BRIGG BARS MAY LIFT RESTRICTIONS AFTER THIS WEEKEND

This will be the last weekend when people visiting Brigg licensed premises have to comply with various Coronavirus emergency restrictions by law.

From Monday (July 19) the Government will be lifting the mandatory need to sign in when arriving at pubs and clubs. 

Customers will again be able to queue at the bar to place their orders ... for the first time in many months. 

However, there is some confusion over face-mask wearing when moving about inside pubs. This willl no longer be mandatory from Monday but is still suggested in "crowded spaces" with people being asked to apply common-sense. 

Social distancing rules (2 metres or 1 metre with additional mitigations) will be lifted, the Government adds.
However, it is allowing individual businesses to decide if they still wish to continue operating some of the lockdown restrictions from July 19.
Being able to place orders at Brigg bars in person after this weekend will be a major change.
However, many local customers have rather enjoyed being waited on hand and foot over recent months.
Bar staff wait until customers have taken their seats and then visit the tables to take orders, returning later to deliver the drinks and request payment in cash or by swipe card.
Some UK bars use their internal cameras to spot when pint glasses within their premises are nearly empty, while others have staff making periodic visits to different parts of the pub and adjoining beer gardens to take fresh orders.
This has generally worked very efficiently.
However, there are some downsides to the current table service, as it's known.
Customers cannot view at close quarters the array of drinks on offer at the bar, which means staff having to constantly tell newly-arrived visitors what's on offer.
More importantly, customers can't read the alcoholic percentage of brews, as printed on the beer pumps.
Hands up if you've been caught out by this during the table service-only period and consumed several pints of something that you didn't realise was stronger than you expected!
The Government relaxed planning regulations some weeks ago to permit pubs and licensed clubs to erect temporary marquees and other structures in their beer gardens without the need to apply for formal permission (sometimes a lengthy process).
Some of these duly appeared in Brigg (even within the Conservation Area) and have proved popular with customers. Indeed, some people seem to prefer being outside to indoors.
So it will be interesting to see if these temporary additions are retained - at least until the autumn when the weather gets too cold.

PICTURED: Buying drinks at the bar can resume in Brigg after this weekend.