Customers to breathe life back into village
Businesses are looking forward to a bit of life and normality returning to Washington Village when lockdown is further eased today.
Cafes, restaurants and pubs can now seat customers outside, while hairdressers and beauticians can reopen for the first time in 2021.
A number of businesses have confirmed that they will welcome customers back for the first time in months.
They include the Vinyl Restaurant and Cafe, which will serve customers outside on a first come first served basis. The Forge restaurant in the 400 year-old Old Smithy will open Thursdays to Sundays for outside customers.
Olivia’s coffee shop opens Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 9am-3pm. Booking is not required.
The Washington Arms will open its pub garden and is taking online bookings, although the nearby Cross Keys and Steps are both waiting until May.
Lauren E Summers, makeup artist and beautician, will open 9am-7pm seven days a week.
Faye Bryant owns the Bohdot hairdressing salon which she runs with her assistant
Holly Seddon. On the first day they will be open from 8.30am to 8pm. They are fully booked. Faye took over the business at perhaps the worst possible time: March 1, 2020.
She said: “We’re obviously looking forward to reopening. We’re excited, but also a little bit nervous about keeping to the times people are due to be in the shop as there are only two of us running it. It’s always the same after a lockdown.
“It’s been a shame for the village, but at the same time the support from the community has been unbelievable. The people want to support where they are.”
Kelly Kennedy runs the
Green Tea Room and Florist. The business has been offering a takeaway service throughout, but Kelly is looking forward to seating customers again from 9am.
She said: “I’m hoping people will be patient and that it’ll be successful. It will be interesting to see how it all works out, because it’s very much weather dependent.
“Customers can sit at our tables instead of on benches. As long as people wear the right clothes it should be good. I think there’ll be a bigger difference in May when people can come inside. We’ll have to wait and see what we have to do regarding social distancing.”