Pub landlord’s plea to First Minister as no light at end of tunnel GRADES TO BE PUBLISHED A WEEK EARLIER

ACROSS the border in England landlords are anticipating to reopen within a matter of weeks.

And further north in Scotland pub-owners are also expecting to start trading again in some form by the end of April.

But here in Wales no date has been given as to when the hospitality trade will be able to start planning to open its doors again.

When First Minister Mark Drakeford was asked by reporters what the industry could expect, he warned the reopening of pubs would not be included in the next two three-week reviews, which will be on March 12 and April 2.

Now one landlord has called on the First Minister to “listen to us” and asked for some more certainty.

James Karran, landlord of St Canna’s Ale House in Cardiff, said: “I would say to Mark, he’s got to listen to us. Hospitality is a huge business for Wales. He’s got to be willing to listen.

“And sometimes I feel that his attitude to the hospitality industry is that it’s an afterthought or it’s something he does not as a main priority.

“I understand there are other priorities but hospitality is hugely important so we want to be seen to be treated with respect and also to take us seriously.”

In England pubs and restaurants will be allowed to open indoors no earlier than May 17. Boris Johnson announced recently it would follow outdoor-only service, which should be allowed from April 12.

No curfew will be in place, but the “rule of six” will apply to dining indoors.

And further north in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon has said pubs and restaurants could open in the last week of April to serve food.

Although sceptical about having specific dates announced, Mr Karran said even having a month to work towards could help.

He said yesterday: “It’s all the uncertainty about the future knowing when we’re going to be able to reopen again and what the restrictions are going to be. So it’s been difficult.”

He added: “It would definitely be nice to have a date to work towards, but to be honest I’m a bit sceptical of dates. If the last 12 months have told us anything it’s that this can’t be planned for. Who knows when a new variant might pop up?

“So even if we did have a date I think I’d take it with a pinch of salt and use it as a rough guide.”

St Canna’s Ale House is one of the smallest pubs in the capital. Mr Karran decided to set up the pub in Llandaff Road in 2017, with the vision of having a proper community spot providing a different experience from the chain pubs found across the city. He hopes this appeal will mean pubs make a comeback when they eventually reopen.

Mr Karran said: “I think the pubs will make a comeback. The pub for me has always been more than just a place for somewhere to drink. It’s a community, a hub, where people gather and meet and form relationships.

“Those things will always be there. We’re humans and we will always love to interact and meet others.

“It will definitely come back but how long it takes is more of a worry.

“It’ll be a gradual thing because initially, people might be a bit hesitant to come out to the pub again, just because we’ve had such a long time without it being a possibility. But I definitely think they will make a comeback.”

Mr Karran also acknowledged the tough balancing act between safety and the economy, but hopes the vaccine will be the key to some sort of “normality” in the coming months.

He said: “It’s the unclarity. They have tried to be more clear this time about times and a roadmap, but the best we’ve had from Mark Drakeford is to say that hospitality won’t be mentioned in the next two reviews, which would take us to the end of April.

“And I think that would roughly be in line with Scotland and maybe a bit after England. So it is difficult.”

In 2020 the pub crowdfunded more than £12,000 to help transform the pub garden into a space that can be enjoyed all year round regardless of the conditions.

During this lockdown the pub has started serving takeaway pints on Fridays and Saturdays, but the income is far below what a normal weekend would see.

Mr Karran said: “It’s been really difficult. It’s been a tough time.”

GRADES for cancelled GCSE and A-level exams in Wales will now be published a week earlier than the original planned days, the Welsh Government has confirmed.

Education Minister Kirsty Williams said the decision was made following “crossgovernment discussions”.

It means that the results for both exams and selected vocational qualifications will be given out during the week starting August 9.

In England it has been announced that A-level grades will be published on August 10 with GCSE students receiving their results two days later on August 12.

Ms Williams said yesterday: “Following cross-government discussions to not disadvantage learners either side of the border with their progression I can confirm that GCSE and A-level results and selected vocational qualifications results in Wales will move forward this year to week commencing August 9.”

GCSE and A-level exams in Wales were cancelled after schools in Wales closed in December amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Work pupils have been doing at home will count towards their assessed exam grades and there is no specified number of pieces of work that need to be assessed.

This means that learners will be awarded the same grades having covered different proportions of the specification.

The Welsh Government, WJEC, and Qualifications Wales are keen to avoid the row over results last year when an algorithm used to standardise grades saw thousands marked down.

The exam regulator has now written to all students explaining more about how they will be graded for GCSE, AS and A-levels that can’t be sat for a second year thanks to the ongoing effects of the pandemic.