'We're going to be rammed' - pubs bracing for weekend revelry

With bars, beaches, and The Broads set to be blessed with sunshine this weekend, pubs and eateries are priming the pumps for a surge of high spirits and high demand.

Enquiries for Friday night are said to soaring as workers look to enjoy their first chance to socialise, ushering in a bank holiday vibe.

On Great Yarmouth seafront, where the popular Marine Pub has opened its outdoor space, landlady Kerry Gedge is a new face welcoming punters as restrictions are relaxed.

Although known to many through The Great Eastern and The Albion which are also hers, it is her first season at the seafront venue known for being family friendly and boasting an upstairs terrace.

She said: "Everyone is expecting everywhere to be busy.

"It has been cold but people are still out.

"You never quite know how it is going to go but potentially it could be very busy.

"Let's hope it is going to be a good weekend. We only have our outside open and when it's full, it's full."

Meanwhile at The Jube in Great Yarmouth's Market Gates Bradley Fish was confident of a bumper weekend.

His terrace, which proved a big draw last summer, had been expanded and improved to meet demand making space for up to 80 people.

Mr Fish said he was operating on a first come first served basis because of the logistics around booking systems and people not turning up.

"Come early to avoid disappointment," he said.

"I think we are going to be rammed."

With heaters and wind sails making the area as sheltered as it could be within the restrictions he said he was preparing for good numbers enjoying a socially distanced night out now the Government say it is safe to do so.

"We are prepared and we have plenty of staff," he said.

"We have expanded the terrace so we can take more people as safely as possible.

"We are doing what has been asked of us. All we ask is for people to drink responsibly and enjoy themselves in the manner they are allowed to for now, and to take reasonable precautions.

"It is only a matter of weeks until we can all come back inside and start dancing."

For the time being he is opening evenings from 5pm until late, and weekends midday until late.

Meanwhile, out on the Norfolk Broads at Thurne, The Lion was also planning for a busy weekend.

With outdoor capacity for 120 as well as picnic blankets to hire and takeaway available Ricky Malt said: "We are staffing to be full."

Although the pub is not taking bookings it was enquiries for Friday night that stood out as people wanted to end their working week on a high, ushering in a bank holiday vibe.

He said so far since pub gardens were allowed to open on Monday April 12, Tuesday had been marginally more busy and slightly warmer.

Sunny intervals with a moderate breeze are predicted for both Saturday and Sunday, although with temperatures sitting at around 10 degrees people will still need to wrap up.