“Initially, we were grouped with nightclubs and adult entertainment, which defies logic to me,” he adds, saying soft play centres have subsequently fallen between the stools of support for related sectors. Government support for his industry “just never touched the sides at all”.
Adding to the frustration is the fact that peers in England have been able to reopen sooner. “There was no epidemic caused by soft play opening in England,” says Mr Hannah. “Why the Scottish Government seemed to think that Scottish kids are some sort of plague-ridden magnet, I do not know.”
Martin Hannah (centre, in the water) and Sarah Davidson (far right) have been among soft play bosses protesting at the Scottish Parliament. Picture: Lisa Ferguson.