Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed this morning that gyms are likely to be given the green light to reopen “in just a couple of weeks time”.
He appeared live on LBC this morning and took questions from the public.
Speaking to Nick Ferrari, the Prime Minister said: “We are going to reopen gyms as soon as we can do it in a COVID-secure way and I think that the date for reopening gyms at the moment, if we can do it, is in just a couple of weeks’ time.”
Boris Johnson says the government is trying to reopen theatres in a Covid-secure way "as soon as possible" but doesn't say if there will be financial support for the arts industry. #BorisOnLBC | Watch Live: https://t.co/wTagOJbxR2pic.twitter.com/KWaejaeNwu
The Prime Minister addressed the reopening of gyms upon Nick Ferrari’s questioning of why lockdown guidelines in England enable members of the public to “go to the pub [but not] go to the gym” and it comes after the widespread frustration across the country, from both the fitness industry and eager gym users, that indoor gyms were not included in the plans to reopen along with many other sectors on 4th July.
Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, also discussed the reopening of gyms this week on social media, and with UK Active, in a tweet that read: “Grateful to health experts from Public Health England for visiting gyms this morning with to look at the safety measures in place”.
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“Gyms have been working hard on this and I pay tribute to all those helping to get them reopened as soon as we can”.
Grateful to health experts from Public Health England for visiting gyms this morning with @_ukactive@DCMS to look at the safety measures in place#Gyms have been working hard on this & I pay tribute to all those helping to get them reopened as soon as we can!@Sport_Englandhttps://t.co/Ca24QGlJIi
Speaking ahead of Public Health England’s visit this week, Huw Edwards, Chief Executive of UK Active – which represents thousands of gyms and leisure centres in the UK – said: “Many people will be understandably frustrated by the decision not to reopen the fitness and leisure sector from 4 July,”
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“Our sector’s safety standards are among the highest in Europe, where other nations have already reopened their gyms and leisure facilities safely.”
“We have invited government and health officials to visit any of the hundreds of gym and leisure centre show sites across the country, and witness how facilities would operate with thorough social distancing measures and hygiene standards in place.”
“Any further delay to our reopening will threaten our nation’s recovery from COVID-19.”
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“With obesity the second largest cause of hospitalisation from this virus, gyms and leisure centres are equipped to not only combat COVID-19, but to support rehabilitation for those recovering from the virus”.
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An exact official date for the reopening of gyms in the UK has not been confirmed at this moment in time.
Chester Zoo named one of England’s most popular tourist attractions with 1.9m visitors
Emily Sergeant
Congratulations are in order, yet again, for Chester Zoo… as this time its been one of England’s most popular attractions.
Merely months after being named the UK’s best zoo for the second year running, thanks to receiving more than 11,000 ‘excellent’ reviews from TripAdvisor, Chester Zoo has now got itself another prestigious title, as a major VisitEngland (VE) report has ranked it the third most-visited ‘paid for’ attraction in England – and the most visited outside of London.
The national tourist board for England gathered information from a total of 1,373 attractions across the country, and ranked the UK’s biggest charity zoo as the third overall in terms of popularity, with a whopping 1.9 million visitors in 2024 alone.
The Tower of London took top spot with 2.9 million visitors, while the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew was second place with 2.3 million visitors.
When it comes to free attractions, on the other hand, it wad the British Museum that claimed the top spot with 6.5 million visitors, while the Natural History Museum (5.9 million visitors) took second place, and the Tate Modern (4.6 million visitors) got third.
So as you can see, the south and London in particular is a pretty dominating force in England’s tourism industry – which is why it’s even more impressive to see Chester Zoo ranked so highly.
The new VE title also comes after the zoo was recently given £4 million of lottery funding to help ‘transform’ the local environment and restore wildlife habitats across the Cheshire and wider North West region.
Not only that, but if course follows Chester Zoo’s unveiling of its new immersive experience named Heart of Africa, which is the the largest zoo habitat ever created in the UK and is home to 57 iconic African species.
Chester Zoo has been named one of England’s most popular tourist attractions with 1.9m visitors / Credit: Chester Zoo
“As a major international wildlife charity, everything we do is focused on supporting global conservation,” commented Chester Zoo’s Commercial Director, Dom Strange.
“Whether it’s caring for highly-threatened animals and plants, making scientific discoveries, influencing Government environmental policies, impacting the National Curriculum to better connect young people with nature, or our conservation efforts in around 20 countries, we’re fully committed to protecting endangered species for the future.
“But none of this would be possible without our visitors.
“Every person who comes to the zoo for a fun and inspiring day out is helping to fund our vital work, so we want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us and helped us to rank so highly in VisitEngland’s latest report.”
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Manchester Museum saves a ‘national treasure’ to ensure it stays in the UK
Emily Sergeant
Manchester Museum has made a stunning new addition to its natural history collections, and in the process has ensured a ‘national treasure’ stays in the UK.
Not long after claiming the coveted title of European Museum of the Year for 2025, Manchester Museum has done it again – this time working together with John Rylands Library to acquire Henry Dresser’s unique personal copy of his anthology A History of the Birds of Europe so that this ‘invaluable resource’ can remain in the UK for future generations.
The beautifully-illustrated collection of books provide an important historical record to help understand how and why bird populations have changed over time.
Dresser’s personal copy is heavily-annotated with personal notes and observations.
These books are deemed to be of ‘outstanding significance’, not only for scientific purposes but also for their aesthetic value, as they have also been illustrated by some of the leading wildlife artists of the day.
The volumes were recognised as a national treasure by the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural Interest, which is supported by the Arts Council, and this meant that the Government placed a temporary export deferral on them to allow time for UK buyers to raise the funds to keep them in the country.
Brilliantly, the acquisition of these books reunites them with Dresser’s own bird specimens that are already cared for by Manchester Museum, including species such as the Slender-billed curlew, which is now believed to be extinct.
The now-extinct species’ presence in both Dresser’s beautifully-annotated volumes and the ornithological collections at Manchester Museum highlights the vital role that historical records play in tracking biodiversity loss over time to uncover the long-term impact of environmental change.
Manchester Museum has saved a ‘national treasure’ to ensure it stays in the UK / Credit: Manchester Museum
“Threats to the natural world and biodiversity have never been greater and while this anthology has historical value, it also speaks to the urgent issues of the present,” commented Esme Ward, who is the Director of Manchester Museum.
“These books are breathtakingly beautiful, and by bringing them together with natural history collections, we believe they will not only provide scientific benefit, but also capture the hearts of future ornithologists and conservationists.”
A History of the Birds of Europe will be officially unveiled at a private view on Friday 27 June, before being displayed to the public for the first time in Manchester Museum’s ‘Living Worlds’ gallery from Saturday 28 June 2025 right through until Sunday 25 January 2026.
The Manc -
3rd July 2020 
