Football has been back now for a number of weeks and those pubs that have a special affinity with the local team are starting to see a return of football fans coming in to enjoy a pint before and after the game. Just as they have been doing for years.... A few pints and a game of football is a relationship that is as old as the game itself. At the grassroots level, many teams have sprung out of pubs, as they did in the workplace, from within local organisations, social clubs, church groups, in fact anywhere where people met in any number, many going back to the smoky, sepia days of Victorian England. But the fact that a pub was able to provide refreshment, some sandwiches, or other food, maybe a room for club meetings, and was in any case where people met socially and informally gave it certain advantages. And a few pints back in the warmth of the pub after a hard game on a muddy council-run pitch in the cold and wet maybe with some new bruises is the perfect way to restore the soul.
The return of big music events to the magnificent Piece Hall in Halifax has given a welcome boost to the tills of local bars and restaurants, as well as giving the town a huge lift. Here's some reflections, plus some other news.... Halifax has been buzzing this last few weeks, with big events originally scheduled at the Piece Hall for last year but then postponed due the pandemic finally taking place. And with each event, the town's pubs and bars have been full of gig-goers having a few before and/or after drinks and maybe a bite to eat. And as an gig-goer and part-time bar keep I have seen it from both sides. Artists ranging from Shed Seven, The Specials, The Orielles, Lounge Society, The Cribs, John Grant, and the Kaiser Chiefs were all re-scheduled, while in a recently-announced development, Manchester electro-giants New Order were hastily slotted in and are due to play this week, supported by the excellent Lonelady. And further gigs scheduled for 2022 will see Doves, Nadine