The MA's most popular stories of 2020
But just before that, all of us at The Morning Advertiser would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to all our readers.
We know how hard this year has been and we wish you a Merry Christmas and a happier New Year.
We will be back on Monday 4 January 2021.
Here are the most read stories of 2020:
January
‘Oldest English pub’ reduces hours after business rates burden – Ye Olde Fighting Cocks in St Albans, Hertfordshire said it would not be opening on Mondays and Tuesdays until the beginning of March at the earliest.
February
9 things to know about the new £20 note – The polymer £20 note was released into circulation on 20 February and The Morning Advertiser took a look at the various security features that could help operators confirm the money is genuine.
March
BT and Sky Sports suspend billings – The broadcasters revealed billing would be suspended as the coronavirus pandemic began to hit sports fixtures.
April
What could the lifting of Covid-19 lockdown around the world mean for UK pubs? – Just after the Government enforced a nationwide closure on pubs, The Morning Advertiser looked around the globe at how other countries had reopening their hospitality venues.
May
How to get ready to claim self-employed income support – May was the month self-employed operators could claim a taxable grant of 80% of average monthly trading profits, paid out in a single instalment, covering three months and capped at £7,500 altogether. This step-by-step guide showed how.
June
What is the Government’s guidance for post-lockdown pubs? – Less than two weeks before a proposed reopening for pubs, the guidance for operators was released including risk assessments, customer and employee safety and how to manage toilets.
July
Government ‘not mandating face masks in pubs’ – In July, environment secretary George Eustice confirmed face coverings would not be made compulsory in pubs, after being made mandatory in shops and supermarkets.
August
Seated audiences, no singing: what are the rules for live music? – With the Prime Minister announcing indoor performances with socially distanced audiences would be allowed, The Morning Advertiser dissected the rules around this including taking risk into account, cleaning regimes and using personal protective equipment (PPE).
September
Face covering requirement date brought forward – Face masks were back on the agenda in September with the Government changing their decision and announced pubgoers and workers would be required to wear coverings inside.
October
Pubs to close in second national lockdown – The Morning Advertiser’s live blog covering the latest developments as speculation mounted towards lockdown 2.0 for England.
November
Prime Minister pledges cash for wet pubs – Further live updates of the second lockdown and the tiered system were announced in November, alongside a £1,000 grant for wet-led pubs forced to close under restrictions.
December
Tier review will ‘try to be sensitive to local effort’ – Prime Minister Boris Johnson suggested the Government could take a more localised approach when it reviews the coronavirus tiers.
