Pub-O-Meter Out For a Six!

On ‘Yer Bike Mayor & Why the economy’s been bowled a wide!

Picture credit, Kevin Shute.

This will be the last Soho & Fitzrovia P-O-M update for a while.

This week’s fieldwork shows positive improvement in pub footfall and perceived economic activity, however, it’s v clear the majority of office workers are back part-time at best, as the government lurches from one knee-jerk reaction to the next, the rule of six being the latest ill-thought through diktat.

Listening to Matt ‘Through the Roof’ Hancock on the Today show this morning makes advertising people sound straight-talking. They hyperbole emanating from Downing St and its media-friendly scientific advisors is enough to make you choke on your pint, or daiquiri.

I have been publishing daily COVID-19 reports for the UK and major European countries, you can see today’s here.

Just like last week, when scientists wrongly stated, that cases were rising exponentially, and were widely reported by a compliant media, now we are told of the acceleration in the spread of the virus.

The data I have, from a reputable source - Our World in Data. does not support that.

Although cases are rising as we test more people and target those tests more closely, deaths remain v low compared to previously, averaging 12 a day over the last 2 weeks and 13 over the last 7 days.

This is not an acceleration!

Cases will continue to rise, and sadly more people will die, however there is risk all around us every day, whatever we do, and the almost singular focus on COVID-19 by the government is shameful.

Yesterday a friend, and fellow nerd (you know who you are Roy), shared with me a source of COVID-19 stats allegedly containing the kind of local data now being used to “guide” policy on imposing restrictions on people’s activities and movements. You can find it here

The data you can download is 2 weeks out-of-date. It is poorly collated and coded, only covers the numbers of cases and doesn’t contain the data like hospital admissions and tests data that would allow analysts and the public to see the true picture.

Presumably, the collection and collation of this data has been outsourced from health experts to mates of the cabinet!

With proper and timely data, we would at least have the confidence that decisions that are having such a major effect on our lives are being made correctly.

The Rule of Six is confusing, an affront to civil-liberties, unenforceable, and being promoted to encourage despicable snitches.

I am more cross about this than what is happening at the shambles that is West Ham Utd, and that’s really saying something.

The Rule of Six will further curtail the activities of office workers in London’s West End, just when they’re returning to work, and this is vital to the economic health of many, many people.

Yes, we must protect the vulnerable, however, we need to learn to live with the virus, it’s a myth it can be beaten, any vaccine is still someway off .A New Normal does not exist except in the minds of show-boating politicians, and ill-informed media talking heads.

I’ll return to Pub-O-Meter research when I see significant changes.

I’ll still be hanging around Soho as beerstorming is a vital activity for a self-employed data analyst specialising in media and advertising. Fortunately, R-O-Six doesn’t impact on me, I don’t have that many mates.

A summary of the latest P-O-M stats, you can view the interactive report below.

One Tun & The Clachan still lead the pubs surveyed, although only at a P-O-M of 40 out of a maximum of 100.

Nellie Deans slips back to 30, perhaps some thirsty punters have decamped to the Toucan, now open at lunchtimes as well as evenings, and doubling to a P-O-M level of 20, still v low.

The Ship on Wardour St is also rising although only reaching a less than impressive index of 20.

In Fitzrovia, the Marquis of Granby has had the biggest bounce in the last 2 weeks, going from a P-O-M level of 10, barely open, to 30, a few punters inside and out.

I had the stamina for an evening beerstorming session here, with fewer than six media mates.

The Newman Arms remains stuck on a P-O-M level of 10, the Duke of York shows improvement rising from 10 to 20.

Overall, the Pub-O-Meter indicates & the West End is at around 30% of its potential economic potential, and I think that’s likely optimistic, if my barber and pâtissier are anything to go by.

It seems to me there’ll be little change in P-O-M levels any time soon, enough people have been frightened-off returning to work by government propaganda.

A hapless Mayor is still advertising to tube passengers to Walk It or Bike It, when the whole Underground network is probably safer now than it has ever been.

I am available for beerstorming, current topics leading the lively debate, Outdoor Advertising, interpretation of COVID-19 stats, the Hammers and all the usual Bolleaux.

Cheers, shame it’s not trebles all round!

Some charts and pictures below