BBPA calls for longer pub hours on royal wedding day

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) is calling for extended pub hours on the day of the royal wedding.

The association says longer pub hours on Saturday 19 May 2018, the date announced for the wedding of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle, would give a £10m boost to the trade.

The BBPA wants to see extra hours for the Friday and Saturday night, 18 and 19 May.

Past national celebrations where the government has used the ‘special occasions order' have included the royal wedding in 2011, the Queen's diamond jubilee in 2012, the 2014 World Cup and the Queen's 90th birthday in 2016.

BBPA chief executive Brigid Simmonds said: "A royal wedding is a great national celebration, and a wonderful opportunity for us all to get together in the pub. I know this would be warmly welcomed by pubgoers and the pub trade. It would put pubs at the heart of the celebrations, something which has been a great success for previous major royal events. I hope the government will embrace this idea."

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