An Englishman's home is his local

[Third rate Leszno]

Apparently there were people queueing outside Spoons in Waterloo (Merseyside version) at 06:30 on Saturday - quite surprised by that, as by the standards of Liverpool Spoons it isn't one that has a large number of regular problem drinkers.

[elguapo4]

I was in the Wetherspoon's near the train station last year, is that the one.

[Third rate Leszno]

It's on South Road in Waterloo, about 400 yds from the station. Unless you mean Lime Street station, in which case no, that's the North Western.

[elguapo4]

I was in the one near Lime street. Arrived on Thursday lunchtime. The place was packed with retired people eating cheap fish and chips.

[Sporting]

Apparently there were people queueing outside Spoons in Waterloo (Merseyside version) at 06:30 on Saturday - quite surprised by that, as by the standards of Liverpool Spoons it isn't one that has a large number of regular problem drinkers.

Maybe they all wanted coffee.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

I haven't been back to the "pint and sky sports" village local yet, but dispatches from the front suggest they've put prices up by 30p a pint. That's certainly one way to ensure social distancing, as in people saying stuff that and not going. They were already one of the most expensive pubs in central Lancashire.

[ChrisJ]

So where are all the lairy piss ups that are being decried on Twitter and Facebook happening?

In Glawsterrrrrrrr!!

[Simon G]

Ahhh, the Ridge and Furrow. Was the sure-fire place to get served when I was 17 - bearing in mind I was still getting ID'd into my late 20s, this was quite an achievements.

Had some fantastic nights in there in the early 00s, when they'd have bands on. Absolute dive of a place now though and last Saturday night has done nothing to dispel that. A friend of mine lives down the road from there and she said it was absolutely heaving when she drove past at around 6:00 so trouble was always likely.

[ChrisJ]

Ahhh, the Ridge and Furrow. Was the sure-fire place to get served when I was 17 - bearing in mind I was still getting ID'd into my late 20s, this was quite an achievements.

Had some fantastic nights in there in the early 00s, when they'd have bands on. Absolute dive of a place now though and last Saturday night has done nothing to dispel that. A friend of mine lives down the road from there and she said it was absolutely heaving when she drove past at around 6:00 so trouble was always likely.

When I worked in Matson in the '90s, we always thought of Abbeydale as being posh.

[Simon G]

Abbeymead is posh - Abbeydale was slightly rougher - Matson rougher still. I once had a steady relationship with a girl from Matson. I used to bloody hate staying at hers.

[diggedy derek]

First trip to a pub today, although I've been buying takeaway burgers and pints from my local a fair bit. This was a Greene King pub overlooking a park, and ordering takeaway drinks on their app was pretty cool, you can order what you want and choose the time to pick it up. Pretty cool! As things stand, it's all mediocre bottles of beer and cider, but they tasted nice because it's summer. I'd give it a go again, but I'd wear a mask to pick it up (as you had to go in the pub, which I didn't realise).

[gt3]

Just back from The City after meeting a couple of mates for the for the first time in 16/17 weeks...was in The Crosse Keys on Gracechurch Street (a 'spoons). Was really civilised. And for the couple of hours I was there was never more than 30 people or so and everyone was socially distanced and behaved themselves. The staff were good at dealing with everyone. Hope blossoms...

[longeared]

Ooh I've been in there, back in January (although it feels like it was in about 1997), the same day that Matt Hancock told a reporter that the government felt there was a low risk to the British public from Covid 19. Anyway it was rather swish for a spoons, and there were about a million people in there given that it was a Friday lunchtime, and it being absolutely fucking massive I imagine it would be quite easy to instigate suitable distancing measures.

[diggedy derek]

The Greene King pub I went to was a just about OK customer experience. App worked well, but I wish they had a way of picking stuff up without going in the pub. Would go again, though. Definitely trying to have as many casual impulse drinks as possible.

[gt3]

Ooh I've been in there, back in January (although it feels like it was in about 1997), the same day that Matt Hancock told a reporter that the government felt there was a low risk to the British public from Covid 19. Anyway it was rather swish for a spoons, and there were about a million people in there given that it was a Friday lunchtime, and it being absolutely fucking massive I imagine it would be quite easy to instigate suitable distancing measures.

Yeah, it's enormous isn't it? Leadenhall Market was deserted...couldn't bring myself to go onto Fenchurch Street. Would just have made me cry. The City was like something out of 28 Days Later...

[Paul S]

Yeah, it's enormous isn't it? Leadenhall Market was deserted...couldn't bring myself to go onto Fenchurch Street. Would just have made me cry. The City was like something out of 28 Days Later...

I was on Fenchurch Street a few weeks ago and it's deserted. The shops are shut, the chemists and sandwich shops are shut, the clothes shops are shut, the City of London is a ghost town. The adverts and billboards still advertise Mother Day back in March and the shops are empty. The thing is, I don't see it coming back quickly.

I wonder when the East India Arms will reopen.

[Ginger Yellow]

Just back from The City after meeting a couple of mates for the for the first time in 16/17 weeks...was in The Crosse Keys on Gracechurch Street (a 'spoons). Was really civilised.

How's the Streetspace stuff there? I was thinking of doing a bike ride into the City (and maybe all the way to Victoria) to check it out on the weekend.

[Ginger Yellow]

Due to social distancing you can only have 2 people per lift and then only two lifts going

Apparently Canary Wharf are doing 4 people per lift. They claim public transport is the real bottleneck.

But my work (in the City) still hasn't even mentioned a date for going back. They sent an email about packing up our stuff left in the office to prepare for it, but no hint of when we'll actually be coming in or how.

[Rogin the Armchair fan]

(Shhh! Everyone! GY hasn't had the memo about Frankfurt!! No-one tell him until we send him the photo of us in lederhosen!!)

[Ginger Yellow]

Depending on how the financial services talks pan out over the next six months, we may well move to Frankfurt.

[ursus arctos]

Woah

How much in person reporting did you (pl.) do before the pandemic?

[Toby Gymshorts]

we may well move to Frankfurt.

Can you take me with you, please? I'm pretty much housetrained and I can order ten beers in German.

I don't know what you'd drink, but we'd work it out.

[ursus arctos]

Insurance is more of a Munich thing

Better beer, too

[Ginger Yellow]

A fair bit - I mean, we're not doorstepping people generally but lots of face-to-face meetings with contacts. Also court hearings, but that probably won't move to Germany any time soon. And it's not just reporters, it's our sales team as well.

I'm exaggerating a bit for effect. It would probably take a wholesale exodus of the hedge fund industry for us to move, and it seems unlikely they'd go to Frankfurt if they did. Though the non-UK sector I cover probably will, to the extent it's not already there.

[ursus arctos]

Hedgies are unlikely to go to any single location en masse, I'd think.