SHOPPERS took to the high streets of Flintshire once again as retailers reopen after three months of closure during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Non-essential shops across Wales reopened on Monday morning and the Leader was on hand to speak some of Flintshire's indepedent retailers which reopened their doors on Monday.
The Leader visited shops on Mold, Holywell and Flint High Streets to get some of their thoughts on reopening, how they have coped during lockdown and what safety measures they have in place.
The general feeling of local shop owners is one of overwhelming relief, but also of great amounts of uncertainty about what their futures hold amid the pandemic.
Pauline Humphreys, owner of Wildcats Shoes and Stuff in Mold, said she feels like a "child starting school for the first time".
She said: "It's not been easy by any means, the financial support from the local and national governments has been so helpful but despite that it's still such an uncertain time.
"I feel like shops like ours could and should have opened earlier than they have - we have all the safety measures in place.
"But it feels great to be back open and we'll just have to wait and see if we get the revenue we need."
Martin Jones, owner of Vaughan Davies - mens and ladieswear retailer based on Wrexham street for 62 years - said on the decision to reopen shops: "I think we need to move forward - we can't stay forever closed and have the high streets deserted, we have to sometime break free and, with care, try and return to some normality.
"The business started in 1938 so we survived through the Second World War and have faced other things like several foot and mouth outbreaks and other things like recessions to deal with - but this is the first time we had to close due to a virus.
"But the English and Welsh governments have been very good in supporting us, and so has Flintshire Council with the rates relief and grants and we've been able to talk with most of our suppliers to help each other through it."
The majority of shops in Mold's indoor market also reopened on Monday, and are raring to go following three month lay-off.
Mike Hastings, owner of Mold CB & Guitars, said: "I think this is definitely the right time to reopen, and in fact we should have reopened earlier in my opinion.
"We've been here for 30 years and we've been through all sorts of economic depressions and the like, and we have a website so have been able to continue to trade, so we'll be ok.
"I've been able to use the time off to repair a lot of guitars so that was productive.
"Thankfully the lockdown hasn't made a huge difference to us, but I am sure it has for many others."
Lisa Walker, of P&L Homeworks and Quality Gifts, has been busy during the lockdown as she divides her time between her shop and being a nurse at the Countess of Chester Hospital.
She said: "I work as a neonatal nursery nurse in the special baby care unit at the Countess so I've never been out of work - I love both my jobs so it's brilliant to be back in the shop.
"They're being really cautious in the in door market, only letting certain amounts of people in at any one time and there is hand sanitizer and things like that, and I'm behind a screen - so I feel a lot safer than could otherwise have been the case.
"I think it (trade) will be quiet for the worst few weeks, but hopefully it'll pick up then."
Maurice Storey, owner of Josar which does engravings, picture framings, key cuttings and the like, has owned the shop in the indoor market for 20 years.
He said: "I definitely think it is the right time to reopen, we've had no trade at all for the last few months but we've managed thanks to a council grant.
"It's quite manic now as I had orders before the lockdown and now I'm trying to catch up.
"Hopefully as the other shops start to reopen we'll see an upturn in trade."
Anne Roberts, of Flowers by Anne, said: "There seems to be a high demand for flowers at the moment with people wanting to stay close to loved ones.
"I've been able to get orders in over the last week so have had some flowers delivered, and I have a presence on Facebook where I can liaise with customers.
"I don't know if it's the right time to reopen, time will tell and we'll just have to wait and see if it was the right or wrong decision - but I think we have to give it a go."
Rick and Sarah Scott, of CM Scott Jewellers on Holywell High Street, said: "We've been here for 30 years so we've certainly seen our fair share of recession and economic downturn, but this is a whole new ball game.
"We don't know what's going to happen with this (Covid-19) - we'll just have to take it as it comes, it's all change but we can't do any more than we're doing with the precautions us and customers are taking.
Asked how they've coped financially during the lockdown, Mr and Mrs Scott said: "We've had some help from the government but basically we've been dipping in to our savings."
Karen Lloyd, owner of the Flower Bowl on Holywell High Street for the last 20 years, said: "It's been very strange to be back to work, but we've had a lot of locals and customers pop in to say hello and say how happy they are to see us back open.
"Covid-19's been like nothing we've seen before, it's not like a recession where you can plan for it to a certain degree in the knowledge you're going to take a hit but that things will eventually pick up.
"With this our doors have reopened but we don't know how the public will react, so we'll just have to wait and see if we get people through the door."
People queued half an hour before Next in Broughton reopened its doors on Monday morning.
Employee Nathan Ash said with the measures in place the shop is safe to reopen.
He said: "We've had a long time to prepare for customers coming back, and we've done everything in terms of preventing contamination and the spread of the virus.
"Next has provided all of us with PPE, we've got face visors, paper masks, gloves and endless amounts of hand sanitizer and wipes - so I feel it's about time we came back."
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