It’s finally here – Freedom Day! – YIPPEE…all Covid rules and restrictions have ended, we can return to normal…

The Government says there is now no limit on the number of people you can mix with, but it would be best if you increased your contact with other people gradually (unless it’s for the Silverstone Grand Prix when you can choose 140 000 of your closest friends). You can now decide whether or not to wear a mask, unless you want to travel on London Transport or fly EasyJet, when it will still be mandatory. And please continue to wear a face covering when shopping in major supermarkets, unless of course you don’t want to. Summer holidays abroad are back, but green countries can turn to amber or red overnight, so don’t forget to book the airport Travelodge for a 10 day stay when you get home – just in case. Well, I hope that’s clarified what’s happening around the rest of the country, but how will things change at the Village Shop?

Last year on the 23rd March, we all went into lockdown and the shop introduced a 2-customer limit inside at any one time, followed on 9th April by a new protective screen in front of the till. On 24th July, the mandatory mask rule was introduced in England and on the 8th December 2020 at 6.31am at the University Hospital in Coventry, 91-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first person in the country to receive a Covid shot. Since then, 87% of adults over 18 have received their first injection, whilst 66% of us (that’s 2/3 in old money) have now been double jabbed – more than 82 million jabs in all – that’s a lot of needles…(in fact – just over 24 tons of steel, which is enough to build 27 cars!)
So back to the shop…we will be keeping the hand sanitiser by the front door, and we will continue to regularly sanitise the surfaces and handles in the shop. The 2-customer limit will remain in place for the moment, but this will ensure you can comfortably browse the shelves to find what you are looking for (see Jayne’s report for what’s happening “This week in the Village Shop”).

We want our customers and volunteers to feel safe and secure when they visit or work in the shop, so please feel free to continue wearing your mask if you feel more comfortable, but if you would prefer to be mask free, then that’s fine with us.

So, whether you choose New Normal, Old Normal or something in-between, you’ll always be welcome at your Village Shop.