Pubs and punters embrace ‘new normal’ of a night out

Since the park had taken up the position of a mini-festival or a huge bring-your-own-beer pub, it felt strange at times being in the company of so many teenagers; it was like they had either illegally snuck into a club or we had turned up at under-18s party.

There was great relief then when pubs finally opened on ‘Super Saturday’.

The process of going to a pub – or multiple pubs – now requires planning and foresight; gone are the days where you could ring a friend at 8pm and ask if he fancied a spontaneous trip to the pub.

Spontaneity has disappeared; or at least it’s not as feasible as before. Now it is necessary to know where you want to go, with how many people and for how long.

On first thought, this sounds rather sad and removes the option to ‘play it by ear’.

I agree to some extent that the loss of spontaneity is a shame, but I’ve also learnt to adapt and see the positive side.

In an activity which would’ve seemed bizarre five months ago, I sat down a few days before July 4 with a cup of tea and planned a pub crawl.

My criteria for finding a pub was simple: are they open, and do they have space. Several pubs do have a walk-in service, but relying on this is risky.

I quickly realised, despite planning days in advance, many pubs were already fully booked.

Yet, in this stroke of serendipity, my friendship group has been forced to try many new pubs over the past weeks and this experience has been wholly worthwhile.

It’s also been apparent how many pubs there really are in the city and that each has their own charm and uniqueness.

In many pubs, it’s been obvious we are not locals and upon entering it has felt a bit like the beginning An American Werewolf in London – but that was of course a silly presumption as everyone we’ve met in new pubs like the Red Lion and The Brothers Arms have been nothing but welcoming.

I’m usually someone who spends the whole evening in one pub, so it felt strange leaving after one hour, but now I like that an evening has multiple destinations, each with their own character.

In terms of the actual service, pubs now feel closer to European ways with table orders, tabs and getting rounds and again, there have been complaints about it, but I think they are only perceived as negative because they are unfamiliar.

This unfamiliarity applies to many things right now including face masks and social distancing.

Yes, this may be tedious and annoying, but the measurements are set in place for a reason: the health and safety of society.

I’ve been impressed with pubs’ friendly customer service, adherence to safety regulations and upbeat attitude.

With this in mind I’ve learnt to stop moaning about the new ways and instead enjoy organising an evening out with the hope of finding a new ‘local’.