Three pints deep at 10am: Pub drinkers toast end to lockdown

Ten in the morning on Super Saturday and, in Sheffield’s most central Wetherspoon pub, Connor Bowling and his two mates are already three pints deep, Full English full and considering a round of Jägermeister shots.

“It’s early, aye, but why not?” the 23-year-old gas engineer says. “It’s been a long three months.”

Thus begins the much-anticipated day on which, to paraphrase the prime minister, English people regained their ancient unalienable right to go out and get smashed. Fourth July: when the country’s pubs and bars reopened for the first time following 15 weeks and one day of coronavirus lockdown; when the government told us: get to the boozer – the economy needs you.

What have Bowling and his pals got planned to fulfil their civic duty? “No plans at all,” he said, sat in The Sheffield Water Works Company. “Other than it getting messy.”

Well, we shall see.

At 1pm in a drizzly beer garden in this South Yorkshire city, things remained relatively quiet. It was the barbers and hair salons where the real action was. Of the early drinkers across Sheffield's bars, most seemed to be easing themselves in gently. They were happily filling-in contact tracing forms, making liberal use of the free hand sanitiser and staying at their socially-distanced tables.

“Got my mask and I’m not planning on hugging strangers – I feel safe enough,” said Chris Marshall, 61, supping real ale in The Banker’s Draft. “It was driving me mad being cooped up at home. Talking to your friends on the phone isn’t the same, is it? I agreed [with lockdown] but I was ready to be out again.”

His friend, Mick Lather, a retired hospital porter, had a similar view though put it rather more bluntly. “I could die tomorrow, lad,” he said. “And so could you. I’d rather know I’d enjoyed myself than stayed at home afraid of a virus.”

He was drinking Strongbow cider. How did it taste? Fine, said the 71-year-old, but that missed the point. “It’s the company that’s important."

Whether Super Saturday remains as civilised as the day wears on, only time will tell.

NHS England has already warned A&E departments to be prepared for a night as busy as New Year’s Eve, while Boris Johnson – after days of leading government mood music which, to all intents and purposes, told the nation to have it large – appeared on Friday to finally grasp that, in the midst of a deadly pandemic, such advice may have its drawbacks. “Don’t overdo it,” he said. “We’re not out the woods yet.” A tweet by the treasury telling people to go for a drink was deleted.

It may, it seems, be a warning that goes unheeded.

“What we’re hearing is it’s going to be packed out across the city,” said Tom Joseph, owner of The Wick At Both Ends in the city's main nightlife area of West Street. “I think, inside pubs, we’ll keep it safe, make sure people are sticking to social distancing and everything. But outside, it’s going to be heaving. People have been at home for 15 weeks. That’s a lot of energy to be released.”

He knew, he said, of students who were returning to their university cities especially for this evening. “They’ve been stuck inside with parents since March and tonight they’re going to make up for lost time,” he said.

As his own bar started to slowly fill up, it was difficult to contest that he had a point.