Postcards from the UK: Cheers as pubs reopen in Britain
It’s been a long few months for Brits as the country’s pubs stayed close amid the COVID-19 crisis but with Britain’s many drinking establishments opening back up, it’s a good time to not only quench that overdue thirst but reconnect with mates.
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Be very, very quiet, we’re drinking pints.
Pubs across the UK opened on Saturday for the first time in three months, but Boris Johnson wants punters to be like Elmer Fudd.
Instead of hunting rabbits quietly like the Bugs Bunny cartoon character did, the British Prime Minister wants people to whisper at the pub.
The football – what I actually call soccer now after more than a year living in the UK – can be shown on the television but only if it is turned down.
Loud music has been banned, too, so people say it instead of spraying it.
And everyone must keep their distance, with drinks ordered via app instead of at the bar.
The pints will be delivered via table service, with no-one allowed to mill around.
It’s lucky that Liverpool have already won the Premier League because it would have been chaotic if pubs were open when they did.
Punters poured into the streets anyway after the win, despite being asked to celebrate in a safe way by their manager Jurgen Klopp.
There are so many rules to drinking pints now it is going to be a different experience, however most people don’t care.
My inbox has been full of emails from my local pubs offering me a chance to book a spot this weekend.
They are offering set start and finish times with limited numbers, one way systems.
Some were completely booked out by Thursday, while others only had limited spots by then.
There are nightclubs that have been turned into beer halls with tables – discos without the dancing.
Some pubs have remained open for takeaway beers during lockdown, but it does not taste the same in a plastic cup.
Brits have turned public parks into beer gardens over the past three months, and there has been some glorious weather.
For practical reasons, the main advantage of the pub will be the access to toilets – there have been some well-hydrated trees recently.
Text messages and WhatsApp message groups have popped up in the past week with people who I have not seen in months wanting to catch up.
And that’s what I’ve been really missing, my mates, not a cheeky beer.
The pubs in the UK are like living rooms, and for most people they are within walking distance so there is no concern about drink driving, and you can pop in spontaneously.
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Where I’m from in Australia, the closest pub is at least a five-minute drive away and, depressingly, has more floor space dedicated to pokies than to people socialising.
British pubs are really a key point for catching up in the community and a major part of life, with $400 million due to be spent this weekend as forecasted sunny weather adds to the potential hangover.
So here’s cheers to the start of life going back to normal in Britain.
stephen.drill@news.co.uk