‘I tried to get a pint without booking on the night pubs reopened and Im worried for London – My London

After one of the hardest winters of many of our lives, London sorely needed a pint.

And yesterday our wish was finally granted.

Following months of beign closed, pubs finally partly reopened allowing revellers to flock to their favourite boozer.

Except theres a twist.

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Pubs can only serve to tables outside, with a very limited number of space available compared to the hordes of thirsty Londoners.

So when I went down to Soho I was just one thirsty camel among many.

The pubs that were taking bookings were booked up to the hilt and ones that werent had long queues outside.

It was a strangely tense atmosphere with one woman calling me out for queue jumping in that smarmy way English people get about queues when I was just walking past on the busy pavement. .

Um excuse me theres actually a queue here

She was clearly thrilled at being able to get angry with someone after so many months cooped up for lockdown but it was a real shame she had gotten angry for little old me just walking past.

This over-excited queue-er wasnt the only one with some tension to work through.

Cheers from the crowd kept sweeping through the narrow streets of Soho and only later we realised where it started when someone dropped a glass.

Its a real testament to how highly strung English people are that when something breaks everyone can only just scream with glee.

In the busy alleys last night, where a festival vibe reigned, the cheers just kept going round and round the blocks like a noisy Mexican Wave.

Anyone who managed to get a pub table protected it with the savagery of a mumma bear so I ended up spending the evening just looking slightly lamely on with a can of beer in hand.

I did find space at one of those bar/restaurant type places you get so many of around there but they only sold canned beer and it was miles away from the frosty pint I was after.

Despite the happy drinkers last night didnt have the same wild hedonism that we saw after the end of the first lockdown.

Perhaps people have learnt a lesson after the misery of the second wave of Covid or maybe were just all out of practice.

Theres clearly far more hesitance to return to normal life than many shops and businesses need.

I think the scars of this pandemic are going to run far deeper than when this lockdown completely lifts.

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Original post:

'I tried to get a pint without booking on the night pubs reopened and Im worried for London - My London