Covid: Derbyshire pubs crossing fingers for Christmas trade

Landlord Wendy Livingstone at the Bentley Brook Inn is hoping for a busy Christmas Day

Pub landlords in Derbyshire say they expect to take a financial hit this Christmas due to the pandemic.

Venues have reported quieter nights and smaller takings, with some also suffering a string of cancellations.

Over the weekend Health Secretary Sajid Javid said there were "no guarantees" on any new restrictions in England.

Wendy Livingstone, who runs the Bentley Brook Inn at Fenny Bentley, near Ashbourne, said she hoped their fully-booked Christmas Day will go ahead.

She said her pub's ability to diversify its offerings has helped it weather the storms of the pandemic, but said smaller establishments and other venues were struggling.

"It's been very, very hard - we're all just pulling through it," she said.

"We've been very lucky, we've managed the situation relatively well, we've got a very good core of staff who look after our guests and our customers very well.

"The smaller places that don't have the ability to diversify, I think they're really going to struggle."

'Clearer indications'

Ms Livingstone said she was expecting a drop in takings over Christmas of "approximately 20%", and was worried if her staff would stay clear of Covid and be able to serve their customers.

She called for "clearer indications" from the government over what people and businesses need to do, as well as financial support for the hospitality trade.

"I'm crossing my fingers and my toes and everything else for Christmas and Boxing Day, because we're completely full," she said.

"How that will transpire over this next week, I really don't know."

The Jug and Glass has had "lots of cancellations" in recent weeks

Vicky Bonsall, from The Jug and Glass in Newhaven, said she has had "lots of cancellations" from customers "worried about what is going to happen".

"Everyone's just scared to death - I really don't know what's going to happen," she said.

"We've even cancelled doing any form of Christmas dinners, we're just opening for drinks now on Christmas Day, because it's not worth it, getting all the stuff in and then people cancelling at the last minute."

Modelling from scientific advisers, published on Saturday, showed that if ministers stuck to the current Plan B measures, there could be a peak of 3,000 hospital admissions in England per day.

The British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), which has 80,000 members, has said there should be no tightening of restrictions without more financial help from the Treasury.

On Sunday, a Treasury spokesperson said: "We recognise how important the festive period is for so many businesses and the government will continue to engage constructively on how it can best provide ongoing support to the businesses and sectors affected."