Regional events see some pubs benefit from Bank Holiday

Although the wet August Bank Holiday weather signified the end of a miserable summer for many licensees, a series of regional events brought good news for some.

Licensees in Edinburgh have seen healthy profits over the last few weeks as pubs have been welcoming thirsty visitors to their venues during the city's annual festival, which ran from August 11 to 31.

A spokesman for JD Wetherspoons, which owns the Standing Order right in the city centre, said the pub did very well. "The pub is always busy and the Edinburgh Festival and Bank Holiday weekend was no exception," he said.

Licensees in Manchester were also left with a smile on their faces after the Mardi Gras festival went ahead, despite fears it could be cancelled because organisers and police could not agree on street drinking areas.

At the last minute, an agreement was reached for a day and night alcohol tolerance zone in the village including Canal Street, Bloom Street and Sackville Street.

Alan Whyte, manager of famous gay pub the Rembrandt Hotel, on Canal Street, said licensees were glad that the event went ahead as it was one of the most important and busy weekends of the year. "It was great," he said. "There was absolutely no trouble and the weekend went very well."

Meanwhile, pubs in London's Notting Hill were rammed as the famous carnival saw more than a million visitors flock to that part of the city. Teresa Lisi, who runs the Portobello Star, said the weekend was really busy but that there was absolutely no trouble.

Police agreed, saying the 65 arrests in the area over the weekend were surprisingly low considering the number of visitors.

For news of the Bank Holiday blues in the rest of the country see News page 5.