'There are fewer DIY haircuts this time round'
"We’re booked up for the first two weeks… the phone’s been ringing off the hook,” says Joth Davies, owner of Savills barbers, in Sheffield.
“It’s been frantic madness.”
It is a momentous day both for individual freedoms and for businesses whose doors have been closed to customers for the last few months.
Businesses have spent a lot of time and money making sure they are well-protected against Covid-19 and ready to welcome visitors back. Radio 5 Live has been in the city's Devonshire Green area, which is full of independent shops, hairdressers, pubs and cafes.
The demand from customers for a trim or a tidy is certainly strong here, and Joth has noticed fewer DIY haircuts this time around, as clients have waited for a professional do.
"In the previous comebacks after lockdowns we saw quite a few, but I think a lot more people this time round seem to have left it alone and are just coming in with really long hair and beards."
Joth says access to grants and bounceback loans has been "vital" during the lockdown.
Even though his business has been inundated with bookings and walk-ins right now, Joth is cautious about the challenges that lie ahead.
"We're busy right now but once the initial honeymoon weeks are over, Sheffield will go back to a ghost town," as he warns that a drop in the number of city workers and students is hitting his business.
'The level of support from customers has been incredible'
Up the road from Joth Davies' barbers is Debbie Moon’s gift shop, Moonko. Like many shops owners in this pandemic, she adapted her business for online but is glad to open the doors again.
“Online is a very competitive market," she says.
"Lots of us in non-essential shops have not had VAT reductions, many of us have had full rents to pay, no rent relief, so it’s been an incredibly difficult time."
Online customers, she says, were asking for different types of gifts when the first lockdown came into force, so she taught herself a new skill making bouquets of dried flowers. They proved to be a hit.
“I’ve been exceptionally busy, all over the country,” she says.
“The level of support from customers has been incredible."
'It's a landmark occasion'
At the other end of the road is a sun-soaked terrace, where Emma Swales from the Forum Kitchen and Bar is busy delivering drinks and meals to customers.
“We’ve tried to stay as positive as possible while we’ve been closed.”
The lockdown has been an opportunity “to reset and refresh,” she says.
“We’ve wanted to make it as safe as possible for our customers, but also that it’s enjoyable, so marquees and heaters… it’s a landmark occasion.
“The sun’s come out, it’s heaving now.”
