Last orders for Manchester’s night life before lockdown

The pubs are now closed

Britain has entered a stage of lockdown after prime minister Boris Johnson announced to the public in a televised address that he had granted police powers to issue fines to people outside of their homes unnecessarily and to disperse crowds. Part of the reason that this drastic measure needed to be taken in the first place was that the public, much like the government issuing advice, was unsure and undecided with regards to the best course of action. Was it safe to go the pub? Probably not. But could I still go? Sure, if you want to. The mixed messages that continue to come out of 10 Downing Street meant that people all over the country were continuing with their normal lives, ignorant to the grave, generation-defining threat around each of us. In Manchester, revellers continued to occupy the pubs and clubs of the city before the lockdown, and we ventured out onto the street - keeping our distance, of course - to find out why they would do so in the face of medical advice to the contrary.