A seafront venue in Hove has permanently closed its “igloo village”, blaming the government’s tier 4 coronavirus restrictions.
The igloos, at Rockwater, were intended to be a covid-safe space to eat and drink, along the lines of those used by the Coppa Club, in Brighton Square, Brighton.
Plans for a similar set up at Brighton Marina, complete with film screenings, were also dropped before Christmas as the coronavirus restrictions continue to hit takings and jobs.
Rockwater said on Facebook today (Wednesday 30 December): “With the latest move into lockdown as a result of tier 4, we have taken the difficult decision to shut our Igloo Village permanently.
“It is a real shame and we don’t want our beautiful Igloos to go to waste.
“Each is priced at £1,300 and comes with a table, six chairs, six beautiful sheepskin rugs, hanging floral display and fairy lights.”
Luke Davis, who runs Rockwater, known for many years as the West End Café, will learn soon whether he can have a permanent drinks licence for a neighbouring outdoor set up.
A council licensing panel will decide next week whether to grant his request for the amended licence for Shacks by the Shore, which were designed to resemble beach huts.
The shacks are next to Rockwater where Mr Davis said that he was investing £4 million in revamping the venue.
It was originally known as the West End Café and more recently as Venue, the View and Babylon Lounge.
I doubt that “sheepskin rugs” are a selling point in Hove.
Meanwhile, the photograph makes the igloos resemble those huge white balls which bounced along and swallowed people in The Prisoner. Let’s hope we do not see similar scenes on the seafront – but these are turbulent times in which anything is possible.