Big Shops re-opening today. Anyone going?

[PaulB]

If I have to queue; NO!
If it's rammed; NO!
If I have to social distance; NO!
If I have to book a time to go for a pee; NO!
If the bar staff are togged up like heart surgeons; NO!
If I have to use hand sanitizer every 5 minutes; NO!

It could be a long time before I visit a pub then, but so be it.

My mate Anthony posted a picture on FB yesterday showing he went into a countryside pub close to us, saw there were very few people there so he sat in the beer garden for a bit of a rest and he was approached by a barmaid who asked him what he wanted to drink. Nobody was dressed up like a heart surgeon (who dress like all other surgeons - apart from Orthopaedic surgeons who you'd have been better describing), the toilets were open as normal, there was no queue and as it was outside, no hand sanitiser was evident. Looked good to me.

Today, I learned one of our operating theatre crew - there's only him and me left working - had made plans to get transferred from ICU to a general ward and it's estimated he'll be out before this weekend after making a good recovery from the virus it's reckoned he'd picked up in theatre. We all have a once-a-month night out and when the next one rolls around (it will be in July), we reckon and hope he'll be amongst our number.

 

[screenman]

I am off to Comet to buy a kettle.

 

[vickster]

I am off to Comet to buy a kettle.

 

[Fab Foodie]

Since last week was fairly heavy (cycling-wise) I decided today's escapade would simply be a mosey into town to see how much contempt the consumptive masses of Oxford warranted.

It pleases me to report that town was relatively quiet; probably less foot traffic than you'd exepect on a normal Monday late-morning; however it pays to remember that a lot of uni staff and students will still be absent.

The main entrance to the Westgate was relatively busy; the lower end not so much with the John Lewis still closed and the only queue visible being for Primark, although that was only maybe 20yd long. To be fair to our Bristolian counterparts I assume the lines there were at opening time, while the branch in Oxford had been open for a few hours by the time I got there.

Primark queue just visible on 2nd level:

View attachment 530141


Outside Queens St. was undoutedly busier than it has been in recent weeks, but thankfully not the consumptive frenzy I was expecting:

View attachment 530144


Finally, Cornmarket was similar:

View attachment 530146


Perhaps there's hope for humanity yet (but I doubt it )

Blimey, that’s pretty quiet!

 

[Easytigers]

Probably later this week. My OH has already been to the local garden centre and we are keen to get back to some kind of normality for our autistic daughter. Her only outings was a drive to local towns (eg Bromley) and then a walk through the shopping centre to WH Smiths to buy a Bounty, then home again. All of that has been destroyed by the lockdown and we have been house prisoners since it started and now normality for our daughter is to stay at home. It's going to take months to get her back to where she was.

Know how you feel fella! We'll get there though!

 

[Accy cyclist]

Not for me at all! I go to the kind of places the masses had been queuing up at yesterday,when they have late night opening till 8 or 9pm. I like to browse and wander around when there's only a few other shoppers about.

 

[roley poley]

ordered a 16 point ring spanner on click and collect from Halfords to get the lock ring off the rotor of a Nexus hub no queue at the store but 6 lads in the store were undoing their scooters wheel on the shop floor in a huddle and no staff batted an eye lid !!! I zipped in and out ...the queue for tk Max had over 50+ people about a foot apart ..thats Leeds city centre for you ...I AM NOT PLAYING

 

[FrankCrank]

I'm staying put.

 

[Dave7]

Not for me at all! I go to the kind of places the masses had been queuing up at yesterday,when they have late night opening till 8 or 9pm. I like to browse and wander around when there's only a few other shoppers about.

Yeh, we know your sort. Couple of big placki bags inside your coat. Stash a load of stuff in and just pay for a pair of socks

 

[Accy cyclist]

Yeh, we know your sort. Couple of big placki bags inside your coat. Stash a load of stuff in and just pay for a pair of socks

Keep it quiet,how do you know?

 

[MontyVeda]

ordered a 16 point ring spanner on click and collect from Halfords to get the lock ring off the rotor of a Nexus hub no queue at the store but 6 lads in the store were undoing their scooters wheel on the shop floor in a huddle and no staff batted an eye lid !!! I zipped in and out ...the queue for tk Max had over 50+ people about a foot apart ..thats Leeds city centre for you ...I AM NOT PLAYING

Customers tend to flock together. They're like traffic. If they haven't got the common sense to keep a bit of distance, it's not the staff's job to separate them. When the customers all start bulking up in my store, I just retreat and do something elsewhere until that section is clear again.

 

[Notafettler]

No
I buy clothes second hand of Ebay (I like fatface)
I buy bikes second hand of Ebay.

I buy cider first hand of the internet.

Untill pubs open going into town about once month for prescription butchers, fishmonger, cheese shop, Wilkos for there great dog poo bags (the colour coordinated brown ones) and Morrison for there molten magma strength 6 (higher than espresso) ground coffee.

In fact I am never going to use the big brand shops in town ever again. Although I may look again at that decision if they ever open one

 

[Mike_P]

The one good thing Sainsbury's late morning walked straight in, no queuing
Wonder exactly how many queuing when the other stores were shut were really doing essential shopping.

 

[slowmotion]

There's nothing that I need or want, apart from some decent timber and you can't find that in the shops...….or most timber merchants for that matter.

 

[DCLane]

Needed to go into Dewsbury, which should be quiet on a 'non-market' day. It wasn't. Queues everywhere and few giving space so I left.

I'll come back when it's quietened down.