A LANDLADY has said she is hoping for a better year after a previous lockdown forced her to close just four hours into her stint as manager of a pub.

But Michelle Harrison, who runs The Greyman in Hindley Road, Westhoughton, said that she doesn’t think Prime Minister Boris Johnson will make sweeping changes in his announcement on Monday.

She said: “I took over the pub in September but was only open for four hours before the lockdown on September 8. I was open again in October for a while, but I didn’t agree with the substantial meal thing. There's not much you can do about it though.

“I can’t see him saying that things will be going back to normal soon, but I hope we can at least go back to table service - that would be good.”

Michelle said that she “can’t wait to open” and that the local community had been “fully understanding”.

She has taken advantage of the closed pub to clean, redecorate and refurb - including painting the fences and bringing in a brand new outdoor seating area.

She has also been regularly updating the social media pages so that customers know that the pub is still there - and eagerly awaiting their return.