Showtime social solution
TOWN BAR WORKING HARD TO ENSURE DISTANCING AFTER VIDEO COMPLAINT
A HUDDERSFIELD bar has been criticised for its lack of social distancing measures after video emerged of dozens of young people dancing at the venue.
The video appears to have been filmed in the Showtime bar in Huddersfield town centre.
It was shared with the Examiner by a reader who said: “I am annoyed at the management of The Showtime bar for not following any kind of guidance on social distancing. “You are meant to have everyone seated and background music. They were partying until 4am last night. “I just hope this doesn’t prolong other venues from being opened up due to a possible second spike in the virus and a local lockdown.”
Ian Snowball of Showtime on Zetland Street said: “We are a sports bar which has always been popular with the younger crowd and also have a late-night operating licence.
“On the night mentioned we were lawfully allowed to open until, and did in fact stay open, up until 4am.
“Ordinarily we were the bar that people came to before going out to the nightclubs around town. We are also a fairly large venue with a maximum capacity of 505.
“We reduced that to 125, with a maximum ceiling of 175 and put a very tight and workable social distancing system in place which was working really well, however, this has broken one or two times when we were at capacity.
“What has happened is that a new crowd have taken to our venue, even younger than previously.
“We have worked closely with West Yorkshire Police throughout and continue to do so and they have in fact already spoken with us on the same issue.
“We are both working together to reach a workable solution but, of course, the responsibility is all on our shoulders for the operating of the venue.
“If it proves unworkable, we will then close the venue early on an evening but then there will be absolutely nowhere for the young people to congregate late at the weekend and as most sensible people know, the youth of today are very resourceful and they will find their own solutions, most probably in the form of illegal raves.
“The police do not want to be seen to be telling us how to run our business, so we have to read between the lines, which has worked to date.
“Should it look like we would be best advised to close early then we will do so with immediate effect.
“If not, then we are going to reduce our numbers yet further”.