Home-cooked meals and What's App games - Sheffield landlady proves a lockdown lifeline for grateful locals

Like all other publicans, Clare Tobin from the Wadsley Jack was forced to close her premises after the Government forced all pubs to shut on Friday, March 20.

However, after a few days of wondering what to do, Clare decided to she wanted to keep the pub’s tight-knit community together despite no one coming through her doors.

Since then she has delivered hundreds of home-cooked meals to vulnerable locals, as well as other essentials such as medicine and shopping.

And she has also helped keep people connected online by hosting virtual horse races, darts tournaments and even a game of Who Wants to be a Millionaire using What’s App.

She said: “There are a lot of people around here who live on their own and coming to the pub is the only time they ever get to see anyone.

“People have phoned me and said their mums and dads can’t get out can you get them something and I can go and check in on them as well and just have a chat.

“But we’ve also been having bingo nights, baby photo competitions, quizzes and we’re even in the process of doing a tasteful covid-19 themed naked calendar.

“One customer said she felt like she’d been out all weekend despite not going anywhere!”

Clare has lived in the popular Rural Lane family pub for the last 23 years and has worked there since she was 15.

She currently lives there with her plumber husband Josh and son Teddy, both of whom have been helping out with the What’s App games.

As well as delivering food and other essentials, she has also asked local children to decorate the pub’s fencing with brightly coloured drawings to raise everyone’s spirits.

Local Charlotte Middleton said Clare has been instrumental in keeping everyone going during a difficult period.

She said: “She is a true inspiration and has managed to make this very depressing time a very fun-filled one that we all have lovely memories from.”