The Bull in Gosmore's landlord Damian Caldwell on why it is vital to back local businesses as he reflects on the past year

By Layth Yousif

12th Nov 2020 | Local News

The Bull in Gosmore's landlord Damian Caldwell on why it is vital to back local businesses as he reflects on the past year. PICTURE CREDIT: Damian Caldwell, The Bull in Gosmore
The Bull in Gosmore's landlord Damian Caldwell on why it is vital to back local businesses as he reflects on the past year. PICTURE CREDIT: Damian Caldwell, The Bull in Gosmore

In these troubled times backing brilliant local, independent businesses has never been more important.

With lockdown hopefully ending in three weeks and the festive season coming up, our high street stores, shops, restaurants and pubs have never needed your support more.

Nub News is a big supporter of local businesses, highlighting offers on your high street and showcasing Hitchin shops, stores, restaurants and pubs, as well as companies, groups, organisations and charities.

So, here's Damian Cadwell from the brilliant Bull in Gosmore, who reflects on a busy year at his much-loved pub.

Read on for Damian's moving take on why it is so important to back Hitchin businesses, independents, pubs and restaurants all across our town and surrounding areas.

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Looking from the outside into an empty pub is a sad sight but looking at the same pub from the inside out is especially poignant as this week is our first birthday.

We opened a year ago and the feelings of that day are as fresh today as they were back then.

The anticipation of our first-ever guest walking through the door, the excitement of greeting and seating them, pulling the first pint, pouring the first glass of wine, hearing the kitchen printer buzz into life for our first ever order, preparing our first dishes and ringing the service bell for the first time.

The excitement, the fear, the exhilaration, the exhaustion - it's still as palpable today as back then.

Our first year has been a rollercoaster

After three and a half months of being open the nation was closed down and we met lockdown head on with a can-do approach and battled our way through.

Re-opening was as good as opening night the first time around.

It honestly felt like the soul had be restored to the pub.

The laughter, the chinking of glasses and the hum of conversation was intoxicating.

We were lucky to enjoy this from July until November...now the pub is silent again.

Our pub is closed - but hopefully not for too long

We, like so, so many businesses will rise again.

We are incredibly lucky in that we still have the opportunity to re-open but only with the help, love and support of our local community.

There are too many industries suffering due to Covid and ALL need our support.

The arts, local independent retail, local pubs and restaurants, our amazing care services, our amazing teaching community and so, so many more - my apologies for those I haven't mentioned!

If you can help and support independents please do

Buy from a local shop rather than Amazon, pay to watch an online gig or performance, order a take away from your local pub or restaurant, buy a gift voucher for a local establishment as a Christmas present or something as simple as liking and sharing posts on Facebook or Instagram.

Soohie and I would like to send our sincerest thanks to all who have support us over our first year...we truly couldn't have done it without you.

Here's to the next twelve months!

For more on the Bull in Gosmore click here

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PREVIOUS HITCHIN NUB NEWS OPINION PIECES

Isla McLachlan: Hitchin - a small place with a big heart

Neil Fredrik Jensen on Hitchin's coffee shop culture

Jess Princeton hails Hitchin's lockdown spirit

Zac Cash: My message to new university students at start of freshers week

Zac Cash: How we can draw parallels between 19th century social reform and the 'new normal'

Zac Cash on LGBT issues and the US election

Freddy Cardy: More mixed government messages on Covid crisis

Sparky's Hitchin View: The treasure that is Deacon Hill

Sparky's Hitchin View: One swallow does not make a summer but a gulp may signal the end...

Sparky's Hitchin View: Is our water destined for The Wash or the wash...?

Paul Chambers: Why I'm honoured to be involved in Hitchin's Black History Month

Judi Billing: Inept government response to Covid is failing us all...

Kieran Murphy from PHASE hails HCF

Alex Slater: Live entertainment is struggling, we need help

Hitchin MP Bim Afolami: PM's decision to 'pull handbrake' is sensible

Layth Yousif: My week: Sir Kier Starmer's visit

Layth Yousif: My week - sources not sauces

Roy Izzard: Bim backs Canaries

Roy Izzard hails generous gesture

Tom Hardy: Hitchin stronger and more resilient after lockdown

Tom Hardy on business interruption claims

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