"Sometimes it looks like they are offering support but it is just not enough."Įhsan Hussain, who manages the Peaky Diner burger bar in Solihull with his brother and Dad "They have hung hospitality out to dry," he adds. Ian anticipates a two-week circuit breaker immediately after Christmas but hopes to play his final DJ set of the year on Boxing Day. "The Government are doing what they did in March 2020 when they let the pubs stay open but told people not to go out." "Through my entertainment business we do a lot of booking stuff into to different venues and they are hugely in decline," he says. Ian explains that while retail might seem busy, hospitality is struggling - with things likely to get worse before they get better. He has just been made production and site manager for Birmingham Pride and is a promoter for local nightclub Popworld. The 48-year-old "workaholic" has been a DJ and entertainment manager for 25 years and is the director of Solihull Summer Fest. One person who knows a thing or two about hospitality is Ian Rogers, a Solihull-based festival organiser who has a hand in events all over the Midlands. Hospitality has been the hardest-hit sector in what has become a lockdown in everything but name.Īs we pound the streets talking to exasperated shop owners, bars and diners, it is announced that the chancellor will make £1 billion available for the besieged industry. "I was in here in summer for the Jazz Festival and it was flat out."Ĭraig Bowen, 39, who runs a fire truck-themed bar on Solihull high street "It's been quiet throughout the day, from start to finish," he adds. While Solihull's Touchwood shopping centre feels alive with hurried last-minute Christmas shopping, the high street is subdued.Īccording to Craig, it has got "quieter and quieter" in the last week. The new Omicron variant has gripped the country and means the UK is on course for more restrictions.ĭuring a Downing Street briefing last week, chief medical officer professor Chris Whitty told people to "deprioritise" social events due to the rise.Īnd with people limiting interactions even in the absence of official lockdown measures, it is people like Craig who are bearing the burden. He is one of many in Solihull and across the country impacted by what has been dubbed a "stealth lockdown".Įven as millions rush out to get yet another dose of the life-saving coronavirus vaccine, Covid numbers are rising. "I don't know if people don't want to spend money or if they are frightened to come out. "We've been here since the 14th but it hasn't been great," Craig says, as he sits hoping customers will soon arrive. READ MORE: Important parking update to people visiting friends and family in Solihull at Christmas The 39-year-old runs a mobile bar with a twist - an old fire engine serving cocktails and mulled wine.īut despite a coveted plot on Solihull high street, what should be the busiest period of the year is anything but.
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