Relief, exhilaration and apprehension as Bristol businesses reopen

Windows were given a final polish and marquees pulled taut as businesses across Bristol welcomed customers back for the first time in months.

In the city centre, queues wound around buildings on Monday as people waited patiently for their turn to get inside shops and barbers while the sound of buskers singing matched the upbeat mood of many making their way through Broadmead.

By midday, the guy holding the ‘queue starts here’ sign for Primark had a decent view of the Bearpit as undaunted shoppers got in line.

On towards Corn Street and the barbershops were doing a steady trade as people eagerly awaited their first professional cut in months and others ignored the chilly April wind to make the most of the chance to sit down outside a café.

Buskers matched the buoyant mood of people in Broadmead on Monday

Inside St Nick’s Market, it was a bit quieter but the mood was no less buoyant.

“It’s really nice to be back at work and to see everyone and be back in hustle and bustle of the market,” said Lucy Wheeler, the co-owner of Hey JoJo.

“It might take a few weeks to pick up but I think as people get their jabs, they will have more confidence to get out. We’re looking forward to summer.”

Lucy Wheeler and Andy Keith-Smith of Hey JoJo in St Nick’s Market are glad to be back

On King Street, it was all hands on deck as sheds, marquees and outdoor seating were carefully positioned to enable punters to return to the pubs and restaurants once more.

“Everyone’s gearing up aren’t they? It’s so good to see,” commented one passerby.

Sheds, marquees and outdoor seating are all in place as King Street businesses prepare to welcome back customers

King Street is back open for business

Although, others remained a bit apprehensive. “I’m put off going anywhere straight away because I just feel everywhere is going to be really busy,” said one man to his friend.

The investment seen on King Street has been replicated across the city by business owners forced to adapt to meet the latest Covid requirements – with outdoor dining only allowed from Monday, April 12.

Graham Anderson, the landlord of The Crafty Cow in Horfield, said it was an exciting day but also scary.

“It feels like starting a new business from scratch,” he told Bristol24/7. “The staff have not worked at all for four months and for every industry it’s going to be hard to go back to how we were.

“We have spent a lot of money on covered areas. We are really lucky we have a big garden but it was totally uncovered before. To go to the expense of opening only for it to rain would kill us so we have had to invest in order to open. It’s good for us for the future as it will improve the business.”

The landlord of The Crafty Cow in Horfield has invested to keep customers dry in the bar garden

Graham added that the first few weeks of reopening are already looking busy but he is apprehensive about the longer-term future and whether the momentum will remain.

In Bloggs Hair Salon on the harbourside, clients were going in for colour tests on the first day of reopening.

Manager Hannah Tovey said she and her team feel more prepared this time round, having already had to deal with two previous lockdowns and reopening.

Hannah Tovey, the manager of Bloggs Hair Salon on the Harbourside, is excited to be back at work

“I’ve felt calmer because we’ve done it all before,” said Hannah. “It’s like the first day of school feeling but when you’re in it’s just like riding a bike.

“Everyone is so happy to hear from us when we call so it has all been really positive – much better than when we had to cancel appointments due to lockdown. We’re fully booked for four weeks but it’s lovely because we’ve had so much interest from new people as well.”

She added that all of the suppliers Bloggs work with – from Wogan Coffee to Scrummi towels – have been really helpful and supportive as businesses work hard to reopen safely.

Back in Castle Park, teams were out stencilling hearts onto the grass as part of the Bristol City Centre BID’s ‘#LoveBristol’ initiative, which aims to spread some cheer and also help aid social distancing in parks.

Painting hearts in Castle Park as the city prepares to reopen safely

Keith Rundle, operations director at Bristol City Centre BID said: “We are excited to welcome and encourage everyone back to the city centre to enjoy the activities they love. We have worked with many businesses and with the city council to ensure we can emerge strongly as a city centre – bringing all the communities of Bristol back into their city centre is critical to that success.

“As people return, they will not only see old favourites and will also find many exciting new businesses and experiences across the city centre over the coming months.”

Bristol City Council is starting ‘ten days of action’ from Monday, with Covid marshals, environmental health officers and neighbourhood enforcement teams out to advise, provide guidance on keeping premises Covid-secure and help with any issues that may arise.

All photos by Ellie Pipe

Read more: Encouraging people to return to Bristol’s high streets