Friends embrace 'Super Saturday' as pubs and bars reopen
A look at pubs from around England today. Open after a 15 week lockdown.
Pubs, cafes restaurants and cinemas in England have opened their doors to customers for the first time in three months.
We asked six young photographers to document what an evening out looked like.
Ceri Oates - Whitby, Yorkshire
The seaside town and port situated on the east coast of Yorkshire is perhaps best known for its strong literary associations - particularly Bram Stoker's Gothic novel Dracula - and the dramatic abbey ruins on the headland overlooking the town.
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Image captionThe Moon and Sixpence, a harbour-side bar, offers views of the historic town. But its popular window seats have been removed to meet social distancing measures.
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Image captionManager Lex Atkinson takes the details of all customers as they come to enjoy an evening out. The bar is offering table service only, and a booking system is in place, with customers limited to a two-hour slot.
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Image captionThese friends who travelled to Whitby from nearby Darlington say they are happy to see bars opening again as it is time to kick-start the economy. They say not seeing their friends is the thing they have missed most over the past three months.
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Image captionEmma Morley and Lee Clarke from Peterborough both work for the NHS, and say they have had a hectic three months. Because of their work, they have been around people throughout the lockdown. "It doesn't really feel any different for us [being out again], we're not having to step out of our comfort zone," says Emma.
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Image captionLex Atkinson admits that a night out at the bar "looks so different to how it did before". She says the reduced capacity will allow them to ease themselves back in gently after three months off. "It means we've got time to enforce the new stricter cleaning procedures such as wiping down till points and menus between every customer with antibacterial spray," she says.
Bex Wade - Soho, London
The weekend marks the end of Pride events in the UK. Covid-19 meant that celebrating LGBT+ rights looked a little different this year with many of the events held virtually.
Image copyrightBEX WADE/BBC
Image caption"We have installed screens between each table, there are sanitiser units around the building and everything is socially distanced," says Jeremy Joseph, owner of G-A-Y. Capacity inside the club has been cut. People give their details before entering, and these are held for 21 days to tie in with the NHS track and trace system.
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Image caption"To be honest I wouldn't normally be inside a bar but I did miss Pride generally," says Evan, a 32 year old actor (pictured right). He says the atmosphere on Old Compton Street has been "amazing". "This feels the closest to Pride that we could have," he says.
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Image captionTommy is 25 and also an actor. He says he feels safe with the precautions the bar had in place. "They've put up lots of barriers, so it's a one-way system. There's lots of perspex so that germs can't be spread." He's not so sure about the new rules of having to sit in a booth. "You can't get up and dance," he says.
Image copyrightBEX WADE/BBC
Image captionMichael, a 22-year-old receptionist, (pictured left) was disappointed events had been affected by the lockdown. "It's one of the days of the year that I like to go out and express myself. But it's OK because today it does feel festive - everyone's out and about, and it feels a bit like Pride today."
Continued at link.