Now the big question of when we can return to the boozer has finally been answered, another is being asked: What will pubs look like post-lockdown?
Quieter, the government is hoping. Not in terms of attendance; but in volume.
Following Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement that pubs and restaurants could reopen on July 4, venues have been told to follow a certain set of procedures to help prevent increased transmission of the virus and avoid a second spike in cases.
This includes a lot of rules you might expect: Social distancing, screens, hand-washing, rigorous cleaning and favouring “back-to-back or side-to-side working (rather than face-to-face)”.
But pubs and restaurants are also being told to play music quietly and put a stop to raised voices.
In a newly published set of guidelines for businesses, the government advice states: “All venues should ensure that steps are taken to avoid people needing to unduly raise their voices to each other.
“This includes, but is not limited to, refraining from playing music or broadcasts that may encourage shouting, including if played at a volume that makes normal conversation difficult.”
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So, when you’re finally back in the local next month, you might be encouraged to keep it down.
Elsewhere in the document, the government has urged businesses to introduce staggered shift patterns and manage the numbers of people entering the premises at any one time.
Pubs and restaurants are being told to calculate the “maximum number of customers that can reasonably follow social distancing guidelines (2m, or 1m with risk mitigation where 2m is not viable, is acceptable).”
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PPE for staff is not compulsory, but the guidance does state that “Employers should support their workers in using face coverings safely if they choose to wear one.”
I’m A Celebrity line-up announced for brand new all-star series in South Africa
Daisy Jackson
The all-star line-up for I’m A Celebrity… South Africa has been announced, with some massive Manchester celebs taking part.
The brand new show is due to air in April and will see some of the series’ most memorable campmates heading to a new setting in South Africa.
Names involved include Bolton-born boxing legend Amir Khan, Coronation Street star Helen Flanagan, and Happy Mondays legend Shaun Ryder.
And that’s just part of the first wave of celebrity contestants – more famous faces will take part in I’m A Celebrity… South Africa, entering the camp as the series goes on.
The new series will ‘push them to their limits and test them like never before’, ITV has said, promising bigger and tougher challenges and an even harsher environment.
Also taking part from the launch episode will be Diversity star Jordan Banjo, TV presenter Carol Vorderman, Olympian Fatima Whitbread, former royal butler Paul Burrell, ex-England cricketer Phil Tufnell, and supermodel Janice Dickinson.
ITV said: “Whilst nodding back to the Australian jungle, I’m A Celebrity…South Africa is a uniquely different series so viewers can look forward to lots of unexpected twists and turns.”
The trailer also shows the celebs taking part in pre-recorded challenges, taking on everything from nasty food to terrifying heights.
I’m A Celebrity… South Africa will air on ITV1 and ITVX from April 2023.
Featured image: ITV
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Commentator Arlo White shows off what the Old Trafford gantry walk looks like
Danny Jones
Ever wondered what it’s like to be up in the gantry in a football stadium, say, Old Trafford? Well, we certainly have.
You see the odd shot of the commentators sat there on the telly from time to time but it never really gives much away either and, at some venues, it’s quite a ways up there. There’s a little bit of allure behind these mysterious parts of footy grounds that most fans will never get to see.
After hours of mindless scrolling on the social media app, we stumbled across the well-known sports commentator‘s channel where he’s been showing off what it’s like to go in the gantry and one of them is his long walk to crow’s nest up at the Theatre of Dreams.
As it turns out, Arlo’s been doing these videos for a couple of years now, revealing how the gantry looks not only at Old Trafford but other big Premier League grounds too, such as down the road at the Etihad, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, Tottenham Hotspurs’ sparkly new ground and many more.
Another reason we found ourselves stuck on his TikTok for so long was also because of the other behind-the-scenes details he reveals too, even shedding light on how he prepares for games: note-taking, data sheets, how keeps himself warm up there during those cold nights on comms and so on.
The Manc -
24th June 2020 
