Jarrow publican's third tongue-in-cheek video in 'lockdown trilogy' gains more than 13,000 views

Jess McConnell, who runs the Walter Street Albion Gin and Ale House, says he set about creating the light entertainment productions since he has once again found himself with “a lot more spare time than usual”, having been unable to open his venue for a number of months.

The first installment in what has become Mr McConnell’s ‘lockdown trilogy’ – entitled ‘Covid: the untold story’ – was made during the first national lockdown last year.

It was followed in November by a similarly quirky production, ‘Jarrow 2036’, which he described as both a ‘futurist humourous vision’ and a ‘potted history of Jarrow’.

This tongue-in-cheek short film pokes fun at the past 11 months’ succession of government-imposed Covid restrictions and rules - with Mr McConnell starring as a mock newsreader - before ending on a montage of older and more recent news footage.

Besides its charismatic lead, the film also features the pub’s manageress, Charlotte Wilkinson.

As of early Thursday, February 25, the latest video had picked up more than 13,000 views via the pub’s Facebook page, according to the pub boss.

“Most of this one we actually filmed on a phone,” Mr McConnell said.

"We had a lot of fun making it – you can hear Charlotte struggling to contain herself during the filming. I have to say, I was also trying to contain my laughter when we were filming.

"It’s really just something silly and fun to help us and our customers get through what we hope is the final lockdown period.”

Support your Gazette and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe