Planned reopen from Monday 21st June
2021.**
Hello all, happy new year!
As my neighbour would have once said, “it’s been too long a winter!” The Red Lion closed its doors at the beginning of November last year, as we entered our second national lockdown (or firebreak, as they liked to call it!) County Durham was then placed into tier 4 restrictions (no pubs permitted to open); Christmas was all but cancelled and we then entered our third national lockdown.
It has been a tough time for everyone and we’re not quite out of the woods yet.
As the UK begins to ease out of lockdown, hospitality venues will once again be able to open. From today and up to Monday 17th May (at the earliest) however, this will be restricted to outside table service only. This isn’t a practical solution for the Red; the pub is special because of the unique atmosphere that is created within it. We’re not all champing at the bit for a pint on the car park or gin in the garden. We’re yearning for social interaction, that isn’t limited to the social bubble we live with; we want good old fashioned craic and locally crafted ales to wash it all down! It’s with this ethos in mind that I have taken the difficult decision not to reopen the Red Lion until all ‘table service only’ restrictions are lifted. Looking at the government’s road map, this will be from Monday 21st June, fingers crossed. I realise this is a long wait and some other hospitality venues will have been open 5 or even 10 weeks before me. I’m sorry, the thought of having to, once again, restrict customers to pre bookings and table allocation fills me with dread. That’s not what a traditional English pub is supposed to be about; so I’d rather just wait.
I’m very much looking forward to seeing you all again this summer, hopefully it will be one hell of a reunion!
Best wishes
Richard
12/04/2021
**(Subject to confirmation of national Covid restrictions lifted)