For many of Manchester’s oldest pubs and their regulars, it has been seven long months since they had a beer indoors.
And with it raining for most of Monday, the great indoor hospitality reopening couldn’t come soon enough.
“I was a little tired of getting hypothermic every time I wanted a beer,” laughed Eric Sinnott, 60, as he snuggled into the warm comfort of Briton’s Protection on Great Bridgewater Street.
“I want to come in and be able to actually talk to the pub staff and talk to people again.”
It was a feeling that echoed around town from regulars returning to their old favorite drinks.
And for the landlords and landlords, it was a relief to finally get back to a job they love.
Rachelle at the Vine Inn
(Image: MEN)
Rachelle Stringer, landlady at The Vine Inn on Kennedy Street, said, “An empty pub is a soulless place, so it’s really nice to have people back. Pubs are really important places in people’s lives for many reasons.
“When the pubs were closed, people lost touch, they lost that connection and communication. I think everyone just wants to get back on the horse and get back to normal. I know I do.”
Then there were those who went out of their way to show their support for their favorite pub.
Colin Rutherford and Chris Taylor at The Gray Horse
(Image: MEN)
Take Colin Rutherford, 64, of Lisburn, Northern Ireland, who booked the first possible flight when regulations allowed Monday morning to return to his favorite boozer The Gray Horse on Portland Street.
Colin said quite simply that “it’s the best pub in Manchester” which made it worth the effort to look around.
“It’s the staff and it’s the people, it’s a real cozy pub,” he beamed. “I couldn’t wait to come back.”
Reopening wasn’t the easiest decision for The Gray Horse landlord Chris Taylor – as the pub is one of the smallest in town. It has a capacity of just 30 people inside as per current social distancing regulations.
He says, “Before Covid you would have a hard time going from one side of the bar to the other because it would be full, but now we’re limited to 30. We can’t take bookings, it will be a case.” show up and take the risk until the rules change again. “
Next door on Portland Street, the Circus Tavern, with its similarly small proportions, has not yet reopened.
Over at Old Nags Head on Jacksons Row, Sean Brett was delighted to have his punters back – and to show the fruits of his labor over the past seven months.
Sean Brett at Old Nags Head
He used the time in Lockdown to renovate the historic pub, including two huge function rooms with a new Manchester mural featuring music and culture icons such as Rowetta, Johnny Marr, Alan Turing and John Cooper Clarke, as well as a brand new roof terrace with artificial turf and flowers.
Sean says: “The feedback has already been very encouraging. We want to show that it is no longer just a battered old drunk, a lot is happening here.”
The pub was full at lunchtime on Monday and Sean was delighted to see so many smiling faces. He said, “Everyone is just happy to be back outside, to see each other again and not be in the rain. It just feels like another step back to normal.”
In the oldest Irish pub in town, Mulligans, landlord Padraig Brady also showed a new renovation. Among the players who enjoyed a beer was Tim Flynn, who said, “A pub is not just about the drink, it’s about the community. Where else in the world would you meet characters like you do in the pub ? “
The city’s oldest Wetherspoon, The Moon Under Water on Deansgate, opened from 7 a.m., and the first pints were poured at 9 a.m. As one of the largest pubs in the entire region, it is hoping for a big return on indoor hospitality this week.
Ronan and Carell by the moon under water
(Image: ABNM Photography)
It was a quiet start on Monday, but among those who went inside to start a day on the town were college students Ronan Harrison, 21, and Carell Birchall-Kenyon, 20, both from Salford.
Ronan said, “It’s just a relief to be back inside, so we planned a full day. We thought we’d start here because it’s so big and then go to the Northern Quarter and watch a movie later.” ” the Vue cinema. I think everyone hopes this is the beginning of the road back to normal life. “
