Why we can’t let lockdown call time on local pubs

Maybe, on occasion, a bit too much.

But pubs have played a big part in my life, shaping my group of friends, acting as a kind of community hub for real life social interaction.

Who needs Facebook when you have a barstool?

In many rural Derbyshire communities, the pub is often the only institution left open with shops and Post Offices closing.

Not only do they support jobs in the local economy, they are hugely important for many people in fighting loneliness and social isolation.

But even before coronavirus and the lockdown which closed bars across the country, many publicans felt that they were drinking in the last chance saloon.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of small pubs in the UK has almost halved since 2001.

We can all think of pubs that are sadly no longer with us.

Lockdown necessity has proved the mother of invention for many pubs, who have turned restaurant kitchens into takeaway services – even converting themselves temporarily into the village bakery in some cases.

But whilst these sidelines have helped provide vital income for landlords and landladies with empty bars, they are no substitute for welcoming their regulars back.

Sadly, despite Government schemes to support small businesses during lockdown, many pubs that closed a few months ago will never re-open.

For those that have managed to survive, this weekend marks a massive moment as they are allowed to throw open their doors again for the first time in months.

The pub is British institution.

One, I believe, we’d all be poorer without.

Of course we need to follow some very different pub measures – this time designed to keep bar staff and customers alike safe and socially distanced.

But it’s also vital we support these businesses when they need us most.

So please, if you can over the coming days and weeks, raise a glass to your local – in your local – and don’t let lockdown call time on the great British pub.