But after pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants were permitted to begin serving outdoors from 12th April as part of ‘Step Two’ in the government’s roadmap to lifting England’s current national lockdown – alongside the reopening of non-essential retail, gyms, libraries and outdoor attractions such as zoos and theme parks – hospitality businesses can finally welcome customers indoors from 17th May, at the earliest.
This means that, pending government review, for the first time in just over five months, we will be able to sit down inside our favourite local hangouts to enjoy a drink and a bite to eat with our friends and family.
The reopening of indoor hospitality comes amid an ongoing legal battle launched by Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Adviser, Sacha Lord – who is also the co-founder of Parklife Festival and Warehouse Project – and Punch Taverns founder Hugh Osmond, who notably joined forces last month to take the government to court over restrictions as they argued that bars, restaurants and cafes should have been allowed to provide indoor service on the same date as non-essential retail resumes.
It’s estimated that the delay in reopening indoor hospitality could end up costing the sector £7 billion over the five weeks.
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But what will it be like?
What can we expect on our first indoor visit to a pub, restaurant, bar or cafe once ‘Step Three’ commences? What restrictions will be in place? Who can we visit with?
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Here’s everything you need to know.
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What restrictions will be in place?
While there is currently no legal requirement set out for customers to prove their COVID-19 status, a number of necessary COVID-safe measures will be in place at venues once indoor hospitality reopens on 17th May, at the earliest, which includes table service, spacing out tables to ensure social distancing, putting dividers up such as plastic screens, encouraging card payments, and installing hand sanitiser stations.
Some venues may have also have temperature checks in place upon entry.
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All venues must adhere to the restrictions set out by the government to ensure all staff and customers are kept safe.
Who can I visit a pub, restaurant, cafe or bar with?
From 17th May, at the earliest, the ‘rule of six’ and the mixing of two households / social bubbles of any size is set to apply for all indoor social gatherings, which crucially includes at hospitality venues.
For mixing outdoors, the rule changes once again to allow groups of 30 maximum.
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What other restrictions are being lifted from 17th May?
If the data allows it, as well as the reopening of indoor hospitality, further restrictions will be lifted on 17th May as part of ‘Step Three’ of lifting England’s lockdown, which are:
Up to 30 people from different households will be able to gather outdoors.
Indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, hotels, museums, children’s play areas can reopen.
Adult indoor group sports and exercise classes can restart.
Performances and large events can restart, but with limits on audience numbers.
Domestic overnight stays will be allowed with people not in your household or bubble.
The limit on guests attending weddings, receptions and wakes will increase to 30.
The government has also said it will update advice on social distancing measures no later than this stage, and this will also be the earliest date at which international holidays may be able to resume.
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This will all be subject to a prior government review.
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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The cheapest Christmas Markets in the world for mulled wine have been revealed
Daisy Jackson
The most affordable Christmas Markets for drinking mulled wine have been revealed – and Manchester is nowhere in sight.
With Christmas markets across Europe preparing to welcome millions of visitors, festive fans looking to enjoy a warming cup of glühwein without breaking the bank might want to take note of the latest findings.
Festive experts at Christmas Tree World have analysed mulled wine prices at Christmas markets around the world to discover where visitors can enjoy the seasonal favourite for less.
Topping the rankings is Brussels’ Winter Wonders, where mulled wine is available for as little as £2.14 – about a third of the price of a mulled wine at the Manchester Christmas Markets.
Cologne Cathedral Christmas Markets and Strasbourg’s Christkindelsmärik share second place, with starting prices of just £2.56.
Other European favourites also feature prominently in the rankings. Budapest’s Christmas Market at the Basilica takes fourth place, with mulled wine costing £3.19, while Prague’s Old Town Square Christmas Market comes in sixth at £3.55.
Germany makes another strong appearance, with Dresden’s Striezelmarkt and Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt (which handily just launched new direct flights from Manchester) both offering mulled wine for £3.85.
Meanwhile, Vienna’s Christmas World rounds off the European entries in ninth place, with prices starting at £4.28.
For those planning a festive adventure further afield, Tokyo’s Christmas Market also makes the top five, with mulled wine costing £3.22.
However, not every destination offers such a bargain. Across the Atlantic, New York City’s Winter Village takes the title of the most expensive market in the study, with mulled wine costing a rather less festive £11.74. Chicago’s Christkindlmarket isn’t far behind, charging £8.80.
Manchester Christmas Markets start on Friday 6 November – we’ll see how our prices stack up then.
Sir Ian McKellen pays emotional tribute to long-time friend and fellow northern actor Sir Patrick Stewart
Emily Sergeant
Sir Ian McKellen has paid an emotional tribute to his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Patrick Stewart, following his death.
Sir Patrick Stewart – who was born and bred in Mirfield, West Yorkshire, and is best-known for his theatre work alongside an illustrious 60-year screen career, taking on prominent roles in franchises such as Star Trek and X-Men – sadly passed away at the age of 86, with his death being announced publicly yesterday evening (29 October).
And now, his long-time friend and fellow northern actor, Sir Ian McKellen, has paid tribute.
Sir Patrick and Sir Ian shared the stage together countless times over their decades-long careers, but also famously starred alongside each other in the X-Men franchise, and subsequent Marvel movies, as Charles Xavier/Professor X and Magneto.
The tribute, shared across Sir Ian’s social media platforms, reads: “Before everything else, Patrick was defined by being born and bred in Yorkshire, the proud county in the north of England which he loved to the end. You could hear it in his accented voice and in the stern honesty with which he told you what he thought and felt. Yorkshiremen have no truck with half-truths or avoidance of big issues. He wore his heart on his sleeve, which made him a man to rely on, to admire and in my case, love.
“We first met as ambitious young actors with the Royal Shakespeare Company half a century ago but we weren’t in the same productions.
“My first strong memory was a few years later, meeting him in the street in central London when he told me about an offer to take over a leading part in ‘Star Trek’. “But Patrick think of your stage career in the UK. Do you really want to risk getting lost in Hollywood for years and years?”
“Well, he took the risk and thank goodness for us all that he did, for not just his devoted Trekkies, but film and theatre audiences who marvelled at his using international celebrity to star in a string of cinema successes (‘X-Men’ of course) and in great classical plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, Arthur Miller, Peter Shaffer, Pinter and Beckett at Stratford-upon-Avon, in London’s West End and on Broadway.
“America was his adopted home, where he met his adored Sunny who has cared for him through sickness and health, through thick and thin.
“But he never forsook his origins: and the proudest achievement of the most respected and beloved actor of his generation on either side of the Atlantic, was his appointment as Chancellor of Huddersfield University in Yorkshire.”
The Manc -
29th April 2021 
