Cheers – welcome back! Lockdown eases as pubs, restaurants & hair salons re-open

MELKSHAM sprang back into life at the weekend with the return of its hairdressers, barbers, pubs, restaurants and cafés following the lifting of more lockdown restrictions.

In what was dubbed ‘Super Saturday’, the hospitality industry could re-open after a lockdown of three months.

Sam Ponsford from The Pilot in Bowerhill told Melksham News, “It was good to reopen, we had no problems – it was strange getting used to the new set-up, having tables and chairs spaced out for social distancing, and one-way routes through the pub – but we all got used to it. And there was a good atmosphere in the pub, it felt different to how it used to be, but great to be open again. We saw some regulars return and a few new faces, which was nice to see. And it was great to be social again, and speak to people we hadn’t seen since before lockdown. Some of our older regulars stayed away at the weekend in case it was too busy, but they are slowly returning too.”

Alex from Tops Hair & Beauty in the town centre added, “It went really well – we were really busy, even though we had limited staff due to the changes we’ve made to be ‘Covid secure’. We were slightly apprehensive about reopening, but it was a good day. Clients were so pleased to finally visit the salon – some had missed three appointments whilst in lockdown – so there was much relief and excitement! We’ve had a few emails from clients telling us that they felt safe visiting the salon.”

Amongst the many people flocking to their favourite hairdresser at the weekend was Melksham’s mayor, cllr Pat Aves. Cllr Aves was one of the first clients through the door at Tops at 9am on Saturday.

After her appointment, cllr Aves told Melksham News, “It feels absolutely amazing. I loved every minute – it was a relief to finally let the professionals take care of my hair, and Robyn did such a wonderful job. I felt completely safe during my visit – it’s clear that every safety measure has been taken care of at Tops.”

Support local!

Although relieved to be back open, most pubs and salons face a difficult time. 

They have  had to spend a lot of money on making their businesses safe to prevent any spread of the virus. Pubs have introduced social distancing measures while restricted numbers and table service have increased costs. Salons have introduced safety measures with PPE for staff, a full clean between each client and reduced capacity due to social distancing.

And as part of its ongoing campaign, the Melksham News is encouraging the community to continue its support for local businesses, helping them to get back on their feet.

Editor of Melksham News, Ian Drew, said, “Our businesses have gone the extra mile to ensure that they can make a safe return to the heart of our community. It’s never been more important to support them to help kick-start the local economy and protect jobs.”

Stay alert, act responsibly

As life continues to return to a ‘new normal’ in the town, local authorities have urged the community to remain ‘alert’ to the potential spread of coronavirus and act responsibly when visiting businesses, such as pubs and restaurants, by observing social distancing measures in place. 

Prior to ‘Super Saturday’, fearing an excited rush to local pubs, Wiltshire Council and Wiltshire Police warned the community of their responsibilities to help control the virus.

And whilst fears appeared to go unfounded with no arrests made in Melksham and police reporting only one incident in the town, local residents have complained about the anti-social behaviour of some of the weekend’s revellers.

One local High Street resident told Melksham News, “The noise on Saturday evening was horrendous. People were screaming and shouting abuse at each other, glass smashing, people kicking bins or any inanimate object that got in their way.

“Why these people felt the need to get so drunk is beyond me – you could be forgiven for thinking that this was their first taste of alcohol since lockdown began! Absolute morons.

“And why are the pubs letting them get so drunk – they need to take more responsibility for who they serve.”

A spokesperson for Wiltshire Police said, “We were called to The Bear at 11.30pm on Saturday (4th July) to reports of an assault (one male hitting another). Officers arrived along with the ambulance service; the injured male chose to go home and not to hospital.  The suspect had left the scene. No arrests were made or have been made so far. Our enquiries are continuing.”

Chief Constable Kier Pritchard of Wiltshire Police added,  “The majority of people behaved responsibly this weekend and adhered to the government’s guidelines – drinking sensibly and sticking to social distancing guidelines.

“I am pleased to say we made no arrests in Melksham in relation to the easing of the lockdown this weekend.

“It was only the minority of people who caused a few problems across the whole of the county and those issues were few in number.”