It was to be expected that the grand re-opening of non-essential shops would see long queues, much the same as what we have been seeing at our supermarkets over the last 11 weeks.

But despite the long wait times, customers seemed pretty happy to get shopping again – particularly in Primark which saw the biggest queue of all, with people admitting to getting up early to join the queue before the 8am opening time.

With the sun shining, after a week of dreary weather, it was uplifting to see shoppers back in the high street with shopping bags, giving us a sense of hope that we may slowly be coming out of lockdown and one step closer to beating the dreaded virus which has turned all of our lives upside down.

Alan Dadswell, managing director at Toys ‘N’ Tuck based off High Street, at Queens Road, was pleased to welcome customers back after being closed for almost three months.

Echo:

Positive - Alan Dadswell and Lisa Webster 

The store has also been running a personal shopping experience for children who have unfortunately had to celebrate their birthdays in lockdown. Families have been able to book a time slot and visit the store and enjoy the freedom to shop with the store all to themselves.

Mr Dadswell said: “We’ve managed to survive. This is the first time we have opened in months - it’s lovely to see children in the shop.

“At first we were selling loads online because Amazon and others weren’t shipping out toys because they are non-essential items and other places had run out of stock.

“But we got through it, we took one of the bounce back loans and if we hadn’t have done that we wouldn’t have been able to pay our staff.”

Mr Dadswell, who celebrated the store’s 25th anniversary in 2018 after some uncertainty for the shop’s future, was pleased with the outcome of day one of the grand re-opening.

He added: “The reaction from customers today has been pretty good – we’ve been doing two half-hour slots for families that have been isolating so they can come in on their own and shop.

“Someone phoned up the other week to book a slot for their little boy to come in and have a look around the shop, because that’s what he wanted for his birthday. They came in and he had the run of the shop.

“We also do click and collect where customers can come and pick up from round the back.”

Lynne Fraizer, who owns Mixtures, in the Victoria Shopping Centre, selling body piercings and make-up, told how the Government’s financial help had been a “God send” but was disappointed to the slow start to the day.

She said: “It’s been a very slow start, and then a trickle. The high street is very busy. I think it will take another week before things pick up again and to work out how we are to survive the coming months.

“I am very grateful of the Government’s help - without the grant they offered, we would have been totally finished. That, to me, is a God send.”