When will we be able to go to the pub again?

[GT03ROB]

Mr_Megalomaniac said:

nonsequitur said:

Tyre Smoke said:

Mr_Megalomaniac said:

Probably the best approach. Much like Australia have done. The benefit of an island means you can (theoretically) lock it down. As for why we never did that still escapes me - but then again I do recall everyone proposing such measures early on being called "racist" weirdly; not sure how it's racist to want to stop the spread of a virus, but here are over a year later and no closed border means we've suffered far worse than if we had shut the border in Feb '20.

Because unlike Australia or New Zealand or even the IoM, there are 10,000 trucks a day transiting Dover.

And approx. 110,000 folk arriving by air. What are they all doing? Also about 100 per day 'fake' certificates and letters stating a negative covid test result or other malarkey as to why they left the country in the first place, or why they are entering.

This is more the point I was on about. I understand the need for shipping - that hasn't stopped in the other countries I referred to either. But surely personal/business travel, and the movement of people (versus the truck operators moving goods) could quite easily have been on the chopping block from day 1?

Why? It is altogether a too simplistic argument to stop all international travel. If you want to restrict it fine..... ban all leisure travel. That's not what is happening even today. last time I entered the UK there were people giving reasons for coming into the UK that were not consistent with the restrictions in place. EG: Coming to see my brother....

To stop all travel ignores the fact that there are a not insignificant number who travel for work. How do you think marine engineers get to their ships? The ships that bring your goods into the country? Just one example of many.

Australia & New Zealand have not stopped international travel, just made it harder (quite a bit harder)

[21st Century Man]

Bloody media narrative this morning, it's all about huge crowds at the pubs and in the streets over the weekend, variants, surge testing and a third wave. Project fking fear! Might as well return to the stay at home message. New buzz phrase coined this morning, "The year of the variant".

[vaud]

The narrative is slightly odd at the moment - phased opening up I understand.

I was on the A1 yesterday and the gantries were all reading "Minimise travel"

[Maximus_Meridius101]

21st Century Man said:

Bloody media narrative this morning, it's all about huge crowds at the pubs and in the streets over the weekend, variants, surge testing and a third wave. Project fking fear! Might as well return to the stay at home message. New buzz phrase coined this morning, "The year of the variant".

Well it isn’t like the people causing the crowding haven’t been ( repeatedly) told not to behave like that, just yet. Some people seem to be hell bent on having the most draconian restrictions back though. Oh well, whatever will be, will be. Variants are going to be the piss on the cornflakes, which is why the general public have been asked to follow the rules, it seems it may have been too difficult for lots of people to understand though.

Edited by Maximus_Meridius101 on Monday 19th April 08:52

[Evoluzione]

Many of the pubs staying resolutely shut round here in West Yorks. Theory is that they're getting paid more to stay shut than it would to partially and restrictively open.

[Johnnytheboy]

Evoluzione said:

Many of the pubs staying resolutely shut round here in West Yorks. Theory is that they're getting paid more to stay shut than it would to partially and restrictively open.

My bit of Rural Dorset the same.

Basically it's the freehouses reopening.

The brewery pubs in the main are still shut.

[robbocop33]

I think in Scotland,in answer to the original question,never!according to Herr Sturgeon ze public housen vill be open ven 'i' say zo!!I love in Scotland how i can stand in my local newsagent,the only one in the shop with a mask on and like yesterday i'm surrounded by four people not social distancing and not wearing masks,why the f*ck do i bother??
Given the choice,i'd rather be back in my well Covid regulated pub than this st i'll tell you that for nothing!!Taking what i've just said,which i see daily,are there more people in our pubs during a normal day or in shops??Exactly,shops!!But we're being forced into these 'essential' shops that are the busiest places during a normal day and people aren't adhering to Covid rules!??It's completely non-sensical!

Edited by robbocop33 on Monday 19th April 10:30

[okgo]

bad company said:

Try walking along Oxford Street. I did last Thursday and saw shops closed and very few shoppers. I went into Selfridges where there were many more staff than customers.

That's tourist and lunch time work shoppers though. Of course that is not going to be busy for some time yet.

[Mr_Megalomaniac]

GT03ROB said:

Why? It is altogether a too simplistic argument to stop all international travel. If you want to restrict it fine..... ban all leisure travel. That's not what is happening even today. last time I entered the UK there were people giving reasons for coming into the UK that were not consistent with the restrictions in place. EG: Coming to see my brother....

To stop all travel ignores the fact that there are a not insignificant number who travel for work. How do you think marine engineers get to their ships? The ships that bring your goods into the country? Just one example of many.

Australia & New Zealand have not stopped international travel, just made it harder (quite a bit harder)

The mandatory self-funded 2 week quarantine Australia implemented seems to have been largely quite effective though. They have also stopped granting new visas unless there are mitigating circumstances (business is one) and therefore there is no leisure travel or family visits unless you're a citizen already. Frankly I think that's exactly the approach we should have taken.

I know in Belgium/Netherlands/Germany in order to travel for such an example of work you require two letters, one from your employers and one drafted yourself. They then allot a time window for completion. This seems to be onerous and difficult to enforce.

We have the ability to have implemented a similar approach as Australia have done - we should have done so when the problem started; not once it was out of our control.

[Maximus_Meridius101]

robbocop33 said:

I think in Scotland,in answer to the original question,never!according to Herr Sturgeon ze public housen vill be open ven 'i' say zo!!I love in Scotland how i can stand in my local newsagent,the only one in the shop with a mask on and like yesterday i'm surrounded by four people not social distancing and not wearing masks,why the f*ck do i bother??
Given the choice,i'd rather be back in my well Covid regulated pub than this st i'll tell you that for nothing!!Taking what i've just said,which i see daily,are there more people in our pubs during a normal day or in shops??Exactly,shops!!But we're being forced into these 'essential' shops that are the busiest places during a normal day and people aren't adhereing to Covid rules!??It's completely non-sensical!

It doesn’t make a lot of sense, but what is and isn’t allowed to open is dictated by rigid criteria, from inflexible risk assessments. That doesn’t help with people not doing as required, to fit the criteria of the assessments. The numbers that will be generated over the next 4 weeks are going to be critical as to whether or not indoor venues re open properly. As far as I’m concerned, being in an ‘open pub’ isn’t sitting, freezing my backside off, on a bench, outside, for a regimented time.

[Electronicpants]

21st Century Man said:

Bloody media narrative this morning, it's all about huge crowds at the pubs and in the streets over the weekend, variants, surge testing and a third wave. Project fking fear! Might as well return to the stay at home message. New buzz phrase coined this morning, "The year of the variant".

I think the overall narrative as things open appears to be

[Allanv]

We went to pub in the park Saturday, or picnic backpack with food and wine.

The pub we sat below in the park kicked off due to smokers being mixed with non smokers, and this must have been 14:30 ish, we were ok and the duck pond didn't care.

We will wait until May before we attempt a pub.

[vaud]

Mr_Megalomaniac said:

We have the ability to have implemented a similar approach as Australia have done - we should have done so when the problem started; not once it was out of our control.

Not easily as we rely on cross border truck freight far more than Australia does which still needs people. At the start of the pandemic we were also a global flight hub. I agree that we have been slow on red listing countries like India.

[Davetheraver]

vaud said:

Not easily as we rely on cross border truck freight far more than Australia does which still needs people. At the start of the pandemic we were also a global flight hub. I agree that we have been slow on red listing countries like India.

We closed borders here and lived normally for months (Isle of Man)

We rely on freight coming in.

One member of ferry staff picked it up last month and it spread like wildfire. 1200 known cases within a couple of weeks in a population of 85,000

There is no way on earth the UK could have just closed up for a year or more.

[anonymous-user]

What I have noticed over the last few weeks, is the number of pubs, especially country pubs, who have now closed for big refurbishments, and 'hope' to be back open for September, October etc.

Surely right now is just about the worst time to close a pub?
Maybe they tried to start refurbishment months ago but couldn't get any tradesmen? Don't know.

Just seems odd to me. Surely you want to get as much business done as possible over the summer months and then close over winter if you really need refurbishment. Winter is also more likely to be 'next lockdown' if we end up there again.

[Donbot]

I'd be surprised and disappointed if the public were willing to tolerate another lockdown.

[anonymous-user]

Donbot said:

I'd be surprised and disappointed if the public were willing to tolerate another lockdown.

I would be disappointed if we had another lockdown, but I'm not ruling out the possibility.

I just think it's odd that so many pubs have chosen to close for refurbishment within the last few weeks. They have had pretty much 12 months to do that kind of thing. Now is the time for being open, however threadbare your carpets are.

I'm slightly annoyed because my favourite pub were totally silent on Facebook when all the other pubs were posting about their new opening hours and arrangements, so I went round there only to find the place surrounded by heras fencing and heaps of rubble and old furniture outside. A Facebook message to them yielded a response of "We have decided to start a refurbishment and might be open again by September".

Since then I have noticed quite a few other places have done the same and closed for refurbs within the last few weeks.

Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 19th April 16:01

[Donbot]

Lord Marylebone said:

Donbot said:

I'd be surprised and disappointed if the public were willing to tolerate another lockdown.

I would be disappointed if we had another lockdown, but I'm not ruling out the possibility.

I just think it's odd that so many pubs have chosen to close for refurbishment within the last few weeks. They have had pretty much 12 months to so that kind of thing. Now is the time for being open, however threadbare your carpets are.

Could be gearing up for when the government gives us permission to go indoors.

I think having outside seating only, gives the impression that pubs are a lot busier than they are. So I wouldn't be surprised if the ones that 'look busy' are losing money.

[TheJimi]

Donbot said:

I'd be surprised and disappointed if the public were willing to tolerate another lockdown.

You're kidding! Two things.

Firstly, there WILL be another lockdown, and secondly, nary a cheep will be uttered about it - certainly from from the population as a collective.

[Shnozz]

Lord Marylebone said:

Donbot said:

I'd be surprised and disappointed if the public were willing to tolerate another lockdown.

I would be disappointed if we had another lockdown, but I'm not ruling out the possibility.

I just think it's odd that so many pubs have chosen to close for refurbishment within the last few weeks. They have had pretty much 12 months to do that kind of thing. Now is the time for being open, however threadbare your carpets are.

Especially when its only outside serving at present. I should think even if the insides were mid-renovation would plonk some porta-loos in the car park and serve from a bottle bar. It's clear people are desperate to get back to the pubs at any cost, sitting in coats and filling in forms and booking slots etc.

My favourite pub is set to re-open 20th May so booked a slot for that evening.