This Is London 25 June 2020

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Photo: ZSL London Zoo
ZSL LONDON ZOO REOPENS
ZSL London Zoo reopened its gates
on 15 June for the first time since
its historic closure on 21 March – after
months of lost revenue put the oldest
scientific zoo in the world in a perilous
position. Staff at the iconic outdoor
attraction have been busy preparing the
zoo for visitors while waiting for the
green light to open the gates; numerous
measures are now in place to ensure that
the zoo is a safe, inspiring place for
visitors to enjoy the wonders of wildlife,
while supporting ZSL’s vital science and
conservation work.
Additional handwashing facilities
and sanitiser stations have been placed
across the Zoo, while 2m distance
markers have been laid out in exhibits
and one-way routes introduced to
control the flow of visitors. The Zoo’s
Terrace Restaurant will remain closed for
now – with feeding time for visitors
replaced by takeaway provisions at a
number of snack bars across site.
ZSL London Zoo’s Chief Operating
Officer, Kathryn England, said: ‘We’re
delighted that we can once again
welcome visitors to ZSL London
Zoo. We’ve gone to great lengths to
make the Zoo a welcoming and safe
space for people to visit, including
installing additional hand sanitation
points and creating colourful one-way
wildlife walks across the 36-acre
grounds, ensuring visitors are able to
experience the natural world while
observing social distancing. After weeks
of behind-the-scenes work – painting
route markers and putting up more than
2,000 new directions and signs – we’re
looking forward to connecting people
with nature again, a mission that
has been the beating heart of ZSL for
nearly 200 years.’
While the news is certainly cause for
celebration, it does not signal the end of
ZSL’s urgent fundraising efforts: the
increased safety measures mean London
Zoo will be offering
allocated, timed
entry slots, limited
to just 2,000
visitors a day – well
below the numbers
needed to recoup
the charity’s costs.
Donations are
welcome to help the
vital work of ZSL.
Visit the website at
www.zsl.org
ENGLISH NATIONAL OPERA
LAUNCH DRIVE & LIVE
English National Opera’s new
initiative, Drive & Live, will allow people
to continue to social distance if
necessary within the safety of their own
vehicles whilst enjoying a super-sized
live opera performance and the work of
ENO’s award-winning forces.
Taking place in the first three weeks
of September in the grounds of
Alexandra Palace, ENO Drive & Live will
feature 12 performances of a 90 minute
shortened version of La Boheme and
a one-hour family friendly version of
The Magic Flute with live singers and
musicians. The first performance will be
free for NHS and frontline workers.
This is only one part of ENO’s planned
autumn season. ENO plans to roll out
ENO Drive & Live across the country and
has already received significant interest in
others interested in the format.
Tickets are now on sale for
performances of A Christmas Carol.
Featuring over 100 on-stage performers
including English National Opera’s and
with members of the London Musical
Theatre Orchestra, this new staging of
the heart-warming tale has an
extraordinary Broadway team behind it.
www.eno.org
Alexandra Palace.
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