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Pub restrictions:’Everything is just much, much harder now’

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Pub owners in Winchester are suffering because of the new law of restrictions for the safety of the public in the goal to stop any further increase of coronavirus cases.

The restrictions mean that pubs can’t get as many people because only six people can sit at a table at a time so they can’t make as good money in the business as they usually do.

More often than not, time is spent cleaning and preparing the bar so that it’s safe for customers, but it often means that they have to spray down the chairs, tables and other surfaces with disinfectant. Throughout the night, the bathroom is also checked and cleaned regularly in order to keep it safe and sanitised.

It’s also harder to maintain other laws, such as not being able to serve customers if they’re too drunk, during the high demand of service, “It’s harder table service and we can’t tell if people are drunk because they’re sat down,” one local Winchester pub owner stated.

Not only is there a problem with the establishment struggling to reach the new restriction laws, but people who enter the pub can often neglect the wear face-masks.

However, the servers can’t enforce the face-mask rule without a presence of authority as to avoid confrontation with an intoxicated people for the safety of the employees.

If no extra help is given to them to keep their businesses afloat, then there is a strong possibility that most of the pubs in Winchester will be forced to shut down without the guarantee of ever opening again.

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Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal 2025 launches in Winchester

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“Wearing a poppy during Remembrance shows that you care,” says the Royal British Legion, as this year’s Poppy Appeal is launched in the lead-up to Remembrance Day. 

Poppies are on sale across the country | Photo Credit: Kieran Tibbert

The annual fundraising campaign by the Royal British Legion supports members of the Armed Forces community, including veterans, personnel and their families. 

Chris Hayward is managing the Poppy Appeal in North Hampshire & Winchester and said: “It’s a national symbol, and it shows the armed forces community that you appreciate everything that they do.” 

She added: “For those who want to get involved, you can wear your poppy, donate to the Royal British Legion, Poppy Appeal, and also participate in the collections and volunteer as a collector.” 

The Poppy Appeal remains the Legion’s biggest annual fundraiser.  

Last year, more than 32 million poppies were distributed across the UK, and about £51.4 million was raised in donations. 

Winchester will be recognising remembrance itself, with a service at the Cathedral on Sunday, 9th November, in addition to a service at Winchester Guildhall at 11 am on Armistice Day. 

The service will begin at 9:20 am and will include a procession from The Broadway to Winchester Cathedral, as well as wreath laying too. 

Donations from the campaign go towards services including mental health support, housing assistance and employment advice for veterans transitioning to civilian life. 

For more information on how to donate, volunteer or order poppies online, visit: britishlegion.org.uk/poppyappeal.  

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Winchester News Online

How the NHS can recommend gardening to improve metal health

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A panel of gardening experts answered the burning questions of Winchester gardeners at a Question Time style Q&A held at St Swithun’s School.

Questions ranged from what soil to use this time of year to why some types of plants aren’t flourishing in Winchester but, as the gardening event fell on World Mental Health Day, this posed another question: whether the two are connected?

Gardening is an example of a “nature-related activity”, which can be recommended by the NHS to improve mental wellbeing under a term called social prescribing.

The panel’s Charles Carr, head of Wholesale Nurseries at Hilliers, shared how he thinks gardening is beneficial to your mental health.

Charles described it as “relaxation” and “contacting with nature”.

He believes it is a very good way of “de-stressing and putting yourself into the moment”.

Attendees of the event also shared why they enjoy their hobby.

Neil Budd, a parent from the school and regular BBC Gardener’s Question Time listener, got into gardening as a young boy but now enjoys the “peace and quiet” that it provides from his children.

He wasn’t surprised to learn that nature-related activities like gardening can be recommended by the NHS, as he says it helps you relax as well as being a break away from work.

Former social worker, Roberta Brockman is an ex St Swithuns pupil who returned to the school for the Gardeners Q&A.

She emphasised how the hobby encourages people to join gardening clubs and enter shows, which can create new friendships for people later in life.

According to NHS England, more than 8,500 people were referred to a green social prescribing activity between April 2021 and March 2023 and findings showed improvements in mental health.

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Winchester News Online

Turning the page: Can young people fall Back in love with reading?

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When is the last time you picked up a book for the sake of your own enjoyment?

Once a beloved childhood pastime, reading books is now becoming more rare among young people.

An annual report by the National Literacy Trust found that reading rates among younger generations are plummeting every year.

The study found that the amount of young people aged eight to 18 who read for their own enjoyment has dropped to just 1 in 3.

This has resulted in a 36% decrease from when the study began taking place 20 years ago.

Professionals are growing concerned about young peoples comprehension skills, empathy levels, and their creativity, all attributes which are strongly connected to reading.

In an age of scrolling, streaming, and gaming, the appeal of a paperback no longer seems to compete with screens.

But in Winchester, community efforts are helping to spark that interest again.

Local children’s bookseller Jo works with schools to run author events and workshops to get stories back into young hands.

“Authors go in to schools and talk to the kids directly about their books and get them really engaged and I see that have such a great effect.”

As reading habits evolve, experts advise the goal isn’t to fight technology, it’s to find new ways to make stories matter again.

For reading to thrive like before, families, schools, and publishers will need to work together to make stories feel relevant and remind young people that reading is educational in more ways than one.

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