A historic pub in central Oxford, England, which has served students, academics and literary giants for more than 450 years, will close in late January due to the economic impact of Covid-19.
The Lamb and the Flag (the Lamb and the Flag), which was once frequented by JRR Tolkien (1892-1973), author of “The Lord of the Rings”, as well as by CS Lewis (1989-1963), who wrote “The Chronicles of Narnia”, has accumulated losses since the start of the pandemic.
The pub opened in 1566, but was moved to its present location on St Giles, an avenue in the city center, in 1613. The property is owned by St John’s College, one of the 45 colleges that make up the University from Oxford.
“Turnover for the past 12 months shows the pub is not financially viable,” Steve Elston, St John’s deputy treasurer, said in a statement on Monday (25), announcing the site would be closed on January 31. .
University life has been seriously disrupted. The country underwent restrictions to contain the spread of the virus for most of March, April, May and June last year, stepped up measures in November and now passes its third national blockade.
Announcing the new lockdown, in a Jan.4 statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that at least in the next six weeks people will only be able to leave their homes for essential purchases, to work when there is no alternative to doing it remotely, exercising. , go to the doctor or escape the violence.
Since 1997, St John’s College has used the profits generated by the pub to fund scholarships for graduate students. The deputy treasurer said those who receive the scholarships will not be affected by the pub closure and the college will directly fund future scholarships.
Dave Richardson, of the Oxford branch of Camra (Campaign for Real Ale), which champions traditional English beers, said The Lamb and Flag was one of the most traditional pubs in town and it would be a tragedy to see it disappear.
“There is no television, no jukebox, no music. It is a place where people come to discuss, enjoy the traditional and historical atmosphere. Generations of people have done it, students, townspeople, people from afar, ”he said.
Since the start of the pandemic, more than 98,000 people in the UK have died in the country, according to data from John Hopkins University. In the past 24 hours, there have been an additional 611 deaths.