The hospitality sector finally reopened its doors for outdoor service on April 12 – a date many people had been waiting for.

Here in Alfreton and the surrounding areas, it is no different!

Come the weekends you’ll find people from every part of the local area choosing where to go for a pint and a catch up; something many of us have missed throughout Covid-19 and its multiple lockdowns, which has been expressed by a fair few members of the public.

“It was great to be back out of lockdown and in the pubs again on Friday. Seeing some friendly faces and being able to interact with a few more people really made for a great evening. It’s nice to see the local pubs being open again and getting back to some normality,” one happy pub-goer told the Spirit.

his sentiment seems to sum up the thoughts of the majority of those who can be seen at the outside seating areas, adhering to the Covid safety guidelines.

As well as in the towns around it, there are many pubs right through the centre of Alfreton itself; The Blue Bell Inn, King Alfred, and the Victoria Inn to name a few.

In addition to being social hubs, many of the pubs in the area are independent. Having these businesses in Alfreton is a real asset to the town, and the reopening of them has been such a long time coming not only for the community but also for the staff.

While we are not quite yet back to ‘normal’, May 17 is the next stepping-stone towards pre-pandemic life when our food and drink establishments are able to welcome us all inside once more.

This will help the community (along with the vast majority of the country) feel that a semblance of normal life and safe socialising is on the horizon. Until then, we will brave the crisp Spring weather to converge at the local pubs that bring a sense of togetherness to the town of Alfreton.

Here’s a reminder of what else is due to change on May 17, which is now only two weeks away!