Early Doors Experience

Well, I’ve only gone and done it!!! I’ve only gone and ventured into a pub for the first time since…..ooh, let me think. I know I was wearing long pants so maybe not as long as it seems. Oh, I know, first time since 15th March. So, that would make it just over 17 weeks. Wow, that sounds like a long time ago when you finally work it out. Yes, me and a good friend of mine had an early doors experience on Thursday just gone. Only a few cheeky ones to test the water so to speak. So, how was it? Carry on reading to find out…..

Early Doors Experience

For some time now I’ve always preferred early doors. Gone are the days of going out mid evening and staying out until closing time. Not really of interest to me that any more. Thankfully, an early doors experience is also preferred by most, if not all, of my drinking buddies.

So, the scene was set and off into the great unknown we ventured. Another good thing about early doors is that you don’t get the crowds. Consequently, getting seated and served early doors is a lot easier even in more normal times.

Before entering our first pub it was a bit different at first in that we didn’t know what to expect. That’s saying something bearing in mind overall, we have been partaking in sampling the delights of a snifter or two for a good few months now (about 550 or so to be more precise) before 15th March. It still felt newish and a bit of a trip into the unexpected.

Not to worry though folks, we soon got back in the swing of things.

Early Doors – First Pub, Wetherspoons

Early doors pub number one was Wetherspoons in Foregate Street. We only stayed about two minutes. No, no stop the comments like “you greedy so and so’s, why drink a pint that fast.” We were only there two minutes because there weren’t any tables available. So we went straight out and popped across the road to the Queens Head.

As soon as we entered the door a member of staff greeted us and directed us to a table. After we sanitised our mitts of course. Our table was a good distance from the next, nearest one. Well more than two metres. The young barmaid informed us what the procedure was.

There was a hatch area at the bar where you ordered your drinks from behind a perspex shield. There was no one else wanting a drink, so there was no queue although if there had been someone else waiting, we would have had to wait in line in accordance with the social distancing rules.

Drinks ordered and paid for, you then went over to another part of the bar where you picked your drinks up. All very simple and all very well organised. No crowds, easy to get a seat and easy to get a drink. So far, so good.

Early Doors – Wetherspoons Revisited

After our pint in the Queens Head we thought we’d try Wetherspoons again. This time we managed to get a table. Again, after sanitising our hands on the way in. Here’s where things were a bit different. To get your drinks you could either queue at the bar – the queue was marked in a socially distanced friendly way – and again, order at a hatch and pick the drinks up at another point at the bar. Or, you could order your drinks at your table and pay for them via the Wetherspoons app. The app option worked fine. Drinks ordered and delivered in good time.

Early Doors – Nearly Time To Go Home

My friend was going to catch the bus from the bus depot so we decided to make our way nearer to the buses. The original idea was a quick one in Oddfellows, but it was closed. Plan B took us to the Temple Bar – or whatever it is called now.

A member of staff greeted us at the door, asked us to sanitise our hands and then took us to a table. The drinks were ordered from the hatchy thingy area and then a member of staff brought the drinks over to our table. Again, all very well organised and proficient. And again, the table we were sat at was well spaced from the next nearest one.

Early Doors – The Last Lap

After our pint in the Temple Bar my friend left for his bus. So, homeward bound for me as well. But what the hell, a quickie in the Cottage en route to back home. And why not. No serving hatch there (or at least I didn’t see one), but there is a line of yellow and black tape on the floor a suitably social distance away from the bar. You stand behind the tape and order your drinks. Your drink is then brought over to your table.

Again, seating arrangements well sorted. The only weird bit really (and this is nothing to do with the pub) was seeing someone I knew sat about half the length of the pub away. Instead of doing what you would normally do and pop over for a natter, we had to make do with talking across half the length of the pub.

“You’ve got a boil where Peter?” is not really the kind of conversation you want bellowing across a pub. No, no I’m only joshing. His name wasn’t Peter. No, definitely joking apart, no boils. Just a chat about how we’ve found things during lockdown etc. Although not ideal, not a big deal at all either to talk from a distance. And, of course, you wouldn’t get into a lengthy conversation. Just a quick catch up chat really. It was just a realisation of how different things really were as the natural tendency would normally be to go over for a chat.

Mind you, I did notice something significantly different in the Cottage. Arty, the resident moggy. Wow, hasn’t he filled out. Maybe take it easy on the Dreamies young man.

Overall Impression

All in all a very pleasant, safe and well organised (by the pubs) occasion. Great beer, great company and getting to sort the world out as well. So very close to being back to normal. Not quite as yet though. It will take some time.

For instance, in the Cottage you would normally see people playing darts, bagatelle or pool but of course, there is none of that. But it was good to have a few snifters and good to see a good friend again after such a long time and to experience a bit of semi normality.

There are still many who are still not ready to venture out. I get that. It’s understandable. And judging by the numbers, there is still some way to go before pubs are fully up and running. I even left it almost two weeks before dabbling with an early doors experience myself. But now having done so, I would return to a pub again.

Great credit to those pubs, their management and their staff for making things as pleasant as they did under difficult circumstances.

Thanks for reading folks. And above all, stay safe.

Chester Lifestyle Blog Posts

To see all of my other blog posts on a variety of topics, take a look HERE.

In particular, if you thinking of popping out to a pub yourself and are looking for a list of pubs in Chester, then have a look at this post HERE.

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