Woodstock: Blenheim Palace European summit gets mixed welcome

Sir Keir Starmer will have a chance to impress his European counterparts early on at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire.

He is going to hold another meeting for 46 political leaders at the fourth European Political Community summit on Thursday.

The popular World Heritage Site in town is currently closed and will remain closed until Friday. The road leading to the site is also closed.

However, there have been mixed reviews about the summit just outside the restricted area in Woodstock, very close to the palace.

Geoffrey Naf, the owner of Woodstock Butchers, estimates that business has decreased by around half.

"Many residents from nearby villages are unable to come into town because the roads are blocked," he explained.

Many people have been questioning me, "Are we even going to bother opening on Thursday?"

He stated: "I am here, with tasks to complete and hoping to earn some money, but I am not optimistic about today."

Mark Harris, the owner of Woodstock Grocers, stated that his business was projected to suffer a loss of £500 to £1,000 due to the summit.

"People are scared to enter Woodstock," he remarked.

"He mentioned that all the signs leading to Woodstock advise people to stay away, so why would any customers come here?"

Does he feel happy that the meeting is taking place in Oxfordshire?

"It does not belong here. It would be better placed somewhere that does not disrupt the community."

Ex-president of the United States, Donald Trump, took a trip to Blenheim Palace and met with former UK Prime Minister Theresa May during his initial visit to the UK in July 2018.

However, it is believed that this is the largest number of leaders ever gathered in one place.

However, even though some people are annoyed by the road closures and disturbances, there is also a lot of local pride and enthusiasm.

Janey Velasquez works as an educator at Woodstock Elementary School.

"I can't wait to see the kids arriving this morning because I know there will be plenty of chatter about it," she exclaimed.

We're happy to be located near Blenheim - we're really enjoying it.

"It's really cool to see our town's famous spot featured on TV; it makes us feel special."

She mentioned that on a personal level, going to work on Thursday was "likely simpler than usual."

I noticed a police officer at the end of my street, which was a new sight for me. Fortunately, I caught the bus on time and it was surprisingly empty, so I consider it a small victory.