HAPPY MONDAY
Smiling faces all round as lockdown eases – but ‘don’t get complacent’ plea from North East health chief
IT was a momentous occasion with shoppers flocking to the high street and drinkers downing pints as the country edged closer to returning to normality.
There was a real buzz in Newcastle city centre with thousands taking advantage of their first chance to visit non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants, gyms and hairdressers for months yesterday.
The Government ordered them to close their doors on January 5 to stop the spread of the coronavirus as the country was plunged into a third lockdown.
But now “Stage two” of lifting lockdown restrictions has been allowed to go ahead, with Boris Johnson saying the next step was “fully justified” due to the success of the vaccine rollout, and the drop in coronavirus cases and hospitalisations.
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged the nation to “behave responsibly” as they enjoyed their renewed freedoms.
Sub-zero temperatures did not deter shoppers from standing outside popular stores for hours prior to them welcoming back customers.
More than 100 people were at Primark on Northumberland Street for it opening at 8am – with Charlie Maughan, 18, and
Robbie Shaw, 17, among those first to step foot inside after arriving three hours earlier. Charlie, from South Shields, said: “We got the first Metro to be here for 6.15am.
“I shop at Primark regularly so I’ve been excited for it re-opening again. I’ve been desperate for some socks as they always go missing, so that’s why we came along so early. “It’s the first step to getting back to normality.” After a relatively quiet start to the day, Northumberland Street had a more familiar look to it. A one-way system was in place, with wardens and police officers on hand to ensure people stuck to social-distancing rules.
Queues were seen outside several outlets in the city centres, with many customers donning face coverings.
Under Government guidance, fitting rooms are allowed to reopen but will require regular cleaning when they return to public use.
John Lewis, H&M and River Island are among those to make fitting rooms available, although some firms such as Primark have opted not to do so.
Eldon Square opened its doors to droves of customers who flocked to popular retailers such as Fenwick, Next, and Apple.
The shopping centre has been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis, with almost half of the units at threat of being empty by the end of lockdown.
Andy Bradley, general manager at Eldon Square, said it was “absolutely amazing” to be opening its doors for a “brand new beginning for retail”.
He said: “There’s a real buzz in the air.
“Shopping is one of the top 10 favourite leisure activities in the UK and we think we will be able to entice customers back into the centre.
“All our toilets have re-opened today so they have a designated sanitiser cleaners. We’re making the centre as safe as possible for our shoppers.
“After the buzz of Christmas, to go into lockdown, it’s been tough for people. Today marks a brand new beginning for retail. It’s a dawn of a retail era.”
While it was big high street names drawing the crowds, yesterday marked the start of a critical period for small businesses hoping loyal customers return and that people will put faith in independent retailers.
Maria, 70, manager of French fashion store Gino’s on Neville Street told The Chronicle she was “nervous but excited” about welcoming back customers again after three months.
She said: “I am cautiously optimistic about re-opening again. It’s been so hard during the pandemic for businesses such as ours.
“We had no idea originally how long this lockdown was going to last and we had no idea if we were going to be able to survive.
“We’re hopeful customers will return. There’s nothing like seeing something in person or feeling a fabric when buying clothes.”
There was also huge excite
It’s the first step to getting back to normality Shopper Charlie Maughan
ment about the region’s boozers re-opening to serve takeaways and welcome guests outdoors.
Some of the first pints pulled in Newcastle were at The Mile Castle, where best pals Derek Breen, 73, Freddie Burn, 68, Kenneth Laws, 68, and Gerry Pacey, 76, met up for a longawaited catch-up.
Derek said: “It’s great to be back again. We’ve 100% missed being at the pub. It’s something you take for granted until it’s taken away.
“It’s been a tough time as I’ve had Covid. I’ve been stuck in the house for around nine months but now it’s fantastic to be able to meet up with my friends and have a few pints.”
Down at The Quayside, dozens were lining up for a seat in the beer garden while taking in the sunshine.
John Hudson, area manager
of Wetherspoon, said: “It’s great to see regular faces again and providing a service to the public.
“It’s been a very challenging year for the pub industry. We’re just hoping that relaxing lockdown is irreversible. We’d like to see the inside of the pub open as soon as possible.”
Meanwhile Dave Stone, coowner of By The River Brew Co, said April 12 marks a “new dawn” as the country moves a
step closer to returning to normal. He said: “We’ve waited a long time for this. It’s exciting. It feels like a new dawn really.
“It’s been challenging for everyone in most sectors during the pandemic. We’re blessed with the sunshine and people are out enjoying themselves. We’re blessed with a big outdoor area but some of our friends are still suffering and our thoughts are with them.”