Giddy Kippers owner happy to be open after 'tough' 12 months

Nicola Nuttall who runs Giddy Kippers Party and Play Centre in Turner Road, Nelson, reopened the doors this week to the relief of herself, staff and parents, but said there is still a long way to go until things are back to normal.

The soft play centre is operating on a reduced capacity and is still unable to take bookings for birthday parties but Nicola said she was relieved that steps are finally being taken in the right direction.

She said: "It has been a tough 12 months. Other than three weeks in the autumn, we have been shut throughout the pandemic.

"It's a big relief to be back open but we are still operating on a reduced capacity. We normally have 50 tables but we are only operating 36 at the moment. Sadly, we haven't been able to take any bookings in advance but we are keeping our fingers crossed that we can get back to normal soon."

Giddy Kippers, which has 9,000sqft. of indoor play space and a cafe, is a popular destination for parents and little ones around the area.

Nicola added that she and her team were doing all they can and more to keep it clean and safve, including having a gap between play slots to allow for cleaning.

She added: "We've managed to keep most of our staff but some, who were students, have gone back to university so we are having to hire more."