As a pub landlady, I can say it has been a long, hard, third lockdown. But needs must and there is hope on the horizon with vaccines being doled out at a fair pace. So, at last, I find myself looking forward to the real possibility of life returning to the point where we can reopen our doors and welcome back all you wonderful people who we have come to recognise as friends as much as customers.
It may still be months away, but it is well worth anticipating. The psychology of just believing it will actually happen is amazingly positive by this point.
I have watched Ben pace the empty floors of the pub, steam clean them relentlessly, and paint them with three coats of fresh varnish… because he had the time after all! He has also painted walls and reworked the back bar. He has, dare I say it, made it his own – with no disrespect to our predecessors, Ann and Graham, who had already done an incredible job. But he was so very bored and missed the pub so very much, he just had to find excuses to be in it.
To tide us over during these times, I got back to my roots and found myself a new desk job as editor for a specialist science magazine (nope – you’re unlikely to want to read it unless you work in a laboratory, but if you do you can certainly have a copy). This has meant we could carry on without too many major fears for the future, so I’m eternally grateful to have been able to do this.
I shall keep the job even when we reopen. It is the right decision ethically – it would be wrong to take advantage of the role simply while we needed the money. But also, let’s face it, how many married couples work well together? The truth is, Ben is more than a little glad that I’m out from under his feet when it comes to developing and managing what has always been his bar.
So, I plan to be one of those landladies who swans down after work when I can, to enjoy a few drinks in the bar alongside you all… I can’t wait!
Y Manod 