TOPIC:

Hello to members of the Bell Community. I'm new to this community. I just wanted to get everyone's thoughts on the easing of restrictions on July 19th. In that the use of masks will be voluntary under the government guidelines and no restrictions on social distancing. Will the Bell adopt a cautious approach to these new guidelines? Will the Bell allow customers to choose whether or not to where masks on entrance to the pub? I know that covid cases are still rising. I myself have been double vaccinated. But even with the successful role-out of the vaccination process, people are still wary. So just wanted to get the community's thoughts on this matter.

I can't reply authoratitively because the situation and how we are reacting to it is a bit fluid.
Workers will carry on wearing masks; I personally [mostly a customer] will carry on wearing a mask to come into the pub, and [...try to remember...] when moving around. We won't insist that every customer does that, not least because the government's trumpeted "freedom day" has removed our easiest reason for that [we do however retain the traditional right to exclude people from the premises]. Personally I expect the average Bell punter to be sensible enough to do the right thing, but I'm as susceptible of forgetting these things after a few pints as anyone, so I hope people are nice to me if I do.
The most important other thing in our armoury right now is that we can control the number of people in the pub - especially if we all use the front door, the one-way system is mostly working - which can discourage crowding where/when there doesn't need to be any. And hopefully the audio streaming thing means you can have some of the buzz of a live band without having to spend the whole 90 minutes in a close crowd if you don[t want to. We'll see...
Thanks for starting the conversation, tho'. Let's see what others have to say...

Generally agree Steve. It will be a case of the more we drink the more we relax the more caution goes out of the window. I know that is how I have been in various places as beer gardens have opened

I agree, Alan. Now we are in September, when the Uni, Colleges and schools open again and people are returning to work after furlough and/or holidays, we may have to start being cautious again. With a minority of people refusing to have jabs and the fear of new variants, added to more large gatherings in places without natural ventilation (like the Bell), a third wave of Covid-19 is very possible. Also with the talk of vaccine "passports" possible for nightclubs and crowded indoor spaces (like the Bell), I fear that "lockdown-lite" might be imposed with very little notice.