Relief as shops come back to life once again
The tills were ringing again as non-essential shops emerged from the second lockdown.
And with the roll out of vaccines on the horizon many are hoping they will not have to face any further shutdowns.
The high streets across the Black Country and Staffordshire were noticeable busier yesterday as towns and cities got back to business.
Among them was Tracey Spilsbury who runs Wulfrun Wool and Crafts in Cleveland Street, Wolverhampton, who had a defiant message despite the challenging times.
“It is great to be back. My business is my life. I am a fighter, I will never give in, we will get through this.
"I love talking to people, my customers are more like my friends.
“During lockdown, when this ends, you can feel quite lonely.”
It was a sentiment echoed by other shopkeepers throughout the area who have had to adapt to survive and are now hoping people will show them plenty of support in the run up to Christmas.
After the second lockdown and tougher restriction for the city and wider West Midlands region, some have questioned when the pandemic will end.
“The tiered system is absolute garbage,” said Peter Jukes, aged 71, from Wolverhampton, who was out shopping with his wife.
“It has got no relevance to the everyday lives of people.”
He added: “This was our first chance to come out shopping. I am one of those people classed as vulnerable.
“I believe many companies that will close down and there won’t be jobs for anybody.”
Popular stores like JD Sports, Ryman and Primark reopened.
There was queues outside the latter shop alongside Card Factory where people stopped by to get Christmas cards.
Most customers were wearing masks and sticking to one-way waking systems down Dudley Street and the Mander Centre.
But some shoppers felt uneasy still.
Irene Duggan, 70, from Wednesfield, said: “I am very apprehensive about coming out shopping. There was a lady who stood right next to me in the queue.
“I don’t know if they had Covid or not and thought they were safe. I know one lady who has lost their husband.
“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to work it out [the tiered system].”
Her husband James added: “I know they are all moaning about what’s happening [with lockdown and restrictions] but I wouldn’t want the top job [in Government].
“It is important to realise that shops and staff are having to cope with it. I think it is unfair [on them].”
Speaking about the tiered system, he said: “We feel that, as we are in Tier 3, we shouldn’t go out [to areas with lesser restrictions]. We have friends in Much Wenlock.”
Some shoppers visited the city centre for the reopening of smaller stores like charity shops.
This included friends Hayley Meenan, 52, and Helen Turner, 55, who were both from Wolverhampton.
“We have been in the second hand shops,” she said. “We are the last of the big spenders.”
But asked for her thoughts about the second lockdown ending, she said: “I just wonder how long it will all last before the next one starts.”
For smaller independent businesses, the chance to reopen was a welcome relief amid though trading conditions.
Ian Davis, who has run Stay Loose records shop, in Farmers Fold, Wolverhampton, said the process was all about “adapting”.
“Lockdown was always going to be difficult,” he said. “You are always losing footfall.
“But we have learnt to adapt. I have been pushing things on social media via my internet pages. Although it has been difficult, we can still survive.
“I think it is all about adapting. It is not going to end this year. When don’t know when the Covid pandemic is going to end. It is all about that big word, adapting. People like to buy new records, I am still selling old records, the vinyl surge is still happening. We shall survive.”
As Wolverhampton entered Tier 3 yesterday, council bosses urged people to follow Covid guidelines.
The city has started to see infection rates come down, said Ian Brookfield, leader of the council, but he added: “That means continuing to be alert, looking out for vulnerable relatives and doing our best to continue to drive the rates down.
“People must remember ‘hands, space, face’ and get tested if they have any symptoms.”
