Relieved landlady at Barley Mow in Southsea is 'cautious' as she welcomes back her beloved locals

A RELIEVED landlady welcomed back her regulars with open arms last night as her pub was finally able to serve punters indoors for the first time in months.
Judith Burr, who has run The Barley Mows for 15 years, pours a pint as she welcomes customers back into her pub as lockdown eased. Photo: Tom CotterillJudith Burr, who has run The Barley Mows for 15 years, pours a pint as she welcomes customers back into her pub as lockdown eased. Photo: Tom Cotterill
Judith Burr, who has run The Barley Mows for 15 years, pours a pint as she welcomes customers back into her pub as lockdown eased. Photo: Tom Cotterill

Dozens of loyal locals returned to The Barley Mow in Castle Road, Southsea, last night to enjoy their first pint in a pub this year.

It came as the latest wave of lockdown restrictions were eased, allowed people more freedoms in pubs and restaurants.

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Judith Burr who has run The Barley Mow for 15 years, was delighted to finally have customers back in the boozer.

She said: ‘It’s brilliant to finally have people back. I know a lot of my locals have really missed coming in. Everyone has missed that whole camaraderie.

‘This is a real locals’ local. People have been desperate to come back and see each other.’

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Judith added lockdown had been incredibly tough for her and her staff.

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'It’s been tedious doing the same thing every day,’ she said. ‘I have missed socialising with customers and missed the routine of things. I’m really looking forward to returning to some sort of normality.’

As well as throwing the doors of the pub back open to punters, Judith said that the Barley Mow’s regular evening activities would also be making a return.

Among them include quiz nights on Monday, live music on Thursdays and the popular Sunday raffle, as well as the range of community and sporting groups that use the pub as a base.

But in spite of her optimism, Judith added she was still worried about the future impact of coronavirus.

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‘We can’t count our chickens just yet,’ she said. ‘We still don’t know how things are going to go and whether it will be safe to relax all the rules in June.

‘Some people have been wanting to book functions before June but we’re being cautious as we really don’t know what the future holds.’

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