Worcestershire pub landlady puts tents in garden for customers

Lizzie Jennings of the Drum and Monkey near Upton-upon-Severn came up with the idea of erecting tents to help stop customers from drinking and driving - and because some merry pub-goers kept falling into ditches. The news of the tent idea has even reached the media in Germany.

Jennings said: "One of the regulars in a pub is a tent manufacturer in Worcestershire. We just got chatting in the pub and talked about people drinking and driving and how difficult it is to drink in Upton.

"We thought we’d really like to do something for the customers to keep them safe. There are few hotels in the area and we can’t exactly erect a hotel on my land, so we thought of alternative accommodation. It’s not going to be everybody’s cup of tea.

"We have had incidents where people walking home at night have fallen into ditches and all sorts of horrible things. I want to keep my customers safe."

Thermal sleeping bags and pillows​

The tents can hold up to 19 people and are provided with air beds, new thermal sleeping bags and pillows. The sleeping bags and pillows are kept in the pub so they are kept warm but Jennings has made it clear that these facilities are only for Drum and Monkey customers.

She has acknowledged criticisms that customers could still wake up drunk and drive home in the morning. However she said: "That could happen in any environment. It could happen at home. I can’t police every single customer that comes through the pub."

Tents could return next year​

Two men have already used the tents because they were over the limit and didn’t fancy walking home. The tents will be up until January.

Jennings added: "If it works we might do it again next year."