Pubs set them up as Boris aims to reopen in April Small in-person graduations on the horizon, vice-chancellor says
SOME ARE CREATING EXTRA OUTSIDE SPACE FOR PUNTERS
PUBLICANS in Derby and Derbyshire have outlined plans to reopen their beer gardens from as soon as April 12, after Boris Johnson set out his roadmap for the country’s return to normality from the pandemic.
Some pub businesses in the county have rented entire new properties to be able to give their customers a new, safe and enjoyable drinking experience.
Steve Kirk, landlord of the Neptune in Derby city centre, said he was looking forward to opening the garden at the back of his pub, which can hold 20-24 people.
He said: “I just want to meet people and get them back in again.
“It’ll be first come, first served, like we did after the last lockdown.”
He expects he will be doing table service, but will confirm this once more Government guidance is issued. He will be opening from 10am to 7pm, although this may be extended once the weather gets warmer.
The Neptune will once again be asking customers to track and trace and it will provide sanitiser and clean all tables between use.
Mr Kirk said: “It’ll be nice to just get to a bit of normality. Even if it’s just a limited opening at first, I just want to serve at the bar again.”
He does not expect opening will be make him much money, but he says that since the Prime Minister’s announcement on Monday, regulars have been asking how it will happen.
The Cooper’s Arms in Weston on Trent will also be reopening, although owner James Cooper is currently planning the specifics of how people can book tables.
Mr Cooper, who will be able to seat approximately 150 people at a time in his large beer garden, said: “We’re quite fortunate that we have 32 tables.”
There are currently no plans for shelter as the pub was unable to receive financial support during the first lockdown. However, Mr Cooper said once visitors return he hopes to invest in some kind of temporary cover for guests outside.
The pub will also be supplying sanitiser and asking visitors to use
track and trace but Mr Cooper said he and his team are currently working to establish how best their booking system will operate.
Karl Bond, landlord of The Cat and Fiddle in Buxton, has rented a unit and space in the gardens of Buxton Pavilion. It is capable of seating 20 people, and Mr Bond said:
“We want to give people and enjoyable experience.” His pub has also been renovated with a new courtyard that can cater for 20-30 guests.
Cover has been ordered for the courtyard, along with heaters, to ensure customers will have a warm place to sit and enjoy their drinks regardless of the weather.
Mr Bond makes his own hand sanitisers and will be doing temperature checks on all guests to help minimise the spread of Covid-19.
All visitors must book before arriving and will be asked to pay a booking price, which begins at £5, and will include the cost of their drink.
He estimates customers will be able to book a table by the end of this week. Mr Bond said: “We want to make sure everyone is looked after and that we’re following all the guidance.
“It’s how it was last year, making sure it’s as Covid secure as possible but a nice experience as well. We don’t want it to feel like a hospital waiting room.”
STUDENTS could be offered face-toface lessons after Easter and may graduate with classmates in small ceremonies, a vice-chancellor has said.
Professor Adam Tickell, the University of Sussex’s vice-chancellor, said he is hoping to bring students back in the summer term and offer them a “meaningful package” of oncampus learning and activities when they return.
Speaking on an online panel of university leaders, Prof Tickell said thousands of students had already returned to the university’s own accommodation despite the majority of teaching remaining online since December.
His comments come after the Government announced that university students on practical courses in England will be able to return to campus for in-person teaching from next month.
But for all remaining students, the Government said it will review options for pupils to return to face-to-face lessons by the end of the Easter holidays.
Already a number of UK universities have decided to move the majority of their lessons online for the rest of the academic year amid the pandemic.
But Prof Tickell said: “I do hope that we’re able to have students back both in terms of practical classes from March 8, which will be allowed in England, but also from after Easter. But that won’t be known until really quite late in the day and there’s relatively little teaching that happens after Easter so we’re working on whether we can have a meaningful package for students when they come back.”