The feelings of worry and fear that were felt at the start of lockdown back in March have been now replaced by anger and frustration. Of course no one knows what to do for the best. Scientists and governments can only speculate and make what they perceive to be beneficial decisions for the long term. And the majority of us have believed that this is all in our best interest.
However, with this new curfew on pubs and restaurants, I’m suddenly not so sure.
We are a nation of drinkers. It’s how we socialise best. And the pub is our comfort zone. It’s the central location in both Eastenders and Coronation Street. Where I grew up in South Wales, we would meet for a couple of pints and a game of pool from the age of 15 (18 if my children or the police are reading this). Pubs then opened at 12:00pm until 3:00pm, closed for the afternoon and reopened at 5:30pm until 10:30pm (Sunday times varied). Last orders at 10:20pm was usually mayhem. You’d already have several drinks lined up from the pre last orders round and then more would follow. You’d then have twenty minutes to drink them all after the bell sounded. As you can imagine, the results weren’t pleasant.
Longer drinking hours has, to an extent, reduced this. It hasn’t as expected, made the last orders race later into the evening, it has instead spread out the drinking time.
I fear that this new 10:00pm curfew will not only bring back the drinking challenges but will also affect people’s well being.
And I really can’t see the logic of it. Has Coronavirus only planned to infect people between certain hours? Does it only come out after 10pm like a European diner or a student? Does it have a penchant for pubs and restaurants that it doesn’t have for supermarkets and aeroplanes? And where will people go when they leave the pub? Most will gather outside; in a closer proximity and in larger unsupervised groups than they were in the pub.
And what damage is this going to do to the industry? As a comedian I have already had virtually all my work cancelled (except virtually) and comedy clubs are suffering extensively. Many of the pubs and restaurants which have already suffered over the past few months will no doubt be forced to close.
And what about us? The Eat Out to Help Out scheme was a great success and brought much needed relief. This timing change will now have the opposite effect. Eating out with friends and family is important, not only for celebratory reasons but as a change from being at home. A new environment – even if you always go to the same place and order the same thing.
Yes, I know we are only talking about an hour. But it’s an important hour. It’s an extra hour of relaxing and switching off from what’s going on around us. We need that time. We need it and the industry needs it. And I can’t see why it should be taken away.
Bennett Arron 