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Wales Online
Wales Online
Entertainment
Nino Williams

The two pictures taken just months apart which tell the story of a 'disastrous Christmas and NYE' for a Swansea bar

They could not be more different - two images of the same Swansea bar experiencing very different moments.

One shows a busy bar, full of people enjoying a night out in October. The other looks like it could have been taken on a dreary Monday morning in February.

But that second picture was actually taken on New Year's Eve, 2021/2022 at 11.45pm when the bar would normally have been rammed to the rafters - and, yes, that really is just one customer standing in an otherwise empty room.

READ MORE: Welsh health board sends out urgent SOS for nurses and health care workers amid staff shortage

Now Copr Bar has announced it is temporarily shutting up shop after what it described as a 'disastrous' Christmas and New Year's Eve.

The bar in Swansea 's Castle Street in the city centre, has said it will close for a week to 'step back to assess', following a tough festive period for the business, as well as giving staff some 'well-deserved home time'.

The business is run by former soldier and founder of armed forces charity Sa1ute, Lee West.

He said: "Christmas and New Year is usually the busiest time for hospitality, but this year was awful. We have a photo at 11.45pm on New Year's Eve with just one guy at the bar.

"It may be that people just can't be bothered with restrictions, even though masks are advisory and there are no legal requirements for visitors to use them, but I can't enforce them.

"And we've got the rule of six, so if there's a group of eight friends they're just going to stay at home.

"The weather didn't help. We had plenty of Christmas parties booked but some didn't come in. This year I think I took about a third of what I did the Christmas before lockdown began.

"So we've taken the decision to regroup, look at everything, have a chat with the accountant and staff, do some projections and think of some ideas.

"We've decided to take the week off, although I may review that when the weekend comes. January is traditionally a quiet time for hospitality, but I'm hoping things will come round by the time the Six Nations starts.

"It may be fans are not allowed in the stadiums, so hopefully they'll be able to come out to places like ours".

Copr Bar on Castle Street has closed temporarily (South Wales Evening Post)

The business is not the only one in Swansea facing challenges due to Covid, as Wales' coronavirus infection rate has now soared to above 2,000 cases per 100,000 population - by far the most recorded since the start of the pandemic.

The Bistro in Tycoch was forced to close days before New Year's Eve after all its staff tested positive for coronavirus.

Six Swansea, in Princess Way, also closed on December 29. Posting on Facebook it said it would close for the rest of the year, but did not state when it would be re-opening.

Swansea has two of the communities in Wales with the highest rate of Covid anywhere in Wales and higher than any county in England. You can read more about that story here.

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