Even though, before lockdown, I hadn’t regularly visited a pub in ages, our local, The Eagle, is definitely top of my post-lockdown destinations list.
Closely followed by The Ship and our neighbourhood Italian restaurant, Numero Uno, where as a family, and/or with friends we’ve celebrated countless birthdays, new jobs, leaving dos, Valentine’s Days, anniversaries… as well as fondly remembering the dearly departed.
The locked-down pubs, for me, are amongst the saddest sights of this dreary, depressing, seemingly interminable period of time.
Dark. Silent. Not a clink of a glass to be heard. Nor the thump of a pint on the bar.
Or a boisterous conversation and a “can I buy you a drink love?” (Yes that does still happen to me, thank you very much!)
A pub devoid of life is not a pub. Pubs without their public, are simply sad, empty, deathly depressing buildings, with the whiff of stale beer and the maudlin sound of silence. Walking past a shuttered pub is a reminder of the dystopian times we’re living through, the constant cloak of death and destruction hanging around our changed lives.
I know how important pubs are, especially to small, country communities, because a few years ago my husband and I bought a pub in beautiful Dorset.
It was there that we found out how vital pubs are to the local community. They’re social hubs for the good times and a friendly refuge for locals going through the bad times. They’re a listening ear. They’re a huge part of the fabric of our society. They’re what makes us British.
So, the good news is that the Government is rumoured to be looking at implementing a “three-stage” plan, which could mean pubs and restaurants reopening in May, with a further exciting rumour that the hospitality industry might reopen as early as April – with restrictions.
Don’t ask me what the “restrictions” might be. Just look forward to a pie, a pint, slurred conversations. And know that our precious public houses will once more open their doors to welcome us parched patrons back.
It’s a huge cheers to that!
