England's heroes have our pubs bouncing again
There's something in the air. Whether or not football is coming home, England's progress in the Euros has sent a surge of optimism coursing through the nation after a year like no other.
Those jubilant scenes at Wembley, replicated in pubs and homes up and down the country, were just the tonic we needed following 15 months of Covid.
And that was also true for our pubs. One of the hardest hit industries of the pandemic, the lockdowns left many struggling to survive. Even since reopening, some are barely scraping by.
So England's stirring performances, particularly the thrilling win over Germany on Tuesday, have been welcomed by our boozers, bouncing again after so long.
Pubs have been packed in the sense that tables have been snapped up. Sadly, the delay in lifting the remaining restrictions means pubs have not been able to squeeze punters in like they did during the 2018 World Cup, but most landlords are just glad to have that buzz back.
And after that incredible win over Germany, major tournament fever is well and truly back.
The beauty of major tournaments is, even in this day and age, all games are shown on terrestrial TV, basically meaning you only need a telly to be able to screen the big match.
James Stevens, landlord at the Chapel House in Gornal, said there was a wonderful atmosphere as England starred in one of their biggest games in years.
He said: "It was the first time in most of our lifetimes we had beaten Germany in knockout competition. It was a great atmosphere.
"We had all our regulars in enjoying the football. Everyone was cheering and laughing - of course all social distanced.
"It was so nice to get back to a communal event the country can get behind. We discounted the pints to £2.50 up to and including extra time.
"The staff are still buzzing off it. We're really looking forward to it and hopefully we can get the job done against Ukraine.
"It's a great shot in the arm for the pub industry and for the country, certainly after the year we've had."
England's quarter-final against Ukraine is in a prime slot as far as the pubs are concerned - Saturday, 8pm.
Fans are likely to turn up early, get their seat and begin drinking early in readiness for the big match, all of which means the tills will be ringing.
Rume Manoharan, general manager at the Greyhound in Lower Penn, Wolverhampton, said there is already a sense that this is about much more than a football tournament.
He said: "It was a jubilant atmosphere and consequently the bar is fully booked for Saturday.
"After the year we've had we've got that jubilant atmosphere and a sense of hope. With England progressing it really is compounding that feeling of hope.
"It will be fantastic if we could get to the final and I've no doubt we will."
He added: "We shut our doors on November 4 and didn't reopen until April 12 - and that was dependant on the weather. The support we've had from well-wishers has been overwhelming.
"Every weekend so far has been good and there's been a lot of positive feedback about the way we're doing things.
"You don't have to be a football fan to be happy that England are progressing the way they are. It's universal and it does lift everyone's spirits - we're seeing it."
Hayley McMullin, landlady at the Billy Wright pub in Wolverhampton city centre, summed up the last year.
She said: "It's been absolutely dreadful. We're running at half capacity and it's a massive drain on the energy levels.
"It was a hard job anyway but we've gone to being a cleaner and being the police. It's been a massive challenge but it's nice to see it's finally coming to an end.
"I'm Irish, so have been supporting Scotland and Germany," she confessed. "So it's been nice getting the banter and having that atmosphere.
"I'm excited about the football being back up and running and having Wolves matchdays back."
