IN the wake of the government’s announcement advising people to avoid unnecessary social contact and travel events have been cancelled to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Organisers in their droves have made the decision to postpone events until later this year, these include:

  • Winchester Rotary which has cancelled all events until mid-April. A decision on future events will be made later this week.
  • A TEDx conference that was due to take place in Winchester on March 25 has now been cancelled.
  • A statement from the organiser reads: “With the global situation with Covid-19 continuing to evolve, more and more businesses are restricting their staff attending events, and practical steps for personal safety have increased. It is clear we need to move our event.”
  • The homecoming gig for pop punk star Frank Turner has been cancelled. The sold out date was due to take place at Winchester Guildhall on tonight (Thursday), part of his first solo UK tour since 2011.
  • The King Alfred Buses Running Day scheduled for Sunday May 3 has been cancelled.
  • The Winchester-based Friends of King Alfred Buses (FoKAB) has scrapped the annual event “due to the many uncertainties associated with the outbreak”.
  • Curdridge Amateur Drama Group announced that they are postponing their upcoming production of The Shadow Factory, due to take place at the end of March. Treasurer Robin Breach said: “Their plans are now to produce this excellent play in November of this year when, we all trust, this whole affair will be over.”
  • South Wonston Village Cinema has also announced that it has decided to suspend all future shows “until the outcomes of the present coronavirus situation are a lot clearer”.
  • Winchester Rugby Club have called off its annual 7’s tournament on Easter Sunday April 12 at their grounds at North Walls Park because of the coronavirus.
  • A public meeting over boosting nature in countryside north of Winchester has been postponed because of fears of coronavirus. The Wilder Village meeting planned for Saturday March 28 at Victoria Hall in Sutton Scotney has been called off.
  • The Alresford Watercress Festival has been postponed, with a new dated proposed for September 20.
  • Winchester city and Hampshire county elections in May have been cancelled. Voting was also due to take place in both England and Wales on May 7 for Police and Crime Commissioners, but elections have now been postponed due to the coronavirus.
  • The Theatre Royal Winchester has cancelled performances for the foreseeable future and closed the theatre. Deryck Newland, chief executive of Play the Crowd, the charity which runs the theatre, said: “It has been a truly heart breaking decision to suspend all performances with many ramifications. However, it is the right decision in these unprecedented times as we deal as a society with the outbreak of Covid-19.”