DRINK DRINK DRINK.. ..SPEND SPEND SPEND
Hot weather on first ‘free’ Bank Hol means beach, BBQ & booze... then an overdue shopping spree
MILLIONS of people are set to toast the hottest day of the year this bank holiday weekend.
Highs of 25C are expected in the South and South East, with a sweaty 24C in Liverpool and Manchester.
And after yesterday’s 23C warm-up, 35million of us are set to eat, drink and spend in a bonanza for cafes, pubs and shops.
Drinkers are set to down 62million beers, mainly in pubs.
And Tesco expects 48million burgers and 36million sausages to get grilled in a family barbecue bonanza
The 70,000 reopened hotels, B&BS and Airbnbs have also reported a last-minute rush of ahead of half-term hol.
Up to 11million people will hit the roads for breaks, the RAC said.
Yesterday there were tailbacks on routes to Devon and Cornwall, and on
the M25 near Heathrow.
Prof Joshua Bamfield, of the
Centre for Retail Research, said: “It’s going to be great for hospitality. It’s half-term, the weather is brilliant and people can’t go abroad so it should be a good weekend.”
The Fleece Inn, in Bretforton, Worcs, is fully booked all weekend and expecting “well over 1,000 people” through its doors. Manager Tash Daly, 42, said: “It’s lovely to see the locals, the whole village is out. There’s not a spare seat and we’re getting through the barrels fast.”
And apprentice Emily Atkinson, 24, has prosecco plans – long delayed by “miserable” weather – with three pals in Ainsdale, Merseyside, before going large in Liverpool.
“I cant wait to catch up over a few cocktails and put the world to rights,” she said.
Despite the rush of customers, The British Beer and Pub Association says takings will still be down £80million – or
KNEES-UP: Three pals in Manchester
34 per cent – on a normal bank holiday because of social distancing.
Meanwhile, retail bosses want the Government to stick to June 21 for ending restrictions despite fears over the fast-spreading India variant.
One in seven stores is empty after the closure of 16,000 and the loss of 200,000 jobs over the past year.
New figures show the pandemic has left shops owing £2.9bn in rent, with the British Retail Consortium warning of a “tsunami” of closures.
Many have been told by landlords they face legal action once the freeze on commercial evictions ends in July.
BRC chief Helen Dickinson urged the Government to step in saying: “The unpaid rents accrued during the pandemic are a £2.9billion ball and chain that hold back growth.
“Without action, it will be our city centres, our high streets and our shopping centres that suffer.”