At least two of Penarth's favourite outdoor watering holes are fully booked on their return to pint-pouring today, a testament to the town's thirst for normality.

Both The Oystercatcher on Terra Nova Way and Pickford's on the Esplanade have undergone significant renovation since they last served a drink on the eve of lockdown being imposed.

The former, situated on the Tesco roundabout overlooking the Marina, has added a shipping container to serve as an outdoor bar as well as five covered timber seating booths/huts.

These new additions will not be in use until 17 May. The huts are not considered outdoor seating and the outdoor bar is not yet licensed, Nub News understands. But that hasn't stopped locals from booking tables in their masses.

The pub expects to serve roughly 600 customers over the course of this first day back.

General manager, Andrew Jones and his team look forward to welcoming guests to the newly refurbished garden following a six-figure investment.

Andrew Jones said: "After such a long period of closure we're so pleased to be opening our newly renovated garden for guests to enjoy a well-deserved pint, which will hopefully be in the sunshine.

"The garden is looking fantastic and it is such an exciting time as we welcome guests, both new and old.

"The Oystercatcher is at the heart of the community in Penarth, so we are excited to be able to offer an outdoor area where locals can enjoy a drink or meal together after months of being apart."

The owners of Pickford's Galley & Bar have had an equally busy lockdown.

They have taken down trees, renewed their decking, and turned the car park area into a new beer garden in an attempt to increase footfall.

"Because we have space outside, we have to utilise all that space to maximise the amount of people we can have on the premises," Huw Pickford tells Nub News.

"The weather's not really on our side this morning because of the wind, but we're full tonight and the weekend's looking nice and busy as well.

"We've been running as a takeaway on and off but now we can finally let people back on the premises for some nice food and drink.

"We're looking forward to a good summer. We're socially distanced with the tables spread out as far as we can - all within the guidelines.

"We hopefully won't have to close again!"