England avoids 6am pub mayhem, with most bars not opening before 8am and many revellers opting for their usual Friday night out instead
- Landlords and staff were out at the crack of dawn readying their establishments ahead of a tsunami of punters
- Drinkers will sink a staggering 15million pints at 23,000 establishments across the country, experts predicted
- They will be hit with hiked prices for beer, wine, cider and spirits as pubs desperately try to drum up business
- And revellers could have their plans dashed as cloud, rain and wind is set to engulf England throughout today
England is braced for 'pub-ageddon' as bars and restaurants reopen on Super Saturday - but fears of 6am mayhem were calmed with most not set to start serving until after 8am.
Landlords and staff were out at the crack of dawn readying their premises ahead of a tsunami of punters as lockdown easing kicks in.
Drinkers are set to sink a staggering 15million pints at 23,000 establishments across the country, experts predicted.
But they will be hit with hiked prices for beer, wine and cider as pubs including Wetherspoons desperately try to make up for lost business.
And revellers could have their plans dashed as cloud, rain and wind is set to engulf the country throughout the day.
A&E departments have prepared for a surge in booze-fuelled patients by setting up tents outside hospitals to keep people socially distanced.
Bars were not able to throw open their doors to customers first thing because the regulations enforced their closure until 6am.
With the new coronavirus rules not published until Friday afternoon, some landlords had planned to open as soon as the clock ticked past midnight.
England is braced for 'pub-ageddon' as bars and restaurants reopen on Super Saturday but fears of 6am mayhem were calmed with most not set to start serving until after 8am. Pictured: A Wetherspoons in Beaconsfield this morning
Landlords and staff were out at the crack of dawn readying their premises ahead of a tsunami of punters as lockdown easing kicks in. Pictured: The Hope & Champion in Beaconsfield, Bucks, today
An early punter enters The Hope &Champion in Beaconsfield, Bucks, and uses hand sanitiser station on the door to help stop the spread of coronavirus
One customer makes an early purchase at the revamped Hope & Champion in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, Saturday morning
Landlords and staff were out at the crack of dawn readying their premises ahead of a tsunami of punters as lockdown easing kicks in. Pictured: Surrey Docks Wetherspoons in Surrey Quays, south east London
Drinkers will sink a staggering 15million pints at 23,000 establishments across the country, experts predict. Pictured: he Wheatsheaf Pub, Borough Market, central London
Builders queuing to get into the Briar Rose on Bennetts Hill in Birmingham early on Saturday morning to get their first pint in
But Downing Street scotched the swift openings by ensuring the current ban remains in place until after sunrise. The BrewDog chain of pubs was on Friday cancelling events after the new rules were reported.
Boris Johnson urged the public not to 'blow it' by not behaving safely and abiding by social-distancing rules when the restrictions are eased for the hospitality industry.
The regulations signed off by Health Secretary Matt Hancock wrote into law a 30-person limit on gatherings at home and outdoors in settings not deemed 'Covid-secure'.
The PM's official spokesman said: 'The regulations also keep in place a list of premises that must remain closed and that includes nightclubs, nail bars and salons, indoor play areas, gyms, conference centres and exhibition halls.
'Those regulations mostly come into force at 12.01am on Saturday July 4. The reopening of pubs and bars specifically comes into force at 6am. That would just be in the event anybody would attempt to try to open at midnight.'
Typical licensing conditions will still apply, so pubs can only open at the time they normally have permission for, which is rarely 6am.
Laws limiting indoor gatherings to two households and outdoor gatherings to six people have now been revoked - although Government guidance still advises these are wise precautions. The 30-person limit would prevent mass gatherings, Number 10 said.
The PM's spokesman added: 'The reason for setting the figure for 30 is we do have to put a number into law and that is to provide police with the powers that they need to break up a rave or some other large gathering which is clearly irresponsible and in breach of the social distancing rules.'
Pubs, restaurants, cinemas and some other venues or organised events are exempt from the 30-person limit as long as sufficient measures have been put in place to prevent the spread of the virus.
But in an early blow for punters, Wetherspoons - renown for its cheap alcohol - will be increasing prices for beers, wines and spirits by 10p as it reopens 900 pubs. Most will also see meals hiked by up to 20p, but prices vary depending on where in the country.
An insider told the Sun: 'New menus have been sent out across the country and it seems that the Wetherspoon pubs are keen to recoup money lost during the lockdown as soon as possible.
'I think they hoped people would have forgotten what the prices were in March and this would all just slip under the radar.'
Meanwhile Samuel Smith pubs will see pint prices rocket by up to £1 as they reopen their doors. The popular Taddy Lager will shoot up from £2.30 to £3.40 per pint while Sovereign Bitter goes from £2.04 to £3.04.
The company, based in Yorkshire, has about 200 pubs that will reopen today and previously banned punters from using their phones to get people talking.
One landlord, who asked not to be named, said: 'It's a heck of a price hike - I don't know how I'm going to explain it to the customers. It's not going to make reopening after the lockdown any easier.'
A man is let into Wetherspoon by a member of staff as the pub, in Manchester City centre, opened it's door at 8am this morning
Despite the rules not changing until this morning for pubs, drinkers were still out in Borough Market in force last night
The George, in Eton, Windsor, Berkshire had a staff training evening last night as they get ready to reopen their pub tomorrow
Staff at BrewDog Tower Hill last night prepared to reopen tomorrow with social distancing measures in place
Barman Michael Fitzsimons wears PPE while pouring a pint behind a protective shield at the bar, during final preparations at The Faltering Fullback pub in North London, ahead of its reopening
The onslaught of customers is expected to see a huge surge in A&E patients over Saturday, with hospital chiefs ordering tents be set up outside some to keep social distancing.
Clinicians could triage patients outside the building to see if they needed to be in A&E or if they could be treated at home.
One doctor begged punters to take it easy as they descended on the pubs. He posted a picture in full PPE and called for people to drink responsibly.
Dr Keir Philip said on Twitter: 'I just got dressed for the pubs reopening today. Please drink responsibly, which means not in a pub.'
Paramedic Laura Heath added: 'Off to the pub today? If anything, be sensible and please don't drink and drive. Working 6-6 today, choose your ride back wisely.'
Dr Tom Leckie, consultant in emergency medicine, at the Royal Oldham Hospital, told the MeN: 'We are asking the public to think carefully before attending A&E this weekend and in the coming weeks.
'COVID-19 is still circulating in our communities and our hospital are continuing to care for sick patients both with COVID-19 and other emergency problems.
'We have already seen an increase in attendances prior to the easing of lockdown measures this weekend. We are expecting our service to remain busier than usual which may result in delays for you if your condition is not considered an emergency.'
NHS chief Sir Simon Stevens also called for restraint and not 'pub-ageddon' when bars and restaurants open for the first time in more than three months. Writing in the Daily Mail, he said doctors and nurses did not want 'the drunk and disorderly' to flood hospitals.
Left: Dr Keir Philip said on Twitter: 'I just got dressed for the pubs reopening today. Please drink responsibly, which means not in a pub.' Right: Paramedic Laura Heath added: 'Off to the pub today? If anything, be sensible and please don't drink and drive. Working 6-6 today, choose your ride back wisely'
Drunken thugs will be locked up if they run riot on 'Super Saturday', Health Secretary Matt Hancock (left) warned last night. NHS chief Sir Simon Stevens (right) also called for restraint and not 'pub-ageddon' when bars and restaurants open for the first time in more than three months
The double intervention came ahead of the biggest easing of restrictions since a sweeping national lockdown was imposed at the end of March. Mr Johnson issued his own warning last night, urging the public not to 'blow it' by throwing caution to the wind.
He said today was 'our biggest step yet on the road to recovery' but insisted he would reimpose localised lockdowns if reckless behaviour led to a resurgence of the coronavirus. 'In Leicester, we took decisive action to stop infections shooting up,' said the Prime Minister.
Health Secretary Mr Hancock added: 'When it comes to local action, I won't shirk from a shutdown if that is what's needed to keep people safe – and that includes closing bars and pubs, if necessary.
'I'm no killjoy, but the virus can still kill. I don't want to see bars and pubs have to close again. I love going to the pub and enjoy a pint or two.'
The police and the emergency services are bracing for mayhem today, with pubs allowed to reopen from 6am. In some parts of the country, more officers have been deployed than on new year's eve.
Mr Hancock pledged 100 per cent support for police chiefs tasked with stopping 'Super Saturday' disorder.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak also urged people to make the most of the easing to boost the economy, claiming the public needs to 'eat out to help out'.
He told the Times: 'This is a consumption-driven economy; people used to, three months ago, go out with their friends or family to go and have a meal.
'Or buy a car, or upgrade their house, or move house. Go camping, come up to the Yorkshire Dales and go coast to coast.'
Officials have urged people to continue following social-distancing measures if they are to take part in team sports, with football and cricket not banned from outside spaces.
The latest laws also allow Mr Hancock to order the closure of any public outdoor space, like parks, if there is a 'serious and imminent threat to public health'.
Fines could still be imposed for those deemed to be flouting the rules and police officers still have the power to disperse large groups.
The rules must be reviewed again before the end of the month. Separate regulations to enforce the continued lockdown in Leicester were published on Friday.
Drinkers share their excitement at returning to their favourite locals but pubs are forced to cancel midnight reopening parties
With some pubs set to reopen from 6am on Saturday - depending on their license - a number of people have taken to Twitter to express their excitement at pubs reopening
People have taken to twitter to say how excited they are for 'Super Saturday' for pubs to reopen, with some predicting that their favourite locals will be packed with drinkers keen to be back at a bar after over three months of lockdown.
Some have even likened their excitement to the pubs re-opening to Christmas Eve, which was seen trending on Twitter of Friday night.
Some landlords - including the pub chain BrewDog - had planned to reopen their venues in England as the clock ticked past midnight.
But several hours before they were due to welcome customers, No 10 said on Friday afternoon the ban would now remain in place until later on Saturday morning.
Pub owners and the Police Federation of England and Wales have since criticised the timing of the announcement.
Following the announcement that pubs could not have midnight opening parties, Adam Snowball, managing director of the Showtime sports bar in Huddersfield, said it was 'massively disappointing' to have to cancel his reopening event.
The 35-year-old said about 50 people had booked a table at his venue on Zetland Street, which would have remained open until 3.30am.
John Apter, national chairman of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said while he welcomed the decision to keep pubs shut until 6am, the timing of the announcement was 'very unhelpful'.
Mr Apter said the federation, which represents thousands of rank and file officers, had 'raised concerns' about some pubs planning to open after midnight.
The British Beer and Pubs Association has urged people to follow hygiene measures that will in place at pubs and to be respectful and supportive of landlords and staff working in pubs and bars.
While regulations allowing for the reopening of pubs and bars comes into force from 6am, licensing conditions will still apply, and therefore pubs will only be able to open when their license allows.
Boris's local lockdown threat: As pubs open doors for first time in 14 weeks, PM warns public: Don't blow it
BY JOHN STEVENS, GEORGE ODLING AND SEAN POULTER FOR THE DAILY MAIL
Boris Johnson told the nation 'don't blow it' as pubs reopened for the first time in three months today – and threatened more local lockdowns if the virus surges.
Police are bracing for mayhem on what has been dubbed 'Super Saturday' with more officers deployed in some parts of the country than on New Year's Eve.
Pubs and restaurants in England will be allowed to resume trading from 6am with the Prime Minister describing it as the 'biggest step yet' back towards normality.
A timetable for the re-opening of other venues that remain shut, including gyms and swimming pools, will be published next week along with guidance on mass gatherings such as concerts.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the nation 'don't blow it' as pubs reopened for the first time in three months today – and threatened more local lockdowns if the virus surges
People will also be allowed to start playing cricket again from next weekend. However, Mr Johnson struck a note of caution yesterday, urging the public to 'enjoy the summer sensibly'.
He warned that lockdown restrictions could be re-imposed on local hotspots if there is a sudden spike in coronavirus infections. Mr Johnson said: 'We're making progress, we think we're in good shape but my message is let's not blow it.'
At a Downing Street press conference, he added: 'As we take this next step – our biggest step yet on the road to recovery – I urge the British people to do so safely.'
He cautioned that the country was 'not out of the woods yet'.
And he insisted he would 'not hesitate' to reimpose restrictions if rates of infection spiralled again, with local lockdowns, such as the one in Leicester, a 'feature of our lives for some time to come'.
'The success of these businesses, the livelihoods of those who rely on them and ultimately the economic health of the whole country is dependent on every single one of us acting responsibly,' he said. 'We must not let them down.'
Professor Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, also sounded a highly cautious tone.
He said the probability of a second wave of infections would go up 'very, very sharply' if people failed to follow the rules.
He added: 'This virus is a long way from gone, it is not going to be gone for a long time. Nobody watching this believes this is a risk-free next step. We have to be absolutely serious about it.'
Cornwall braces for mass influx of 80,000 tourists this weekend as hospitality industry opens its doors on 'Super Saturday'
Visit Cornwall chief executive Malcolm Bell said there could be between 75,000 and 80,000 visitors flocking to the county this weekend. Above, head housekeeper Carolanne Rowe wears PPE as she cleans a balcony at St Moritz in Cornwall
Cornwall could see a staggering 80,000 tourists entering the county this weekend, as businesses open their doors on 'Super Saturday'.
There is expected to be an influx of visitors as hotels, campsites, pubs and restaurants are allowed to open on July 4, for the first time since lockdown.
Hotels, AirBnBs, campsites and caravan parks are gearing up to welcome tourists opting for staycations, rather than travelling abroad, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Visit Cornwall chief executive Malcolm Bell said there could be between 75,000 and 80,000 visitors flocking to the county this weekend, Cornwall Live reported.
He said this figure is down 30% on usual tourist numbers at this time of year, but that it is expected to rise to 100,000 in the coming weeks.
Mr Bell said that not all accommodation providers plan to open this weekend, with some holiday parks and hotels opening on Monday or later next week.
He added that some hotels would be running at 50% occupancy for the first few days to make sure they are ready for guests, after bringing staff back from furlough.
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Under new laws published yesterday, pubs can reopen at 6am today. However, they can only serve alcohol during their normal licensing hours and the re-opening time was determined to avoid people drinking just after midnight.
New laws will also give the police the power to break up any gatherings of more than 30 people.
Yesterday, police chiefs warned that anyone breaking the rules this weekend would be prosecuted and that pubs could be shut down.
Emergency services are expected to be so stretched that ambulance bosses have urged people to phone 999 only if it is life threatening.
West Midlands Labour Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson said he was hoping for bad weather as he warned the decision to re-open pubs on a Saturday was a recipe for 'serious disorder'.
He added: 'It is the case that when the weather is inclement, the problems we have are somewhat reduced. So we're praying for rain.'
Scotland Yard commander Bas Javid called for drinkers in the capital to be responsible and said it was important 'we don't lose track of how far we have all come'.
Police in Leicester – the first city put in local lockdown – fear people will travel to nearby Nottingham for a drink and will be patrolling train stations in both cities to question passengers.
The National Police Chiefs' lead for alcohol harm, Rachel Kearton, said she expected 'New Year's Eve-style' celebrations but people should be prepared to alter plans or go home if venues are too busy.
Yesterday the Prime Minister vowed to move away from 'blanket measures' and instead use local lockdowns to combat Covid.
He outlined a five-step plan for how regional outbreaks would be dealt with.
Firstly Government scientists will be tasked with looking out for local hotspots, second NHS Test and Trace will seek to develop a deeper understanding of these and, third, extra testing will be used to get a grip on the problem.
The fourth step would use restrictions could such as closing individual premises and, fifth, local lockdowns will be brought in if the problem persists.
Mr Johnson also suggested people should consider using face coverings when queuing.
'This isn't just another disease for me. Friends have died. I got off lightly': Matt Hancock reveals his own struggles with coronavirus as critics lash the Health Secretary for 'over-promising and under-delivering'
BY SIMON WALTERS FOR THE DAILY MAIL
Health Secretary Matt Hancock, 41, was mightily relieved to reach his much-vaunted target of 100,000 Covid tests a day with hours to spare in the last week of May
The first sign Matt Hancock had that he was feeling the strain of dealing with the Government's attempt to fight coronavirus was when he noticed wife Martha scrutinising his thinning hair.
She singled out a single grey strand and promptly pulled it out.
It was the last week in May, a big moment politically and personally for 41-year-old Health Secretary.
He was mightily relieved to reach his much-vaunted target of 100,000 Covid tests a day with hours to spare. But it came at a cost: 'We hit the target but in the process I got my first grey hair!' he laughs.
Tiggerish Hancock loves setting himself political targets. But when the results of the inevitable inquiry into the Government's handling of the pandemic are published, many expect him to be in the cross hairs.
He has been the subject of vicious sniping from unnamed Downing St sources for allegedly 'over-promising and under-delivering' on combatting the virus, the fiasco of the anti-Covid app and clashes with the Prime Minister.
Yet sitting in his office in the Health Department in Westminster, Hancock did not look like a man expecting the coronavirus chop.
In his first major interview since the crisis began in March, he warned drunken thugs they faced jail if they abuse today's reopening of pubs and announced the biggest ever flu jab programme to help the NHS prepare for the risk of a new Covid wave in winter.
In a rare public show of emotion, he talked candidly of how the crisis has made him rethink his approach to politics and life.
Hancock, a father of three, was struck down by Covid at the same time as Boris Johnson, and says that although he was back at his desk in a week it was a 'horrible' experience.
'For two days I couldn't swallow, eat or drink. It was like having shards of glass in your throat.'
Hancock believes that being trim – he is six feet tall and twelve stone seven pounds – helped him get over it quickly. 'Thin people get through it better than fat people,' he said.
Could he match his chunkier fellow survivor Boris Johnson's theatrical performance of one or two press ups in front of the cameras in his Downing Street study?
Hancock believes that being trim – he is six feet tall and twelve stone seven pounds – helped him get over it quickly
'I'm not in competition with the Prime Minister,' Hancock replied coyly, before adding: 'I can do maybe 25.'
Three of Hancock's friends have been lost to Covid: economics professor Deepak Lal; Sir Peter Sinclair who taught him when he joined the Bank of England after university; and British envoy Steven Dick, who worked for Hancock when he was Culture, Media and Sports Secretary.
'This really matters for me,' he said. 'This isn't just another disease and it isn't just a policy problem. I feel the effects of it really personally. People I admire and respect have died. Friends. I got off lightly.'
Hancock is planning a quiet Super Saturday: a pint of beer with his brother Chris – and a haircut. And in suitably responsible style (unlike Boris Johnson's reckless dad Stanley) has booked a family 'staycation' in Cornwall in August.
He has often been accused of paying more attention to political games than principles. Not any more, he claimed: 'I have learned about the need to rise above some of the politics...the comings and goings.'
He defended his record in curbing the virus, but there is no escaping the fact that Britain has one of the highest numbers of fatalities in the world.
And most experts admit there were mistakes in delaying the initial lockdown and failing to protect the elderly in care homes, and bungles over testing and apps.Hancock will be the fall guy, not Johnson or the scientists; it's on his watch, I suggested.
'Everybody was doing the best job they possibly could. The decisions we took we took together… we were trying to use all the information at your disposal and come to the best judgements that collectively you can.'
Health Secretary Matt Hancock with horse Star of Bengal after going out riding with the Clarehaven Stables in Newmarket
Note his use of the words 'together,' 'collectively', 'all the information at your disposal'.
A cynic's translation might be: 'I might be the Health Secretary but everything I did was signed off by the Prime Minister so don't blame me. And if I made any blunders it was because the scientists gave me the wrong information.'
Was he big enough to admit he personally had got some things wrong? He replied cautiously: 'We are constantly learning…' I interjected: 'You dumped the elderly into care homes, thousands died.' He replied: 'That wasn't the case.'
Finally he conceded there were things he wished he had done differently. He regrets banning loved ones from attending relatives' funerals, for instance.
But he insisted he had got many things right. 'I was told there's nothing we can do about it...the NHS will be overwhelmed. But we protected the NHS.'
He refuses to apologise for losing his cool when interrupted by BBC Radio's Nick Robinson, pleading tetchily: 'Let me speak!'
'The thing that gets to me is the injustice,' he said of Robinson's constant interruptions. 'If people are being unfair I do find that frustrating.'
He conspicuously failed to deny reports he had protested to Johnson, saying 'give me a break!', in a row concerning the Government's virus handling.
Some of Johnson's allies have always been suspicious of Hancock, a Remainer and member of the David Cameron/George Osborne inner circle despised by Johnson.
In last year's leadership contest, Hancock attacked Johnson's call to prorogue Parliament to force through Brexit and sided with journalist Charlotte Edwardes who said Johnson groped her at a dinner party.
When Hancock's own leadership challenge flopped, he shamelessly backed the hot favourite Johnson.
Spectator editor Fraser Nelson has said Tory critics see him as a 'sycophant who crawls up to anyone who is in power.'
Hancock responded without blushing: 'Guilty as charged. I'm a team player.' Piers Morgan has called him a 'pathetic, pious, hapless, hypocrite, bossy school prefect.' 'I can't deny the last,' roared Hancock.
Not everyone is out to get him.
He proudly pointed out that the smart John Lewis blue tie he wore for the interview was sent to him by a constituent who assumed from his regular appearances at Downing Street press conferences in a pink tie that he didn't have any other.
Hancock said his first lesson in politics and economics came when his mother Shirley and step-father Bob's high-tech family firm in his native Cheshire faced bankruptcy after a client failed to pay a bill on time.
A self-confessed geek, he wrote computer codes for the firm from the age of 15.
'Every day we hoped the cheque would come and when the postman came I'd run from the breakfast table. I can still hear the noise of that letter box.
'When the cheque came, mum took it straight to the bank and the business survived. It made me ask how can a perfectly successful business go under because of something completely out of their control.
Spectator editor Fraser Nelson (left) has said Tory critics see Matt Hancock as a 'sycophant who crawls up to anyone who is in power'. Piers Morgan has called him a 'pathetic, pious, hapless, hypocrite, bossy school prefect'
'It is why my heart goes out to businesses so badly hit by this crisis.'
Having barely had a day off for five months, he is keen to have time with his own children.
He was amused when his daughter asked for help with her home school studies only to discover it was an essay on politics.
More improbably he also worked as a schoolboy 'horse catcher' at the Grand National in nearby Liverpool.
'My job was to stand next to a big jump and if a jockey fell off, catch the horse. One year I gave a jockey a leg up and he finished the race. They changed the rules after that!'
The naughtiest thing he will admit to is fibbing as a student sports radio reporter in his Oxford days.
Due to report on an England rugby match at Twickenham, he overslept and filed his reports watching it on TV in a pub in Reading, while pretending to be at the game.
'I went into a phone box opposite the pub and said 'here I am, live at Twickenham, as the teams take the field, the crowd enthusiastic on their feet in applause!' he laughs, imitating a commentator's patter.
It's not the most recent 'naughty' thing he has done, however. As we discussed his attempts to curb drunken scenes in pubs today, he confessed to having got drunk himself just six months ago at Christmas, declining to give further details.
But Hancock pledged 100 per cent support for police chiefs who are tasked with stopping 'Super Saturday' leading to riotous behaviour.
Asked if judges and magistrates should take a tough line with booze-fuelled idiots who start pub fights, he said: 'Of course, the law is there for a reason.'
When Hancock in 2012 took part in a charity horse race at Newmarket, the home of British flat racing in his West Suffolk constituency, he got tips on tactics from top jockey Frankie Dettori. 'I was told to tuck in behind who I thought would win, pull out at two furlongs and kick on.'
It sounds like a metaphor for his political rise, I suggested. 'I won the race,' he grinned.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMid2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmRhaWx5bWFpbC5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FydGljbGUtODQ4OTE5Ny9FbmdsYW5kLWJyYWNlcy1wdWJzLXJlb3Blbi1TdXBlci1TYXR1cmRheS1mZWFycy02YW0tbWF5aGVtLWNhbG1lZC5odG1s0gF7aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZGFpbHltYWlsLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYXJ0aWNsZS04NDg5MTk3L2FtcC9FbmdsYW5kLWJyYWNlcy1wdWJzLXJlb3Blbi1TdXBlci1TYXR1cmRheS1mZWFycy02YW0tbWF5aGVtLWNhbG1lZC5odG1s?oc=5
2020-07-04 07:38:17Z
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