I'm sceptical about how long it will last, but Guildford High Street has woken up very very slightly in the last twenty-four hours. Restaurants are doing take-away and deliveries again. Opticians have people in there, at least picking up prescriptions, I guess, but I didn't go in.
Most importantly to some, coffee bars are opening up for takeaway too. Pret is restricting to 6 people in the store. I went in under orders from she who is at home working on the final iterations of an important pitch over Microsoft Teams with her esteemed colleauges. They guy handling deliveries was wandering around without any regard for distancing. The two serving staff weren't wearing PPE beyond what is normal. But there's now a big perspex screen screwed onto the counter with a little gap just big enough for your beverages to be passed through.
Out in the High Street, I saw a couple overjoyed to be participating in mainstream consumer capitalism again. A Pret feast of sandwiches, salads and crisps, drinks hot and cold. And two young mums equally excited to be out and able to have a natter about their offspring, a key ritual of middle-class life restored.
For now, anyway.
@tipu curate
Upvoted 👌 (Mana: 15/20)
I've not popped into town (Great Yarmouth) but our village (bloody big village of 10,000 people) has certainly woken up over the past few days. So much more traffic about. I took the dog to the beach this morning and there seemed to be little to no care about social distancing for 80% of people.
I shall try to avoid things for as long as possible. I've managed to get this far with a few trips to the farm shop and Co-op for food and B&Q for some patio gas. I found the latter so traumatic I'll not be attempting again.