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Original poster

Ghost town Britain, is this your town?

56 replies

justasking111 · 26/08/2020 22:54

The CBI are saying we need to get back to the workplace to save our towns.

"Carolyn Fairbairn has warned commercial centres risk becoming 'ghost towns' if offices don't reopen soon
The director-general of the CBI said getting staff back to offices was as important as children being in school
Asked the Prime Minister to match the rhetoric used to get children in schools to get workers back to offices
Audit of major employers reveals most have very few workers back in the office until at least the new year"

Now we are in a tourist area in Wales so very busy.

Is your town a ghost town now?

OP posts:
pinkprosseco · 27/08/2020 13:48

Monday to Wednesday are very busy lunch time and evening in our High Street, more than usual. Can't book where I want to eat this Saturday as all full. i think everyone working from home goes out locally now and has saved money on not commuting. Don't know how long it will last . I've heard hardly anyone is in London in the offices.

Parkandride · 27/08/2020 13:52

Small commuter town between 2 cities, feels busy with lots of people in restaurants, using independent retailers etc. Feels nice

WitsEnding · 27/08/2020 13:57

Small city in the sw, tourist destination ... lots of shops and cafes not reopening, streets relatively quiet for the time of year, theatres closed for the foreseeable future. It doesn’t feel good.

The younger people are missing from the main areas, wonder what the university term will bring.

ncdtoday123 · 27/08/2020 13:58

The bits of my town with restaurants are packed out and places like retail parks with B&Q kind of shops are busy, but the areas with offices are almost deserted. The level of traffic follows the same pattern as well, but it doesn't seem to take me as long to get to places as usual at the moment.

AriettyHomily · 27/08/2020 13:58

My twin is busy, commuter town with most people presumably still wfh.

City where I work - ghost town.

Meruem · 27/08/2020 14:05

I'm in a zone2 London borough. Our local high street was dying long before Covid. I couldn't tell you what it's like now as I haven't been there in months. No point when all we have is Iceland, Morrisons and a few pound shops/charity shops. What's fun about visiting those places?

GuyFawkesDay · 27/08/2020 14:07

Provincial touristy town.
Busy, lots of people using shops and eat out has helped too.

It's lovely.

MitziK · 27/08/2020 14:11

It's been a ghost town for years.

Half of it will eventually be knocked down and turned into blocks of tiny flats by developers.

Kaktus · 27/08/2020 14:19

I live in a large village which is a bit quieter than usual, not too much. The nearby airport is our biggest employer and there have been lots of redundancies so I’m guessing people are saving money.
Nearest city is dead. Don’t think it helps that all the shops are in an indoor shopping centre so masks can’t be taken off in between shops... definitely seems to have stopped people browsing/spending lots of time there. At least 5 of the units have permanently closed in lockdown too, so it feels derelict.

theemmadilemma · 27/08/2020 14:29

Local town seems busy. Mix here of offices locally and also commuter town. It will be interesting to see how more wfh changes the shapes of large cities.

Camomila · 27/08/2020 14:43

I live in a touristy south coast city - its pretty busy!
My suburb is busy too with everyone wfh...the cafes are all busy and some new food trucks/exercise classes have set up in the park. The kids "jo jingles" type classes have started up in the park too.

Soapysoap · 27/08/2020 14:46

My towns been a ghost town since about 2005

MaidofKent78 · 27/08/2020 14:51

I live & work in York. I've actually no idea what the city centre looks like at the moment (wfh so no need to go there) but the roads have been heaving, presumably with additional tourist traffic due to no overseas holidays.

Blibbyblobby · 27/08/2020 15:00

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
justasking111 · 27/08/2020 15:01

DS going back to Leeds uni. next month with two unis. there it will be interesting to hear how his second year will compare to his first. He loved the buzz of it last year. Nightclubs will remain closed I presume.

OP posts:
ThatDirection · 27/08/2020 15:09

Yes. But it has been going downhill for years and mostly would be crowded with undesirable people hanging around the town centre - not necessarily doing much shopping. Offices and schools probably did bring nicer people in to the town centre for essentials in shops, but more and more shops were already closing before lockdown. I have avoided it as much as I could. They will blame Covid when it dies completely but is was already dying.

KatherineJaneway · 27/08/2020 15:11

Local area is buzzing. Went into central London this week and it was quiet. Lots of businesses close to my workplace are not open or have closed over the past months.

gonewiththerain · 27/08/2020 15:15

Northern tourist market town. It’s hell so much busier than usual can’t get in the small convenience stores to buy food, can’t park, can’t social distance.

LadyLairdArgyll · 27/08/2020 15:15

I live in rural west coast Scotland, and it's mobbed, literally mobbed, reaching beaches is impossible due to camper vans and cars lining what is usually very quiet roads. All the shops cafes bars and restaurants are open, it's buzzing. I do have concerns Covid wise, but all seems okay so far. Flowers

Original poster
justasking111 · 27/08/2020 15:19

@LadyLairdArgyll

I live in rural west coast Scotland, and it's mobbed, literally mobbed, reaching beaches is impossible due to camper vans and cars lining what is usually very quiet roads. All the shops cafes bars and restaurants are open, it's buzzing. I do have concerns Covid wise, but all seems okay so far. Flowers
Ditto in N Wales never seen so many visitors, Spain being off the table along with other countries it seems that Scotland and Wales is being rediscovered.
OP posts:
SockYarn · 27/08/2020 15:21

I volunteer in a charity shop. We are open our usual hours and although we're limited to 8 people in the shop at any one time, we'd never usually have more than that anyway.

Our takings are running at about 33% of what they were the same week last year. We have stock, donations. Just no customers.

Igglepigglesgrubbyblanket · 27/08/2020 15:22

Very busy in the zone 3 London suburbs around near me. Went to Kew gardens yesterday and it was heaving. Central London much quieter than normal last time I went in a couple of weeks ago.

ChavvySexPond · 27/08/2020 15:24

Our town is noticeably lively at lunchtimes these days. Anywhere with outside space seems to be thriving. Also sandwich shops/bars near to green spaces are doing a roaring trade. The local shops are all outside (not in a shopping centre) so you can just nip in. The car parks are so busy I had to park in my non-preferred car park.

Any customer-led business that has been able to adapt seems to be doing ok but I am very aware that we are still in the summertime.

Polnm · 27/08/2020 15:28

It certainly describes central London

Westfacing · 27/08/2020 15:31

@hastingsmua1

It’s packed here, just at different times of the day!

pre lockdown, trains would be absolutely heaving at 7-8am, so when I would travel long distance on a day off I’d book for around 11-12. Peak and off peak have completely switched around now. I couldn’t believe the amount of passengers at my local station at 1pm today, it was like bank holiday levels of people.

This past month I've been working near Liverpool Street Station and the tubes have been almost empty at 07.00 - would usually be rammed.

Yesterday took DGD to the Tower of London at midday and the tube was noticeably busier, still plenty of seats but as you say a complete switch around.