Beer gardens packed on first Friday night after UK lockdown eased
Thirsty Britons today packed beer gardens and dined al fresco across England on the first Friday night since coronavirus restrictions were eased while revellers prepare for the biggest night of drinking in six months before a sunny weekend which will see temperatures hit 53F (17C).
Hundreds of people flocked to outdoor bars and restaurants in Manchester’s Northern Quarter and London’s Soho and Borough Market to wine and dine with friends and family for the first time since November – the last time people could enjoy outdoor hospitality.
An estimated 1.5million people will drink a whopping five million pints and 500,000 bottles of wine tonight across 20,000 restaurants outdoors, with alcohol sales set to be double those on a normal Friday night as Britons celebrate their newfound freedom.
The Met Office is forecasting sunny spells and highs in England of 57F (14C) tomorrow for Prince Philip’s funeral at Windsor, and 61F (16C) on Sunday, with the mercury possibly even higher in parts of Scotland on what is expected to be a dry weekend for much of the UK.
But there will still be overnight frosts – and temperatures will be nowhere near the highs seen during the mini-heatwave a fortnight ago which brought the hottest March day in 53 years with 76.1F (24.5C) recorded in London and caused many to flout lockdown laws.
This weekend will be the first of 2021 that people in England have been able to enjoy outdoor hospitality and non-essential retail, after the Government continued to implement its roadmap out of the gruelling national shutdown imposed by Boris Johnson in early January.
People enjoy the warm weather as they sit outside bars and restaurants in Manchester’s Northern Quarter today
People enjoying food and drink on a sunny afternoon in Borough Market in London
Revellers in London’s Soho drinking in the afternoon sun on the first Friday since pubs were allowed to reopen outdoors
People in Manchester enjoy the warm weather as they sit outside bars and restaurants on Edge Street
The Friday night spending spree is set to fill the tills of the depleted hospitality industry to the tune of £100million.
Despite Covid rules still being in place, revellers were expected to hit the towns in their thousands tonight, when pubs open for the first weekend night since lockdown began in January.
Some areas have been forced to wait even longer – six months – due to the previous local tier system.
Friday will be the first weekend night were pubs and bars across England have been allowed to open – albeit only for outdoor drinking – since October last year.
But revellers will have to wrap-up in more than just a beer jacket when they hit the pubs and bars this weekend, as they’ll have to remain in outdoor areas under current Covid rules. And with night time temperatures in London set to drop to 5C in the evening, it will be more than just the beer that will be chilled.
Britons have already been busy cramming into streets and outdoor seating areas this week after the Government eased restrictions on the hospitality industry on Monday.
Pubs and bars in England can now open outdoor seating areas to welcome back groups of up to six people, or two households. Indoor seating will not be allowed until at least May 17 under the Government’s current roadmap out of lockdown.
Wales will keep its pubs shut until April 27, much to the frustration of the country’s hospitality chiefs, as will Scotland.
Meanwhile, pubs and cafes can reopen in Northern Ireland for outdoor service on April 30, and indoors from May 24.
People in Manchester enjoy the warm weather as they sit outside bars and restaurants on Thomas Street this afternoon
Warmer weather encourages people to eat their lunch outside in Manchester’s Northern Quarter this afternoon
People in Manchester sit outside bars and restaurants on Edge Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter this afternoon
The warm weather brings people out in Manchester as they sit outside bars and restaurants on Thomas Street this afternoon
People enjoying a late lunch in Soho this afternoon as outdoor hospitality resumes for the first time in four months
People enjoying a late lunch in Soho this afternoon as outdoor hospitality resumes for the first time in four months
People enjoying a late lunch in Soho this afternoon as outdoor hospitality resumes for the first time in four months
People enjoying food and drink on a sunny afternoon in Borough Market in London
People enjoying food and drink on a sunny afternoon in Borough Market in London
People enjoying food and drink on a sunny afternoon in Borough Market in London
Families and visitors flock to the beach in the seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset today on a day of warm and sunny spells
People gather to eat in Manchester this afternon as they enjoy the first Friday of outdoor hospitality being open this year
People flock to the beach at Lyme Regis in Dorset today, with the area busy with people enjoying the warm spring sunshine
People drink in the afternoon sun in London’s Soho today on the first Friday since outdoor hospitality was allowed to reopen
Friends (L-R) Phillipa Jackson, Kamila Musialik, Bethan Young, Mark Woodbine-Jones, Sylvia Dimova and Yulian Vasilev enjoy the sun at Portobello Beach near Edinburgh today
Crowds gather to eat in Manchester’s Northern Quarter today as people make the most of being able to dine outside
In a bid to stop late-night parties in London, police opted to shut north London beauty spot Primrose Hill after 10pm tonight, tomorrow and Sunday.
It will be temporarily closed and will then reopen again the following morning with officers breaking up groups after ‘recent incidents of anti-social behaviour’, police said.
Scores of maskless ravers defied social distancing measures and attended an illegal party at the park in Camden on April 3. No arrests were made but police continued to patrol the area over the Bank Holiday.
Litter was also left strewn across the green space – known for its awe-inspiring view across central London – with pickers clearing up empty beer cans, food cartons and laughing gas canisters on April 5 despite repeated calls for people to take home their mess.
Elsewhere in the capital city, officers are stepping up their patrols in busy areas such as Soho and Mayfair, vowing to take action against those who ‘dangerously flout the rules’ and urging business owners to ‘act responsibly’.
Revellers in London’s Soho drinking in the afternoon sun on the first Friday since Pubs were allowed to reopen outdoors
The Soho revellers were spotted with pints of beer in hand as they gathered outside pubs and bars to enjoy the autumn sun
These two women were pictured enjoying a glass of beer and a chat whilst they sat at a table in Soho on Friday afternoon
These women enjoyed both champagne and a cocktail as they sat outside a bar to take advantage of the relaxation in coronavirus restrictions
This pair clinked their beer bottles together as they were snapped whilst making the most of their new freedom on Friday
This man enjoyed a pint of beer whilst his companion opted for a glass of champagne on what was their first Friday at a bar since January
Revellers were pictured sitting at tables in Soho as they enjoyed food and drinks outside bars and restaurants on Friday
People sit at the terrace of a bar, as the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions ease, in London
In Soho, scuffles broke out between drinkers as people queued to sit down and others enjoyed meals and beverages around them
Police were pictured talking to revellers after tempers flared on the first Friday night since pubs and bars were allowed to re-open
Drinkers were seen trying to break up an altercation as things became heated in Soho on Friday whilst others enjoyed their new freedom
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson was accused of scrapping plans to introduce vaccine passports to go to the pub after it emerged the measure was missing from a list of high-profile events including the FA Cup final.
The football season-ending showpiece next month, its two preceding semi-finals and the League Cup Final are on the Events Research Programme which will examine ways of reopening mass-attendance venues safely.
But under guidance released by the Department of Digital, Culture Media and Sport today, Covid ‘certificates’ will not be used.
Instead fans travelling to Wembley for the final on May 15 – which will take place with 21,000 spectators – will have to provide evidence of a recent negative Covid test and take tests afterwards.
The announcement prompted speculation that the Prime Minister has caved in to rebel Tory backbenchers, who had threatened to join Labour to vote down any law governing their introduction, on civil liberties grounds.
One rebel Tory MP told MailOnline today: ‘I think we’ve managed to take the wheels off this plan.’
In England, thousands of people headed out across the country on Monday night to enjoy a first taste of freedom from lockdown when the bars reopened for the first time since early January.
A group of women make the most of the sunshine by relaxing outdoors at Old Eldon Square in Newcastle city centre today
People enjoy an afternoon drink in the sunshine in London’s Soho today as outdoor hospitality reopens
Three men enjoy sitting outside a coffee shop in London’s Soho this afternoon in the warmer weather
People enjoying a late lunch in Soho this afternoon as London’s West End welcomes people back this week
People eat outdoors in London’s Soho this afternoon as they make the most of the warmer weather
People enjoying food and drink on a sunny afternoon at Borough Market in London today
Families and visitors flock to the seafront at the seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset this afternoon
People enjoy eating lunch outside in Manchester today on the first Friday of outdoor hospitality so far this year
People enjoying food and drink on a sunny afternoon as others go for a walk at Borough Market in London today
Families go for a paddle at Lyme Regis in Dorset this afternoon as they make the most of the pleasant weather
People sit outside a bar in London’s Soho as outdoor hospitality reopens this week across England
A man appears to take a photograph on his phone as visitors flock to the seafront in the resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset today
A group of people enjoy a drink while sat outside at a table in London’s Soho this afternoon
People walk along the promenade at Lyme Regis in Dorset this afternoon on a day of warm and sunny spells
The car park at Cairn Gorm mountain is packed today as hillwalkers take advantage of the lifting of restrictions in Scotland
Members of the public enjoy the sun at Portobello Beach near Edinburgh today as temperatures get warmer
Customers enjoy a drink at a pub in the shadow of Windsor Castle this afternoon, one day before Prince Philip’s funeral
People make their way along the Long Walk at Windsor Castle today, one day before Prince Philip’s funeral tomorrow
People enjoy the sun at Piece Hall in Halifax, West Yorkshire, this afternoon on a pleasant day in the town
Revellers were seen packing into the streets around Soho in London, as well as in Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle.
But police were seen keeping a watchful eye over proceedings in popular drinking hotspots in London earlier this week.
Officers were seen attempting to break-up big crowds as people cheered, sang and raised their drinks to a first night of freedom.
Ahead of this weekend, Kate Nicholls, boss of UK Hospitality, told the Sun that Britons were eager for a return to pubs and bars.
She said: ‘Bookings are very strong for the first few weeks of outdoor reopening. People are eager to socialise again.’
According to a study by VoucherCodes.co.uk and the Centre for Retail Research, people in England are expected to splash out £100million on drinks this weekend.
A further £1.5billion is expected to be spent in shops, which will also welcome back customers for the first weekend of trading since Christmas.
Some high street chains are offering bumper discounts, including tech giant Currys, which is offering 70 per cent off, and Superdrug, which is offering 50 per cent off.
The warmer weather comes after very low April temperatures in some parts of the UK last weekend, with 15F (-9.4C) recorded at Tulloch Bridge in Scotland and 7cm (2.7in) of snow falling at Lake Vyrnwy in Wales.
Paddle boarders takie in the glorious sunrise this morning off the coast of Tynemouth beach in North Tyneside
Runners make their way along Tynemouth Longsands in North Tyneside before sunrise this morning
The sun rises this morning above the Thames Estuary near Gravesend in Kent following a frosty night
Runners make their way along Tynemouth Longsands in North Tyneside before sunrise this morning
The sun rises above the Thames Estuary near Gravesend in Kent this morning
Today began dry with early mist and fog soon lifting and clearing, with spells of sunshine following for most areas – although some cloud cover developed during the day and it will turn breezier across the North West.
It will then be a mostly dry evening with bright spells but with some cloud cover. The North West could see thick cloud and spots of drizzle, but most areas will be dry overnight with lengthy clear spells and patches of mist.
Met Office meteorologist Aiden McGiven said that the weather will be dry for many places this weekend with sunshine but it will turn damp in the North West on Sunday.
There will be a widespread frost early tomorrow morning with 30F (-1C) to 27F (-3C) quite widely, and even lower in sheltered rural areas, but the day is looking dry and bright with sunny spells for most areas.
He said: ‘With light winds in any sunny spells it will feel warm, 13C (55F) to 14C (57F) across a good part of the country. 15C (59F) through central Scotland and we could even get a 16C (61F) or 17C (63F) in the far north of Scotland, but around coasts it will continue to feel cool, 9C (48F) to 11C (52F) on the North Sea coast.’
‘High pressure is then pulling away through tomorrow night, drawing up slightly warmer air, but weather fronts will arrive into the North West and bring some outbreaks of rain, especially in Northern Ireland and northern Scotland.’
Mr McGivern continued: ‘A frost free start to the day on Sunday across Scotland and Northern Ireland. Elsewhere another widespread frost for much of England and Wales.
‘After a bright start we will see the cloud thicken from the West through the day, mainly medium and high levels of cloud, so the sunshine turning more hazy across Wales and northern England, but the further South East you are, the more likely it is to stay brighter with some sunny spells into the afternoon.
‘Temperatures up a few degrees compared to the last couple of days, 14C to 16C fairly widely across England and Wales away from the east coast, but for Scotland and Northern Ireland given the additional cloud and those outbreaks of rain, those temperatures will be held back a bit more.’
It will be another cloudy and wet day for Scotland and Northern Ireland on Monday, with sunny spells further south but cloud spreading south-eastwards.
