Lockdown 2.0 Diaries: BS20 – Portishead and Pill

Overlooking Portishead Marina close to the lock gates, Captain’s Cabin was doing a roaring trade in teas, coffees and bacon sandwiches on Wednesday afternoon.

The business had to close during the first lockdown as too many people were congregating outside. “But it weren’t us,” said one of the staff members to a customer.

You can get food and drink here a fair bit cheaper than nearby Mokoko and Costa, which are both also still open.

Slightly more expensive still are the boats for sale at Tingdene, with £139,950 getting you a Princess 480 called Asta. Self-isolation on a luxury yacht. Now there’s an idea.

Three boats moored in the marina were former lifeboat vessels, with Portishead’s lifeboat station just a few hundred yards away from Captain’s Cabin having the proud accolade of being the RNLI’s newest station, opening in 2015.

Inside the Barbara Palmer Boat Hall, the Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat has been launched 40 times this year; its most recent shout at 8.50am on Friday, November 13 to assist emergency services in the River Avon.

A shop raising money for the charity is usually manned by volunteers and open every day, but not right now although lifeboat toys and RNLI-branded baubles are still on display in the window.

Up the steps from the lifeboat station by the old dockmasters house and it’s a very different Portishead compared to the new development and hustle and bustle below. A gazebo still in the garden of the Royal Inn is a sign that things might soon be getting back to something approaching normal.

Captain’s Cabin was doing a brisk trade on Wednesday morning – photo: Martin Booth

The lifeboat station, which is close to the exit from the Portishead Marina, is run by the same crew and personnel that had previously run the Portishead & Bristol Lifeboat – photo: Martin Booth

Back in town, two friends were talking about what tier Portishead might be in when the government makes its latest announcement on Thursday.

“We’re getting lumped in with Bristol. And Bristol is bad,” one of them said.

“It is crap isn’t it. We’ve all had enough of it,” replied the other.

A volunteer in a hi-vis vest from Pride in Portishead – part of the award-winning Portishead in Bloom – picked up litter near Aaron’s Pets, one of the few businesses still open on the High Street.

Opposite, two men also in hi-vis were working on the roof of Somerset Hall. On ground level, between the hall and the Old Mill pub, Christmas trees are currently for sale.

In The Precinct, a note on the door of the travel agents informs customers that its staff are working from home. Hungry? The Port is serving waffles and pizza to take away, as well as beer made by its sister business, Portishead Brewing Co.

A Pride in Portishead volunteer picks up litter from the High Street – photo: Martin Booth

A few businesses remain open in The Precinct – photo: Martin Booth

In Pill on Saturday morning, more volunteers in hi-vis were putting up the village’s Christmas lights, with one of the roads closed to allow a cherry picker to lift them high above the village green.

Hundreds of people usually pack into the precinct each year for the lights switch-on, with entertainment from the likes of Crockerne School choir and the Pill Owls men’s choir, but this year no such celebrations will take place – although the lights and Christmas trees will still be in their usual places.

Dave Parry, 56, the chair of Pill Christmas Lights, was making sure that his team were sticking to all of the current rules and regulations.

“Pill is an extraordinary place,” said Dave, whose day job is a conciliator for Acas. “I have lived here for 20-odd years and there are still things that happen, that you wonder how they happen.

“There is always a very strong community spirit about. People pitching in, volunteering and getting involved.”

He added: “This lockdown hasn’t been as bad as the first. Certainly for us as a group it has been difficult as this is a time where we do most of our work that people see.

“The village as a whole has coped as well as it can. But it’s a village that likes its pubs, the local charity shop isn’t open, the local barbers isn’t open, so a local facilities aren’t available.

“But people in general are coping as well as they can and of course the schools are still open which are an important part of this community as well.”

A muddy Pill harbour heading out to the River Avon – photo: Martin Booth

Dave Parry, the chair of Pill Christmas Lights, says that the village is “an extraordinary place” – photo: Martin Booth

Main photo: Martin Booth

Read more: Lockdown 2.0 Diaries: BS11 – Avonmouth, Kingsweston and Shirehampton