As it happened: England and Wales prepare for shops reopening - BBC News
Final preparations were under way on 11 April 2021 as shops, pubs and zoos all got ready to welcome back customers.
The Alma Inn near Halifax, West Yorkshire, has invested heavily in converting an overflow area by the car park Image caption: The Alma Inn near Halifax, West Yorkshire, has invested heavily in converting an overflow area by the car park

Pubs have been upgrading their outdoor areas ahead of lockdown restrictions being eased in England.

From Monday, venues with outdoor seating will reopen for the first time since the beginning of January.

Half of Britons are planning to visit a pub or restaurant when the rules ease, a recent poll by investment bank Jefferies found.

The Alma Inn near Halifax, West Yorkshire, has invested heavily in converting an overflow area by the car park to make what its Instagram account dubbed a "second pub".

The new area includes a mobile bar, food truck and new benches, while the land also had to be levelled.

John Priest, 38, one of the pub's managers, said: "We have to be ready for the demand.

"If we get to a point next week or the week after where we didn't have anywhere for people to sit, then we would have failed as a business in our eyes.

"If we can't satisfy the demand that's there, then we've got it wrong."

The Cornubia Inn in Hayle, West Cornwall, has added wi-fi and a new payment system for its outdoor area Image caption: The Cornubia Inn in Hayle, West Cornwall, has added wi-fi and a new payment system for its outdoor area

In Hayle, Cornwall, Damian Knight, 45, who runs the Cornubia Inn with his wife Miranda, said the pandemic has changed the "traditional" pub model.

While they have spent money on a covered shelter, heating and updated furniture, the addition of wi-fi and a new ordering and payment system are important updates that customers may not notice at a glance.

"If you open your doors with what you had before, you're going to get left behind."