'Beautiful' to have a pint, 'brilliant' to get a haircut - England reopens after lockdown

By Natalie Thomas and Will Russell

 

A worker serves a beer at The Holland Tringham Wetherspoons pub after it reopened following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London, Britain July 4, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah McKay

 

LONDON (Reuters) - People relished their first pub drinks in more than three months, went to restaurants and finally got haircuts on Saturday as England took its biggest steps yet towards resumption of normal life after the coronavirus lockdown.

 

Some pubs started serving from 6 a.m., sparking worries of over-indulgence on what the media dubbed a "Super Saturday" of restrictions being eased. Some hairdressers were reported to have opened at the stroke of midnight.

 

"It's beautiful just to get back and have a pint," said Jim Martin, a 56-year old carpenter enjoying a beer at The Holland Tringham pub in south London, part of the JD Wetherspoon chain. It opened at 8 a.m. and was about three quarters full by 11.20 a.m.

 

Julie Scott, a 43-year-old teacher, was there with her family for drinks and food.

 

"I think it's just where everyone gets to socialise and catch up with people that they haven't seen...it's nice to just get together," she said.

 

Others complained that the lockdown, which began in late March and has been gradually eased in recent weeks, had lasted too long.

 

"It's about time they opened them up," said pensioner Ron Lock.

 

Police chiefs worried the reopening of pubs could fuel drunken and irresponsible behaviour, while hospitals have been warned to prepare for a New Year's Eve-style weekend.

 

"There's an element of decompression going on, particularly with younger people who've had some very responsible parents keeping them in over recent weeks," Marc Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner for Lincolnshire, told BBC radio.

 

Britain has been the European country worst hit by the coronavirus, with more than 300,000 infections and an official death toll of 44,131.

 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has faced criticism from the opposition over its handling of the pandemic - including locking down later than some other parts of Europe - and is now anxious to get the battered economy moving again.

 

THE JOY OF A HAIRCUT

 

Men queuing for haircuts and busy hairdressing salons were a common sight across the country.

 

At Savvas Barbers in Streatham, south London, healthcare assistant Benjamin Prior, 31, said he normally gets a cut every month but has had to wait four months.

 

"It’s just brilliant to finally get a new haircut now, it’s the length I want, short as possible," he said.

 

In another relaxation of lockdown rules, two households can now meet indoors as long as social distancing is maintained, and overnight stays are allowed.

 

The rule changes apply only to England as the devolved nations in the United Kingdom - Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - have been setting their own timetables for easing restrictions.

 

The Sun newspaper predicted that 15 million pints (8.5 million litres) of beer would be sunk in England on Saturday.

 

Johnson called on people to behave responsibly and respect social distancing regulations as the risk of a resurgence of the coronavirus remains. He also stressed the importance of supporting businesses.

 

"We must not let them down," he said at a news conference on Friday.

 

One pub-goer's pint was immediately controversial. Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, well known for his fondness for beer, tweeted a picture of himself in a reopened pub, but was met by a storm of tweeted criticism and suggestions he should still be observing a 14-day quarantine as mandated for people traveling from the United States.

 

Farage attended a campaign rally for President Donald Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma on June 20.

 

Ed Davey, the acting leader of the small opposition Liberal Democrats, said he had reported Farage to the police.

 

Farage later tweeted that he had served his quarantine time, and had taken a test for the virus which was negative.

 

(Reporting by Natalie Thomas and Will Russell; Writing by James Davey; Editing Frances Kerry)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-07-05

 

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UK you to can have a second wave of Covid-19 just like the US has from opening up to much to soon .

33 minutes ago, rooster59 said:

'Beautiful' to have a pint, 'brilliant' to get a haircut

and 'absolutely amazing' to receive a virus

Supercalifragilicuiousexpialidocous!!! Indeed....

This looks encouraging...if you're on the side of the virus.

Coronavirus: First night out in London since lockdown began

https://news.sky.com/video/coronavirus-first-night-out-in-london-since-lockdown-began-12021409

If you want to see the full video you'll have to click on the link.

4 minutes ago, johnpetersen said:

This looks encouraging...if you're on the side of the virus.

Coronavirus: First night out in London since lockdown began

https://news.sky.com/video/coronavirus-first-night-out-in-london-since-lockdown-began-12021409

If you want to see the full video you'll have to click on the link.

Good plan.. let them all infect eachother. No social distancing no masks nothing. UK was hardest hit and now will get the second wave. I hope Thailand keeps them on a quarantine list for a long time (same as other European countries). 

 

Now if the numbers were down a lot sure.. Lets wait and see.

 

God I hope it goes better for you guys than it is here in the states 

1 hour ago, Tug said:

God I hope it goes better for you guys than it is here in the states 

Of course not, just look at that picture. Though this is outside so maybe a bit better. 

8 hours ago, robblok said:

Of course not, just look at that picture. Though this is outside so maybe a bit better. 

No you are right about the total lack of social distancing. Somehow the message hasn't sunk in or they have accepted the ramifications. Very disappointing....but then humans are social creatures, so the social distancing is an abberation to most people I guess. A bit like smoking, everyone thinks the disease will affect other unknown people, so personal concern is tucked into the subconscious. 

 

I've been in the UK for 2 weeks....I'd like to make it home before they get forced into lockdown again, but a second lockdown will happen based on the current behaviour.

I take it that’s Southern beer being poured in the title picture, hence the protective gloves.

10 hours ago, Tug said:

God I hope it goes better for you guys than it is here in the states 

unfortunately I see this as Florida part 2. You would of thought, gazing over the big pond at all the hospitals getting filled over there to maybe wait till they've got track and trace down to a science as well as a zero case load. As a leader, it certainly would of gave me pause looking westward to a country who has too many cases to even to attempt to track and trace. I too hope for some miracle that they avoid uncontrolled disease.   

11 hours ago, robblok said:

I hope Thailand keeps them on a quarantine list for a long time (same as other European countries). 

Permanently. We seem to be forgetting what those "beautiful" pints really mean to a Brit:

 

Boozers have closed in the Nottinghamshire towns of Mansfield, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Arnold and Newark, with police making four arrests, after reports of 'major disorder' as pubs reopened on 'Super Saturday'

     Pubs in towns forced to close early after 'major disorder' on Super Saturday

 

Newcastle Brown , is above the law ...

You can't live like vegetables forever virus or no virus look at all the tax your losing generals????

6 pints in total, 1 Birra Moretti, 1 Estrella, 4 Coors light, beer garden first of all and then inside with 3 friends sharing a table. Told a barmaid that her purple looked good, think I was drunk actually. Only 2 people allowed in the toilet area at once with a social distance monitor checking the toilets, bit of a weird experience with not being to able wander around apart from getting a beer, going to the toilet and going outside to vape.

 

Haircut this morning, today the town is quiet again.

Get your covid back on England. 

 

At the end of it all they will tally up the covid damage +

 

The covid deaths that were always gonna be there no matter what, plus the unnecessary death and destruction they put onto themselves. 

Next up for these geniuses?

 

"Vacation on Koh Tao."

 

Perfectly safe! ????

Been here a week and it is wonderfully cool,

beer is superb, but I havent seen any good

looking wimmin yet.

 

Edited July 6, 20206 yr by talahtnut
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