Shocked after visiting city centre

[Snog]

I've just cycled through the centre of my small city for the first time in 4 months.

So many shops and restaurants are boarded up and have closed for good, maybe 30%?

I found it really shocking to witness. Is it the same where you live?

I have stayed local and fortunately the local businesses are back open and seem to be doing ok. But that's because we are a small town which has benefited from people staying local.

I would hate to see the big city centres they rely on commuters or the places that rely on tourism.

If you've not been there for 4 months it's self explanatory surely?

Our local high street was on its arse anyway - so it's pretty much normal there, but it's destined to have HS2 run through the middle of it and be bulldozed that way so we only really have small fleeting businesses taking on in one end of it anyhow.

Haven't been to the city centre - I can't deal with the distancing and fucked up atmosphere, and I'm exempt from masking in shops but frightened of being challenged or shamed so won't be venturing in after next week anyway.

Yes, same here OP. Small city, loads gone. Mistral, Monsoon, Laura Ashley and a fair few independent retailers, and then of course there are all the other empty shops that were already empty and will continue to be vacant because no one wants to rent anywhere now. The high street is dying. It already was, but this has fast-tracked it. It is sad.

I am in a rural area 40 miles from London. It seems to be booming. Almost all of the vacant shops have now been let out again in my local high street. I went down there yesterday and it was the busiest I have ever seen it on a Friday afternoon. The housing market also seems to be moving quicker than it has for a number of years.

Are you sure they've closed? I know shops, cafes, bars near here have boarded up their windows but they haven't closed down. They were just protecting their windows when they were closed and now that they've reopened, they haven't all removed the barriers yet especially the ones focused on takeaways instead.

Mine won't change much, it's all mini supermarkets, newsagents, bookies, barber shops and nail bars. Never seen it as busy as this weekend! I expect the bigger towns will be effected more and the indies in towns nearby, but ours was stripped already tbh.