To buy time, the guests played board games and cards together. They sang karaoke and held a quiz contest. The band, who has apologized to fans that they won’t be able to do their next gig in Essex, even sang a few more tunes. Some meals are provided free of charge, but other foods are sold for half price. The wine kept flowing – it was a pub anyway.
“We all drank continuously for three days,” says Longthorp. “I think they deserve their money.”
When the news spread about the plight of pub occupants, pub owner Nicola Townsend began interviewing in the media. She has appeared on British morning television programmes, on Sky News, BBC and on radio. She was interviewed by New York Times. The story caused a stir in Italy, Germany and Sweden. All the while, she remained trapped.
“It was like having a huge group of friends going out to dinner,” Townsend told Telegraph newspapers. “They have formed a pretty close friendship – like an extended family is the best way I can describe it. One woman actually said, “I don’t want to leave.”
Visitors have commended the hard-working staff, who kept them safe and fed them warm grilled dinners. Patrons walked around a collection tray, raising hundreds of dollars to thank seven employees for their three-day unscheduled shifts.
By Monday morning, the snowdrifts had cleared neighboring roads and guests were finally able to depart. Longthorp said she was happy to go home and change into the clothes she had worn on Friday. Rigby said he was relieved to be back in his own bed.
“We’re definitely ready for the shower, but I think we’ll be drinking for a night or two now,” he said.
On the pub Facebook page, staff shared a photo of guests crowded together in the music hall, stuck but smiling. “We will ALWAYS remember the wonderful group of people who came together, and hope, under challenging circumstances, they enjoyed what we all thought was a life changing experience, ” the bar staff wrote.
