SHOPPERS MAKE A CAUTIOUS RETURN TO TOWN
THERE was a mixture of relief and worry as shoppers return to Uxbridge high street for the first day after lockdown.
At around lunchtime in the West London town there aren’t queues out of shop doors and residents carrying bags and bags of new clothes, but people are happy to be back – at least to the ‘new normal’.
“It’s good”, one smiling shopper tells us, as she emerges out of Intu Uxbridge.
The Christmas lights and trees put up along the main street from the civic centre and down to the underground station, also help bring some festive cheer to the atmosphere.
Colin Baird is wearing a Santa hat at his spot outside Uxbridge Underground station, holding his vast collection of balloons for sale, but he’s got mixed feelings about the first day back from lockdown.
“There’s a lot of people here, everyone seems to be busy except us,” the vendor says.
But Colin, who has been in the business for 40 years, said he is “happy to be back” after an “awful” lockdown, adding: “It was mostly the boredom, the not being allowed to do anything. You can’t do nothing and the weather has been so bad.”
Walking through Intu Uxbridge, coronavirus signs such as for a one-way system and reminding people to keep social distancing are in sight, while the biggest queue appeared to be at McDonald’s.
Meanwhile shoppers amble under the Christmas decorations and past quiet store fronts such as Debenhams – one of the latest high street casualties to announce its UK stores will close for good.
But others have felt the crowds have come out to mark retail and hospitality re-opening.
Sunish Dhamecha said Marks & Spencers was “quite busy” as he finished his shift, and believes it will only get busier in the run-up to Christmas.
“I need to do some shopping, it’s going to be crazy,” the Brunel University student says.
“I don’t really want to go.” Meanwhile Madina Ghose enjoyed popping into New Look to buy herself a winter jacket, and the 18-year-old shrugs over how lockdown has been.
“It’s been pretty normal, I’ve got used to it,” she says.
But for Richie Vale, who is diabetic, the risk of being out and about makes him more cautious, particularly as mass vaccinations against coronavirus are yet to take place.
The 24-year-old said: “It’s been a bit worrying to be honest...if I mess up I’m in hospital for a long time.”
The strict rule follower is out for his job as a cleaner in Lidl, and took the opportunity to replace a pair of “busted” shoes at Sports Direct.
While he said his shopping experience was “fine”, he’s worried “no one’s following the rules” as the country’s coming out of lockdown for a second time.
And for Christmas he’s going to stick to buying online.
The latest coronavirus weekly rate for the borough in the seven days up to November 27 is 156.7 per 100,000 – a big drop down from 223.5 per 100,000 recorded in the seven days up to November 19.