 will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not every primary school will reopen .
A BBC Breakfast survey of 150 councils revealed many are not guaranteeing this .
Of the 99 who responded , only 20 said they were advising schools to open more widely on 1 June : Another 15 said they would not be advising schools to open their doors to more pupils : Two-thirds ( 68 ) could not guarantee schools would reopen to Reception , Year 1 and Year 6 .
How will school be different ?
Plans include keeping classroom doors and windows open to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ systems around school buildings .
Here are seven other things that could look different : • No more than 15 children per classroom - kept separate from others - similar to Denmark 's `` protective bubble '' approach • Pupils asked to stay 2m ( 6ft 6in ) apart where possible - but this will be difficult with younger children • More regular hand washing - for at least 20 seconds • Staggered break and lunch times , plus different arrival and departure arrangements • Less sharing of equipment such as books and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • Parents should not gather at school gates or in the playground • Carers should only enter school buildings by appointment If any pupils or staff - or anyone they live with - develop coronavirus symptoms , they will be asked to stay away from school .
Is it safe to send my child to school ?
The risk of coronavirus to pupils in the classroom is `` very , very small , but not zero '' , according to sources in the government 's scientific advisory group , Sage .
The group @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact of reopening English schools , which also say teachers would not be at above-average risk compared with other occupations .
But there is much uncertainty in the advice , and the group `` can not be clear '' on the extent to which schools can reopen without increasing Covid-19 cases .
Teachers ' unions have warned it is not safe to allow more children into primary schools .
The government acknowledges some schools will not be ready to open , but says the necessary five tests for easing the lockdown in England @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nick Gibb told MPs there is still no decision about the government 's ambition to send all primary children in England back before the summer break .
How many are going back ?
It remains unclear how many families will take up the offer to go back .
A study from the National Foundation for Educational Research , based on 1,200 school leaders , suggests : • 46 % of parents will keep children at home • 50 % of parents in schools in disadvantaged areas will keep children at home • 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ absent because of health issues for themselves or their families What about secondary schools , sixth forms and colleges ?
The government says secondary schools in England will be able to reopen to Year 10 and Year 12 from Monday 15 June .
But only a quarter of pupils from those years will be allowed in school at any one time .
Students will be encouraged to travel separately and avoid public transport .
Teaching of vulnerable children and those of critical workers in all year groups will continue .
• 'Virus could @ @ @ @ @ @ @ must open , says education secretary What about the rest of the UK ?
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says Scottish schools will reopen at the start of the autumn term on 11 August , using a blended model , with some continued home-learning .
Schools in Wales will not reopen on 1 June , while some Northern Irish pupils preparing for exams and those about to move to post-primary schools will go back in late August , with a phased return for the rest in September .
Do I have to send my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently compulsory to send children to school .
This temporary arrangement - where usual sanctions do not apply - is expected to continue in England during the summer term .
As of 22 May , about 244,000 children were attending school in England - 2.6 % of the total number of pupils .
That figure included 75,000 `` vulnerable '' children - which the Department for Education estimates to be 15 % of all young people in that category .
• Primary schools in Denmark have been teaching small groups since April , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • In Germany , schools have partially reopened for young children and those taking exams • Some French schools have reopened with the a limit of 15 pupils per classes , and compulsory masks for older children • Schools in the Republic of Ireland , Italy and Spain are expected to stay shut until after the summer • EXERCISE : What are the guidelines on getting out ?
• THE R NUMBER : What it means and why it matters • LOOK-UP TOOL : How many cases in your area ?
What if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ home ?
Many teachers have offered a limited curriculum online , relying on parents and guardians to supervise work .
To support home learning , the BBC launched a major programme of educational content on its BBC Bitesize service , including regular daily lessons in English , maths and other core subjects .
Summer exams have been cancelled in England , Wales and Scotland .
This includes GCSEs and A-levels in England and Wales , plus primary school Sats national curriculum tests in England .
In Scotland , Highers and Nationals will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been working together on alternative arrangements .
Have you been affected by the school closures due to coronavirus ?
Please get in touch by emailing haveyoursay @ bbc.co.uk .
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist .
You can also contact us in the following ways : • Please read our terms of use and privacy policy

How are Covid rules changing across UK schools? Published 23 February 2022
Image source, Getty Images
All remaining Covid restrictions have now been scrapped in English schools.
Rules have also been eased elsewhere in the UK, but some measures are being retained for the moment.
How are the Covid rules changing in schools?
The legal requirement to self-isolate after a positive test is also being removed, although it is still recommended.
Head teachers groups have warned that the changes to testing and self-isolation "may actually lead to an increase in disruption", as Covid is more likely to spread in the classroom, leading to further pupil and staff absence.
Image source, Getty Images
All school staff and secondary school pupils in Scotland and Northern Ireland are still asked to take two lateral flow tests (LFTs) a week (three in Wales).
In Wales, schools are largely back to normal. Face coverings will no longer be required in classrooms after 28 February, but should still be worn in communal areas of secondary schools.
In Northern Ireland, schools reopened with the same measures as last term. If a primary or post-primary class has multiple Covid cases, all pupils should take an LFT. The guidance that pupils in post-primary schools should wear face coverings still applies.
In Scotland, social distancing remains in place. However, pupils will no longer have to wear masks in school from 28 February.
How many teachers and pupils are off because of Covid?
The latest data for England shows that 182,000 pupils (2.2%) of pupils were absent for Covid-related reasons on 10 February, down from 320,000 (3.9%) on 3 February.
On the same date, 2.8% of teachers and school leaders and 2.5% of teaching assistants and other staff were absent due to Covid, down from 4.4% and 4.1% respectively the previous week.
Almost half England's schools (45%) had one in 20 teachers absent due to Covid.
In Scotland on 17 February, 12,638 students (2.4%) were missing from school due to Covid-related reasons. The highest absence rate this year was seen on 7 January, when 43,565 students (14.1%) were off.
In Northern Ireland, 5.2% of students, 9% of teachers and 11% of classroom assistants in schools were absent due to Covid over the week 24 to 28 January - the highest rates since the new term began.
Image source, Getty Images
Many schools have told the BBC they have struggled to find temporary staff to cover the teachers who are off.
England's Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi urged retired teachers to return and join teacher supply agencies to fill gaps, but a BBC survey suggested there had been a limited response.
Mr Zahawi also suggested schools could merge classes. But teaching unions said there were logistical difficulties and safety issues with teaching large groups of children.
Image source, Getty Images
Can a child go to school if they or someone in their household or class has Covid?
After Thursday 24 February, people in England with Covid will no longer have a legal obligation to self-isolate.
However, people who test positive will still be advised to stay at home and avoid contact with others for at least five full days, including school staff and students.
The legal requirement to self-isolate remains in place across Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
As long as they don't have Covid symptoms, under-18s already don't have to self-isolate if someone else in their household has Covid.
Similarly, whole classes are no longer automatically sent home to isolate if a pupil or teacher tests positive.
However, close contacts aged five or above are strongly advised to test for at least seven days.
All primary and post-primary pupils in Northern Ireland are advised to take an LFT if there are multiple Covid cases in their class.
Which pupils are being vaccinated?
All children aged five to 11 in the UK will be offered a low-dose vaccine, which is being rolled out on a "non-urgent" basis.
It's expected to be offered in England in April, and plans are also under way in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
In addition:
the low-dose vaccine is already being offered to five to 11-year-olds with medical conditions that put them at greater risk
all children aged 12 and over are being offered two doses of the Pfizer jab
sixteen and 17-year-olds who had a second vaccine dose at least three months ago can have a booster
the JCVI has also recommended that the booster is also offered to children aged 12-15 who are in an at-risk group or live with someone who is immunosuppressed
Children who aren't at high risk from Covid should wait 12 weeks after a positive test before having a jab.
How will exams work this year?
Grades will again be decided by external marking, instead of the teacher assessments used in 2020 and 2021, but grade boundaries will be more lenient in England, Wales and Scotland.
English exam boards have published details about this year's GCSE, AS and A-level papers for most subjects, including maths, biology, chemistry and languages.
Students taking GCSE exams in English Literature, geography, history and ancient history won't have to answer questions on one option from their course.
In maths and science exams, students will be given sheets of formulae and equations.
Students taking vocational B-Tec qualifications will have fewer internal assessments.


bbcuk--2020-05-31--The women who ran a WW1 military hospital

`` We have been gloriously happy . ''
The inscription on Flora Murray 's gravestone at Penn in Buckinghamshire - a long way from her native Dumfriesshire - gives little hint of what she lived through .
Along with partner Louisa Garrett-Anderson she overcame enormous obstacles in order to be allowed to treat soldiers during World War One .
The story of their Endell Street hospital in London - staffed almost entirely by women - is Radio 4 's Book of the Week .
Author Wendy Moore stumbled upon her inspiration in the Wellcome Library .
A painting on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showing an operating theatre where all the doctors were female - got her `` really hooked '' .
The story of how Dr Murray , from near Dalton in southern Scotland , and Dr Garrett-Anderson , of Aldeburgh in Suffolk , set up that hospital is one of great tenacity .
Ms Moore describes their almost entirely female-staffed facility as `` totally unthinkable '' and `` totally unprecedented '' .
• Women in medicine and health in World War One In 1865 the first woman trained in Britain qualified as a doctor - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but on the eve of WW1 they were still restricted to treating only women and children .
Ms Moore said that meant women were `` effectively barred '' from working in mainstream hospitals or getting `` well-paid and well-respected '' jobs in surgery .
It left Dr Murray and Dr Garrett-Anderson `` angry and frustrated '' at the inability to progress in their profession despite about 10 years ' experience .
`` Partly because of that discrimination they had both joined the Suffragette movement , '' Ms Moore said .
Dr Garrett-Anderson was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Murray was seen as the `` honorary doctor '' of the movement treating , among others , Emmeline Pankhurst .
When war came they wanted to `` do their bit '' but also realised it was a `` unique opportunity '' .
`` They did n't bother to go to the War Office because they knew that would be rejected , '' said Ms Moore .
`` Instead , they went to the French Red Cross and they accepted them .
`` They gave them a brand new hotel in Paris and they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a hospital for the wounded . ''
A second hospital was set up near Boulogne and , slowly , the British Army came round to the work the female doctors were doing .
It would eventually lead to them being asked to run a military hospital in London - Endell Street , a former workhouse , with more than 500 beds .
Over the next few years they would treat more than 24,000 seriously injured soldiers .
Dr Garrett-Anderson gained a reputation as a `` very skilled and very delicate surgeon '' .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in anaesthesia - was the chief doctor so she was `` basically in charge of the hospital '' and its 180 staff , the vast majority of them women .
`` She was described as being very Scottish by one commentator and dour - another Scottish stereotype , '' Ms Moore said .
`` They were both formidable women , very tough and very strict with their staff - they were quite disciplinarian .
`` They were not easy-going women - they did n't set out to make people like them - but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospital which was as good as any hospital run by a male . ''
Seen as something of a curiosity at first , Endell Street soon became recognised as `` every bit as good '' as any facility operated by men .
• Seven female scientists you may not have heard of - but should know about Ms Moore added : `` Although it was a really harrowing experience to treat all these wounded men , they felt they were doing good . ''
`` They obviously did save lots of men from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stayed open for a year after the war to help treat the victims of the Spanish Flu outbreak .
`` That was really the hardest time for them because throughout the war they had managed to save lots of lives and work together , '' Ms Moore said .
`` But when the flu hit they had nothing they could do against this invisible enemy .
`` More patients died per week of the flu than died in the hospital during the war and also several staff died of the flu . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had won , however , evaporated when the conflict ended when male doctors wanted their old jobs back and women were `` simply expected '' to return to their former roles .
Ms Moore said it would take `` many more decades '' before that situation changed .
The pair retired in 1921 and Dr Murray died a couple of years later , aged 54 .
She would be outlived by her partner by 20 years .
More than a century may have passed since their Endell Street hospital closed , but its @ @ @ @ @ @

"They were not easy-going women - they didn't set out to make people like them - but then they had to run a military hospital which was as good as any hospital run by a male."


bbcuk--2020-06-01--The amateur footballer who woke from a coma speaking French

When Rory Curtis awoke from his coma , he did n't know where he was .
He did n't know how he had got there .
He could n't remember his past as a promising teenage striker at Manchester United 's academy ; nor the slow demise of his football career ; nor the crash that had left him with a shattered hip , a broken elbow , a multifocal intracranial haemorrhage and a diffused brain injury .
When his eyes blinked open and he began to speak , fluent French poured out , a language he had only studied @ @ @ @ @ @ @ long since been forgotten .
He spoke so fluidly , with such perfect intonation , that the nurse attending to him , a native French speaker , asked his father which part of France Curtis was from .
His Gallic tongue lasted only as long as that initial conversation , though .
Like the memory of a dream , his ability to speak French quickly vanished .
`` Hearing that , my dad did his research , '' Curtis says , `` and the Curtis family originates from Normandy , but that was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on YouTube and type my name in , there are a lot of conspiracy theories , thinking the brain can hold on to knowledge of generations .
Crazy . ''
The crash happened on a rain-sodden afternoon in August 2014 .
Curtis , 22 years old at the time , was on an errand for a construction company he had begun to work for alongside playing football semi-professionally and studying for a degree in sports science and psychology .
He has no recollection of the accident and how it occurred , but witness @ @ @ @ @ @ @ happened .
Curtis , returning from a merchant 's yard , was changing lanes through the shower and spray on the M42 motorway near Tamworth when his Transit van collided with the side of an articulated lorry .
His vehicle bore the brunt of a six-car pile-up .
No one else was seriously injured .
Trapped in the wreckage , it took firefighters 40 minutes to free Curtis .
His injuries were so severe that he was put into an induced coma at the scene and airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six days .
Once his condition was stabilised , he was moved to the nearby Mosely Hall Hospital , which offers specialist care in brain injury rehabilitation , to begin what it was thought would be a long , arduous and only partial recovery .
It was unlikely he 'd ever walk or talk properly again , his family were advised .
Curtis had confounded medical prognosis before .
When he was seven , he was diagnosed with meningitis septicaemia .
His chances of survival were rated 50-50 .
After six weeks on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's Hospital , he was discharged to continue his recovery at home .
The only after-effect he suffered was a slight and temporary deterioration of his eyesight .
`` I was the only child there who did n't lose a limb , '' Curtis says .
`` But the only thing that happened to me was I had to wear glasses for a year .
They could n't believe that . ''
His recovery was so comprehensive that he soon began to stand out as an athletic prospect .
Born into a family @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would emulate his St Andrew 's heroes on the playing fields of Redditch , where he grew up .
Curtis was invited to train with Birmingham age 11 but was put off by the experience and did n't return .
At 13 , while impressing as a striker with local side Central Ajax in a seven-a-side tournament , he caught the eye of a Manchester United scout and began to travel to the 20-time champions ' Carrington academy every school holiday .
When Curtis expressed that he did n't yet feel ready to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up to Manchester , an agreement was struck between United and Walsall which allowed the teenager to join the Midlands club 's academy , with United retaining an option to take him back north .
At the end of his first season with Walsall , Curtis was due to join up with United 's youngsters for a European tour , but a bout of Sever 's disease - a painful inflammation of the heel common among adolescents - scuppered plans .
Later , a surreptitious trial with Newcastle was arranged by Curtis 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Cyrille Regis , unbeknown to Walsall and Manchester United .
'They wanted me to go back for another two to three weeks , but I could n't say I was sick for any longer than a week .
I was putting in a sick note , '' Curtis says .
He stayed with Walsall , signing scholarship forms , and began to form a profitable strike partnership with future Premier League star Troy Deeney , his goals helping Walsall 's academy side win their regional league two years running .
But injury again @ @ @ @ @ @ @ With the reserve team short of strikers , Deeney was instead promoted , grasping his chance as a springboard to the first team .
`` It 's all about timing , football .
Right place , right time , '' Curtis sighs .
`` I would have got my chance .
I ca n't say I 'd be where Troy is now , but we would both have got our chances . ''
As time wore on , Curtis became disenchanted with the game .
He signed professional terms with Walsall at 18 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had already begun to feel his enthusiasm wane .
`` They were n't looking for footballers , '' he says .
`` Two or three of the lads there were absolutely quality , but then they were n't looking for that type of player .
They were looking for a big , put-a-tackle-in kind of player .
It was all 'play the way you 're facing ' .
At Manchester United , and even at Newcastle , you were taught to express yourself .
`` I kind of fell out of love with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up entirely , though .
His next few years were spent bouncing around the semi-professional clubs of the West Midlands - Stourbridge , Stourport , Evesham , Rugby , Halesowen , Willenhall - as he studied at Newman College in Birmingham and later completed strength-and-conditioning qualifications , his chosen next career step .
`` I was a bit of a cocky striker , '' Curtis admits .
`` If I was n't playing and I did n't have a good reason why , I 'd go somewhere else . ''
Playing for Stourport @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with a lower-back injury is the last thing Curtis remembers before the crash .
A fractured coccyx showed up on the post-accident x-rays .
In addition to his inexplicable fluency in French , another of the early phenomena Curtis experienced in the immediate aftermath of his accident was age regression .
He was convinced he was 10 years old again and would ask his mother about the family dog , only to be informed the dog had died years ago .
That realisation would kick his psychological age forward a couple more years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ closer to the present .
`` The second she said that , I put two and two together , '' Curtis remembers .
`` I was thinking , 'Oh , yeah .
What am I on about ? '
And then I would think I was 12 .
It was tying the knots together in my brain , in my memory . ''
He also , for a time , became convinced he was Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey , and would lie in his hospital bed agitating to get back to filming his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a broken arm and a broken hip , I had to go to the loo with my mum , '' Curtis says , `` and I remember looking in the mirror and not realising who I was looking at . ''
Curtis was discharged from hospital in November 2012 , wheelchair-bound and with his short-term memory so decimated that he was required to write his every move in a diary at 15-minute intervals , reminding himself , for example , that he had already showered for the day or eaten lunch .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' he says .
Despite initially being cautioned that a return to total mobility and complete brain function was improbable , and that simple tasks such as dressing himself might be beyond his capability , Curtis made a full recovery within a year .
And , incredibly , he was back playing semi-professional football with Stourport during the 2013-14 season .
`` I ca n't remember how soon I was walking , '' Curtis says , `` but [ the doctors ] were in shock .
And they were shocked that I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` They advised against playing football because they said I should n't have any hard hits to the head .
In my first game , I took an elbow to the face and my dad nearly jumped on to the pitch . ''
In the days after his crash , Curtis became just the second person in Britain to receive an experimental hormone treatment which , it was believed , could be highly effective in aiding recovery from traumatic brain injuries .
As part of a United States-led study entitled Synapse , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ steroid hormone , and his progress was tracked every three months .
In the years since , Curtis and his family have credited much of his miraculous recovery to the radical treatment he received .
`` Unfortunately that drug was not effective - no difference with placebo , '' says Dr Antonio Belli , the neurologist who oversaw Curtis 's recovery .
`` Rory would have done so well thanks to his genes and fitness , probably . ''
Although it was remarkable that Curtis was able to return to football at all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ himself and struggled to reconcile with the fact his first touch was no longer immaculate , and that his pace , his other primary asset , had slowed half a stride .
`` I was a bit of a perfectionist , '' he says .
`` If it was n't there , I was my own worst enemy .
It affects your confidence as well , if you have a bad touch .
It helped with the decision to knock it on the head . ''
The decision to quit football was taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ career Curtis began to pursue .
He had grown frustrated with the lack of opportunities in the strength-and-conditioning field , and the crash had not only given him a renewed appreciation of his family , who had been dedicated aides in his recovery , but also of the family business .
`` My mum 's got six sisters , '' Curtis explains .
`` All of them were teachers apart from my mum .
I thought , 'Get my teaching qualifications , then do barbering ' .
My parents owned Charlie Parker 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had four or five salons in the mid-to-late 80s and early 90s .
It 's always been in the family , the hairdressing , so I thought I 'd mix the two - teaching from my mum 's side , and then the barbering . ''
Learning the trade meant hours upon hours in his aunt 's salon .
`` The busiest day at a barber 's shop is a Saturday , '' Curtis realised .
`` I 've got to think of my career now , not just what I love doing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
After attaining the relevant qualifications , Curtis became a lecturer at South and City College Birmingham , teaching barbering .
He was passionate about the craft , but , over time , came to find the teaching element too restrictive .
He decided to go it alone and , with his father 's guidance , open his own salon .
`` It was easy thinking of the name , '' he says .
Charlie Parker 's Cut Throat & Coffee opened in Worcester in 2019 .
Football , once the axis around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ only a supporting role .
Earlier this year , he began to play again .
`` Just a kick-about , '' is how he describes his seven-a-side games on a local all-weather pitch .
`` One of the lads there used to play for Blues .
It 's me against him , really .
`` Sometimes you think you 've still got it ; other times you think , 'No , I have n't . '
Sometimes you realise why you gave it up . ''

Rory Curtis, far right, is pictured with Aisling Clarkson (second left), one of the nurses who helped in his recovery
When Rory Curtis awoke from his coma, he didn't know where he was. He didn't know how he had got there. He couldn't remember his past as a promising teenage striker at Manchester United's academy; nor the slow demise of his football career; nor the crash that had left him with a shattered hip, a broken elbow, a multifocal intracranial haemorrhage and a diffused brain injury.
When his eyes blinked open and he began to speak, fluent French poured out, a language he had only studied in school, all of which had long since been forgotten.
He spoke so fluidly, with such perfect intonation, that the nurse attending to him, a native French speaker, asked his father which part of France Curtis was from. His Gallic tongue lasted only as long as that initial conversation, though. Like the memory of a dream, his ability to speak French quickly vanished.
"Hearing that, my dad did his research," Curtis says, "and the Curtis family originates from Normandy, but that was in the 1800s. If you look on YouTube and type my name in, there are a lot of conspiracy theories, thinking the brain can hold on to knowledge of generations. Crazy."
The crash happened on a rain-sodden afternoon in August 2012. Curtis, 22 years old at the time, was on an errand for a construction company he had begun to work for alongside playing football semi-professionally and studying for a degree in sports science and psychology. He has no recollection of the accident and how it occurred, but witness reports allowed a piecing together of what happened. Curtis, returning from a merchant's yard, was changing lanes through the shower and spray on the M42 motorway near Tamworth when his Transit van collided with the side of an articulated lorry. His vehicle bore the brunt of a six-car pile-up. No one else was seriously injured.
Trapped in the wreckage, it took firefighters 40 minutes to free Curtis. His injuries were so severe that he was put into an induced coma at the scene and airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, where he remained comatose for six days. Once his condition was stabilised, he was moved to the nearby Mosely Hall Hospital, which offers specialist care in brain injury rehabilitation, to begin what it was thought would be a long, arduous and only partial recovery.
It was unlikely he'd ever walk or talk properly again, his family were advised.
Curtis had confounded medical prognosis before. When he was seven, he was diagnosed with meningitis septicaemia. His chances of survival were rated 50-50. After six weeks on the meningitis ward at the Birmingham Children's Hospital, he was discharged to continue his recovery at home. The only after-effect he suffered was a slight and temporary deterioration of his eyesight. "I was the only child there who didn't lose a limb," Curtis says. "But the only thing that happened to me was I had to wear glasses for a year. They couldn't believe that."
His recovery was so comprehensive that he soon began to stand out as an athletic prospect. Born into a family of ardent Birmingham City supporters, he would emulate his St Andrew's heroes on the playing fields of Redditch, where he grew up.
Curtis was invited to train with Birmingham age 11 but was put off by the experience and didn't return. At 13, while impressing as a striker with local side Central Ajax in a seven-a-side tournament, he caught the eye of a Manchester United scout and began to travel to the 20-time champions' Carrington academy every school holiday.
Curtis was in demand during his teenage years
When Curtis expressed that he didn't yet feel ready to leave his parents and friends to move up to Manchester, an agreement was struck between United and Walsall which allowed the teenager to join the Midlands club's academy, with United retaining an option to take him back north.
At the end of his first season with Walsall, Curtis was due to join up with United's youngsters for a European tour, but a bout of Sever's disease - a painful inflammation of the heel common among adolescents - scuppered plans. Later, a surreptitious trial with Newcastle was arranged by Curtis's agent, the late former England striker Cyrille Regis, unbeknown to Walsall and Manchester United. 'They wanted me to go back for another two to three weeks, but I couldn't say I was sick for any longer than a week. I was putting in a sick note," Curtis says.
He stayed with Walsall, signing scholarship forms, and began to form a profitable strike partnership with future Premier League star Troy Deeney, his goals helping Walsall's academy side win their regional league two years running.
But injury again slammed the door when opportunity knocked.
With the reserve team short of strikers, Deeney was instead promoted, grasping his chance as a springboard to the first team. "It's all about timing, football. Right place, right time," Curtis sighs. "I would have got my chance. I can't say I'd be where Troy is now, but we would both have got our chances."
As time wore on, Curtis became disenchanted with the game. He signed professional terms with Walsall at 18, for £150 a week, but had already begun to feel his enthusiasm wane.
"They weren't looking for footballers," he says. "Two or three of the lads there were absolutely quality, but then they weren't looking for that type of player. They were looking for a big, put-a-tackle-in kind of player. It was all 'play the way you're facing'. At Manchester United, and even at Newcastle, you were taught to express yourself.
"I kind of fell out of love with football."
He didn't give up entirely, though. His next few years were spent bouncing around the semi-professional clubs of the West Midlands - Stourbridge, Stourport, Evesham, Rugby, Halesowen, Willenhall - as he studied at Newman College in Birmingham and later completed strength-and-conditioning qualifications, his chosen next career step. "I was a bit of a cocky striker," Curtis admits. "If I wasn't playing and I didn't have a good reason why, I'd go somewhere else."
Playing for Stourport Swifts and having to leave the field with a lower-back injury is the last thing Curtis remembers before the crash. A fractured coccyx showed up on the post-accident x-rays.
In addition to his inexplicable fluency in French, another of the early phenomena Curtis experienced in the immediate aftermath of his accident was age regression. He was convinced he was 10 years old again and would ask his mother about the family dog, only to be informed the dog had died years ago.
That realisation would kick his psychological age forward a couple more years, until another trigger again brought him closer to the present. "The second she said that, I put two and two together," Curtis remembers. "I was thinking, 'Oh, yeah. What am I on about?' And then I would think I was 12. It was tying the knots together in my brain, in my memory."
'I awoke from a coma thinking I was a child' - Curtis speaking to the BBC in 2012
He also, for a time, became convinced he was Hollywood actor Matthew McConaughey, and would lie in his hospital bed agitating to get back to filming his next blockbuster. "Because I had a broken arm and a broken hip, I had to go to the loo with my mum," Curtis says, "and I remember looking in the mirror and not realising who I was looking at."
Curtis was discharged from hospital in November 2012, wheelchair-bound and with his short-term memory so decimated that he was required to write his every move in a diary at 15-minute intervals, reminding himself, for example, that he had already showered for the day or eaten lunch. "I probably filled out two diary books," he says.
Despite initially being cautioned that a return to total mobility and complete brain function was improbable, and that simple tasks such as dressing himself might be beyond his capability, Curtis made a full recovery within a year. And, incredibly, he was back playing semi-professional football with Stourport during the 2013-14 season.
"I can't remember how soon I was walking," Curtis says, "but [the doctors] were in shock. And they were shocked that I didn't have a limp as well.
"They advised against playing football because they said I shouldn't have any hard hits to the head. In my first game, I took an elbow to the face and my dad nearly jumped on to the pitch."
In the days after his crash, Curtis became just the second person in Britain to receive an experimental hormone treatment which, it was believed, could be highly effective in aiding recovery from traumatic brain injuries. As part of a United States-led study entitled Synapse, Curtis was administered progesterone, a female steroid hormone, and his progress was tracked every three months. In the years since, Curtis and his family have credited much of his miraculous recovery to the radical treatment he received.
"Unfortunately that drug was not effective - no difference with placebo," says Dr Antonio Belli, the neurologist who oversaw Curtis's recovery. "Rory would have done so well thanks to his genes and fitness, probably."
Although it was remarkable that Curtis was able to return to football at all, he still had high expectations of himself and struggled to reconcile with the fact his first touch was no longer immaculate, and that his pace, his other primary asset, had slowed half a stride.
"I was a bit of a perfectionist," he says. "If it wasn't there, I was my own worst enemy. It affects your confidence as well, if you have a bad touch. It helped with the decision to knock it on the head."
The decision to quit football was taken out of his hands by the new career Curtis began to pursue. He had grown frustrated with the lack of opportunities in the strength-and-conditioning field, and the crash had not only given him a renewed appreciation of his family, who had been dedicated aides in his recovery, but also of the family business.
Curtis always was sharp up top...
"My mum's got six sisters," Curtis explains. "All of them were teachers apart from my mum. I thought, 'Get my teaching qualifications, then do barbering'. My parents owned Charlie Parker's [barber's shop]. They had four or five salons in the mid-to-late 80s and early 90s. It's always been in the family, the hairdressing, so I thought I'd mix the two - teaching from my mum's side, and then the barbering."
Learning the trade meant hours upon hours in his aunt's salon. "The busiest day at a barber's shop is a Saturday," Curtis realised. "I've got to think of my career now, not just what I love doing." Football had to be sacrificed.
After attaining the relevant qualifications, Curtis became a lecturer at South and City College Birmingham, teaching barbering. He was passionate about the craft, but, over time, came to find the teaching element too restrictive. He decided to go it alone and, with his father's guidance, open his own salon. "It was easy thinking of the name," he says. Charlie Parker's Cut Throat & Coffee opened in Worcester in 2019.
Football, once the axis around which his life revolved, now plays only a supporting role. Earlier this year, he began to play again. "Just a kick-about," is how he describes his seven-a-side games on a local all-weather pitch. "One of the lads there used to play for Blues. It's me against him, really.
"Sometimes you think you've still got it; other times you think, 'No, I haven't.' Sometimes you realise why you gave it up."


bbcuk--2020-06-01--George Floyd death: How black British people are reacting

The death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody has sparked protests across the US - and in the @ @ @ @ @ BBC 's Shamaan Freeman-Powell speaks to black British people to find out how the shocking @ @ @ @ @ Read more : Violence erupts across US on sixth day of protests

The death of African-American man George Floyd in police custody has sparked protests across the US - and in the UK as well.
The BBC's Shamaan Freeman-Powell speaks to black British people to find out how the shocking death has affected them.
Read more: Violence erupts across US on sixth day of protests


bbcuk--2020-06-01--Newspaper headlines: 'One million pupils stay home' as schools open and rules ease

The easing of lockdown restrictions in England and the return of some children return to primary school feature in Monday 's papers .
The Guardian and the Daily Mirror report on a survey by primary school leaders that suggests one million children in England - half of those able to return today - are likely to stay at home .
The Guardian says many parents , councils and teachers remain sceptical of the government 's assurances over their safety .
The Telegraph 's lead highlights a call by the Children 's Commissioner for England , Anne Longfield - in an @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ministers to set up summer camps for the most vulnerable students during July and August to help them catch up .
For its main story , the Times reports that the aviation industry body , the International Air Transport Association , has urged ministers to reconsider their plans to quarantine passengers arriving in the UK - saying it 's the equivalent of hanging up a `` Britain is closed '' sign .
According to the Telegraph , more than 20 Tory MPs - including at least seven former ministers - are demanding a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them - Huw Merriman , the chairman of the Transport Select Committee - is quoted as saying he would prefer different measures such as `` air bridges '' with low-risk countries , compulsory personal protective equipment and temperature testing at airports .
The Daily Mail has Cancer Research UK figures showing that 2.1 million patients have missed out on screening tests for breast , cervical and bowel cancer because of the pandemic .
It says another 290,000 are waiting for urgent referrals to confirm or rule out tumours .
At least 21,600 patients @ @ @ @ @ @ @ postponed in the past nine weeks , it adds .
The Financial Times says banks are warning that up to half of the £18.5bn of `` bounce back '' coronavirus loans are unlikely to be repaid as the prospect of a quick economic recovery fades .
It says they are lobbying the Chancellor to prepare for the collapse of hundreds of thousands of small businesses .
One executive tells the paper that about a quarter of the loans would not have been made under normal lending practices .
The loans are capped at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ six years and come with a 100 % government guarantee .
The Sun says people are expected to spend an extra £1bn this week as more are allowed outdoors and the warm weather continues .
According to the paper , supermarkets have ordered a record 60 million sausages , 20 million burgers and 126 million beers .
One supermarket executive tells the paper : `` It will be the busiest-ever week for sales of BBQ food . ''
Meanwhile , the Queen is widely pictured making her first outdoor appearance since the lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the grounds of Windsor Castle .
The Daily Express says she looked in her element as she took part in her favourite exercise and the Times says the photographs will be seen as a morale-boosting signal that life is beginning to return to normal .
Sign up for a morning briefing direct to your inbox • CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL : Take a look behind the scenes of the NHS

One executive tells the paper that about a quarter of the loans would not have been made under normal lending practices. The loans are capped at £50,000 with a term of up to six years and come with a 100% government guarantee.


bbcuk--2020-06-01--Lancashire moorland fires blamed on BBQ and litter

Two moorland fires that erupted in Lancashire over the weekend are believed to have been caused by a barbecue and litter left by people enjoying the summer weather .
Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service ( LFRS ) said 10 crews are at a blaze which began on Saturday in Darwen .
There are also a further 10 engines at Longridge Fell , Clitheroe .
Simon Fryer of LFRS warned people not to be `` thoughtless and careless '' as lockdown restrictions are eased .
The fire commander told the BBC : `` We appreciate that people want to be out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we are starting to get a little bit of freedom from the lockdown .
`` But ultimately enjoy it safely .
Do n't light fires .
Do n't dispose of cigarettes out of your car window as you drive along .
`` Think before you do anything like that .
`` I think people just do n't understand the risks .
It is incredibly dry at the moment and it is very easy to start a fire . ''
Both fires had decreased overnight but were expected to burn more intensely as temperatures @ @ @ @ @ @ @ near Bolton Road , Darwen , started at about 18:45 BST on Saturday and burnt across 5 km ( 3 miles ) of moorland .
Commander Fryer said it was caused by a spark from a barbeque which a small group of people `` could not extinguish '' .
He also told the BBC that the blaze on Longridge Fell on Sunday afternoon was caused by `` careless disposal '' of litter by someone using a path .

The fire commander told the BBC: "We appreciate that people want to be out and about in this lovely weather and we are starting to get a little bit of freedom from the lockdown.


bbcuk--2020-06-01--Toxic Derbyshire quarry pool 'like Skegness in peak summer'

Hundreds of people have continued to flock to a toxic pool at a former quarry despite repeated calls for them to stay away .
The water at Hoffman Quarry in Derbyshire has been dyed black from its usual bright blue colour , in an attempt to put off visitors .
Police compared the site to `` Skegness in peak summer '' and issued a number of parking tickets to visitors .
The fire service added one of its officers was abused by a swimmer .
The water at the site in Harpur Hill - dubbed the Blue Lagoon - is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ value as bleach '' .
It has been dyed black to make it appear `` less attractive '' after warnings for people to avoid the site were ignored last week .
• Latest news and stories from the East Midlands Authorities said `` no waiting '' cones were also put up on local streets to deter visitor parking and PCSOs were present to support residents .
Despite these steps , Derbyshire 's roads policing unit said : `` The blue lagoon and surrounding area is still like Skegness in peak summer . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ swimming in the newly dyed water .
Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service said the swimmer abused one of their officers after they tried to `` warn him of danger '' .
Kev Page , from Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service , told BBC Radio Derby : `` We have got a physical presence here at the quarry to try to deter and educate people .
`` Sadly we ca n't enforce that people do not go up there . ''
David Whelan , also from the service , said the site was `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broken glass on the ground .
`` The 10,000 people that have visited over the last few days have really left their mark and it 's going to take a lot of clearing up , '' he added .
Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook , Twitter , or Instagram .
Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews @ bbc.co.uk .

"The 10,000 people that have visited over the last few days have really left their mark and it's going to take a lot of clearing up," he added.


bbcuk--2020-06-01--Coronavirus: Primary schools back but mixed picture on turn-out

Head teachers are reporting `` highly variable '' levels of attendance , ranging from 40 % to 70 % , as primary schools in England bring back more pupils .
Geoff Barton , leader of the ASCL heads ' union , says the return has been `` very mixed '' - with some schools not yet open and some children staying away .
Children in Reception , Years 1 and 6 are the first groups able to return .
It comes as lockdown measures are eased in England , including groups of six people being allowed to meet outside .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ restrictions for the children of key workers and vulnerable children - but from Monday more than two million more pupils have been invited back .
Latest government figures show 39,045 people with the virus have died in the UK , across all settings .
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said there had been a day-on-day increase of 111 deaths and 1,570 new positive tests .
An additional 445 deaths have been added to the overall death toll in the past day .
The increase is explained by the retrospective inclusion of some patients whose @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , rather than the NHS or Public Health England .
The head teachers ' leader says the `` first impression '' has been of a very varied local picture - with not all schools either open or bringing back pupils as outlined in the government 's plans .
Some local authorities have not yet started to bring back more pupils , some schools have limited space , some are still training and not all staff are available , he said .
`` Caution is the watchword , and everybody is approaching this task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as their absolute priority , '' said Mr Barton .
• In pictures : the first day back at school • Which children will be going back to school ?
• How could all children fit in school with 15 pupils per classroom ?
A survey from the National Foundation for Educational Research suggested almost 50 % of children would be kept at home by parents .
Mr Barton 's early feedback suggests ranges of between 30 % and 60 % of pupils not attending school .
But he said more key workers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and he expected the overall numbers to increase as `` more parents become confident '' .
The biggest teachers ' union , the National Education Union , has warned it was not yet safe to open schools - and the union 's co-leader , Kevin Courtney , said delaying the wider opening of schools would `` make our communities safer '' .
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said children needed to catch up with missed lessons and at school they `` will be with their teachers and friends again '' .
`` I 'm @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone but not excited for the work , '' says 11-year-old Sean , returning to school in Mortlake , West London .
The view from the first morning back '' You look like you 've grown , '' says teacher Catherine Hughes to a reception pupil who has n't been in school since March .
`` Are you excited to be back ? ''
Helen Frostick head of St Mary Magdalen 's Catholic primary school in Mortlake , West London asks another .
About half of those who could have returned have taken @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of key workers who have continued to come into school throughout the lockdown .
The classrooms have been completely reorganised , with desks in rows , facing forwards , instead of pushed together into big tables .
There 's lots of hand washing and the windows are open to let in fresh air .
The school has split each class into two separate bubbles with one half in on Monday and Tuesday and the other on Thursday and Friday , which allows for a deep clean on Wednesdays .
In the Reception class @ @ @ @ @ @ @ own tray of equipment so that the children do n't need to get out of their seats so much , says teaching assistant , Clare Gordon .
`` It really is best for the family , '' says mum Sophia as she brings her two sons to school .
She has managed to do some home schooling with the boys over the past few weeks but it has n't always been easy .
`` I was 10 % worried but 90 % thinking it was the right thing to do , '' says @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her son .
`` The main thing is for normality and for his mental health .
He needs the interaction with his friends .
He 's been begging to come back , '' she says .
A survey from the National Foundation for Educational Research suggested approaching half of families would keep their children at home .
It expected that : • 46 % of parents will keep children at home • 50 % of parents in schools in disadvantaged areas will keep children at home • 25 % of teachers are likely @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for themselves or their families .
Jane Reid , a parent from York , said it was still not safe for her son to go back to school , saying : `` It 's a definite no from me .
`` Plus , the contradictory information is infuriating .
I can take him to school , but ca n't get his hair cut . ''
`` How can I send them to school now , knowing it will be impossible for teachers to implement social distancing rules properly ? ''
asked Valerie Brooker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developments in England : • Those shielding since lockdown began 10 weeks ago will be allowed outdoors with a family member or to meet one other friend • Groups of up to six people from different households can meet in parks and private gardens , as long as they remain two metres apart • People can exercise outside with up to five others from different households • Domestic competitive sport will be allowed behind closed doors • Outdoor markets and car showrooms can reopen , provided they have Covid-related measures in place • @ @ @ @ @ @ @ address overnight unless it is for a specified reason , such as work or attending a funeral .
But they can leave their homes without needing a `` reasonable excuse '' • The Association of Directors of Public Health , which represents council health figures , warned in the Guardian that restrictions were being relaxed too quickly as `` the public is not keeping to social distancing as it was '' .
In Wales , people from two different households can meet each other outdoors .
Groups of four to six people who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet outdoors in Northern Ireland .
And in Scotland members of two different households are already allowed to meet outdoors .
• In Wales schools are not going back on 1 June , with no date set • In Scotland and Northern Ireland schools are going back from August • A SIMPLE GUIDE : How do I protect myself ?
• IMPACT : What the virus does to the body • RECOVERY : How long does it take ?
• LOCKDOWN : How can we lift restrictions ?
• ENDGAME : How do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For some parents the decision has been taken out of their hands .
Lancashire County Council is among those saying it is not yet safe to open schools .
A mother in Lancashire , who wanted to remain anonymous , has described this as a relief as she did not want her child to go back , although her husband did .
The way that schools are bringing back pupils has many local variations - spread out over the next couple of weeks and with many schools making their own arrangements over which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days a week .
The day looked very different for those pupils who did return - with staggered drop-off times and children staying in small groups of no more than 15 pupils .
Ministers say opening schools will help with childcare for parents returning to work - and to help children catch up with missed lessons .
From 15 June secondary pupils will start to return , in Years 10 and 12 - and there are plans for all primary years to go back for the last month of term .
• 'Virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , so schools must reopen Nurseries and early years ' providers are also opening , and a survey of 4,500 parents with young children , carried out by the Early Years Alliance , indicated a divided picture on take-up .
• 65 % of nurseries and childcare settings open from 1 June • 45 % of parents planning to take up places The biggest reason for parents not sending in their children was concern about safety .
Chief executive Neil Leitch warned the row over the prime minister 's adviser Dominic Cummings travelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trust on safety measures .
The concern was echoed by the Royal Society of Arts which published a survey of more than 2,000 adults in the UK showing 49 % think the government is too caught up in the `` Dominic Cummings affair '' to be making the right decisions about schools .
`` Despite the narrative from the government , the level of confidence for a return to schools remains low , '' said Paul Whiteman , general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers .
Tulip Siddiq , Labour 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , said the lower demand for childcare places would put nurseries under `` extraordinary financial pressure '' and `` millions of childcare places could be lost in this crisis '' .
• CORONAVIRUS SPECIAL : Take a look behind the scenes of the NHS How do you feel about your children heading back at school today ?
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How are you responding to the lifting of some restrictions ?
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The concern was echoed by the Royal Society of Arts which published a survey of more than 2,000 adults in the UK showing 49% think the government is too caught up in the "Dominic Cummings affair" to be making the right decisions about schools.