BarTalk

What have you got planned for Christmas?

Suzie Dreja

Royal Oak

Southampton

Hampshire

We'll be busy leading up to Christmas Eve but Christmas Day and Boxing Day are quiet because the Royal Oak is a student-orientated pub in the town centre. We always shut over Christmas Day and Boxing Day to spend time with family. In the run-up we've got a few large party bookings which should keep us busy, and we'll re-open on New Year's Day for the football.

John Ellis

Crown Inn

Oakengates

Shropshire

We're very big on Christmas here. The Saturday before Christmas we have a traditional, Victorian festive afternoon with chestnuts roasting on an open fire, a choir singing traditional winter songs and a spread of food - it's one of the highlights of our events calendar. I always try to theme my ales to the time of year and Christmas is no exception, with Hook Norton

12 Days behind the bar.

Nigel Anstead

White Horse

Bedford

We've got a large variety of music events including a stars-behind-your-bar event, which involves a member of the Motown band The Drifters coming into the pub. We're only going to offer drinks on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, which will allow us to spend more time with the family, but I also think it's important to let your regulars say happy Christmas to each other.

Steve Haslam

Cutter Inn

Ely

Cambridgeshire

At the Cutter we've got about 2,000 covers booked already over the Christmas period and we're hoping to beat last year's record of 6,000 covers. We're not open on Christmas Day itself because I believe that my staff have earned a day off to spend with their families, but we'll be open again for lunch on Boxing Day.