To pass the time, the guests played board games and cards among themselves. They sang karaoke and organized a contest. The band, who have apologized to fans for not being able to play their next gig in Essex, even sang a few more tunes. Some meals were provided for free, but other foods were sold at half price. The booze kept flowing – it’s a pub, after all.
“We all drank solidly for three days,” Longthorp said. “I think they got what they paid for.”
As news of the pub-goers’ predicament spread, tavern owner Nicola Townsend began doing interviews with the media. She has appeared on UK morning TV shows, on Sky News, the BBC and on radio. She was interviewed by the New York Times. The story made headlines in Italy, Germany and Sweden. All the while, she was still trapped.
“It’s like having a really big group of friends for dinner,” Townsend told the Telegraph newspaper. “They struck up quite a friendship – like a big family is the best way I can describe it. One lady actually said, ‘I don’t want to leave.’ »
Guests raved about the hardworking staff, who kept them safe and fed them hot roasts. Customers passed around a collection tray, raising hundreds of dollars to thank the seven employees for their unexpected three-day shifts.
By Monday morning, the snowplows had cleared the nearby roads and the guests could finally leave. Longthorp said she was thrilled to go home and change the clothes she had been wearing since Friday. Rigby said he was relieved to be back in his own bed.
“We were definitely ready for a shower, but I think we’ll be fine with wine for a night or two now,” he said.
At the pub Facebook page, the staff shared a photo of the guests crowded into the music hall, stranded but smiling. “We will ALWAYS remember this amazing group of people who came together and hopefully, in difficult circumstances, enjoyed what we all believe was a life changing experience,” the bar staff wrote.