From 15th June....

I'm really looking forward to all our little independent shops opening here in Exeter plus the charity shops. Love a rummage in the charity shops and coming home with a piece of clothing with a designer label in it that I could never afford it normally.

GreenGran78

My Sainsbury is the same. Not a long rack but I looked through quite a few items I was not worried at all about this. They had provided plenty of spray to use on entry and everyone was asked to use it. I sprayed and wiped my hands and trolley +used the disposable blue paper to dry everything. Did the same on the way out.

Bought a pair of trousers and blouse.

Sainsbury had a long rack of drastically reduced clothes today. I have lost weight, and desperately need some new trousers/jeans. I tried to pick some out without undue handling of the merchandise, and found that the sizes on the hangars often didn’t match the size of the garment on it.
Rather than having to handle umpteen items while trying to find something in my size I gave up in disgust.

Part of the fun of shopping is touching the merchandise and trying it one which is believe is one of the main reasons people like to shop instead of doing it online. As you cannot touch nor try it on, the fun has gone and it is easier, more comfortable and quicker to shop on line. What will they do about returns though, perhaps we will not be able to once you have it in your home. No shopping for me.

@Theoddbird our local market is partially reopened already. Fruit & veg, plants, fish, meat lorry, meat pies and cheese all to be had. Nice and fresh, and significantly cheaper than the shops. I ‘filled mi boots’, and my garden tubs with lots of lovely bedding plants.

I have to admit that I’ve enjoyed not going shopping and I’m not looking forward to being in a crowd again.

there is a minimum spend before you can have a delivery,that's with all stores

I hope it won’t be too long before the charity furniture shops open again. I want to donate my sitting room settees and buy a sofa bed so I can stop sleeping on the floor when my grandchildren come.

I daren’t order the sofa bed until I can get rid of the not so old stuff.

Iceland open new slots from 11am everyday! they sell all grocery items and household, including loo rolls, lol

After self-isolating since just before the lockdown, I went into town for the first time today as we'd run out of some food. I was nervous, but although the town had quite a lot of people in it, I found people were being sensible and no-one came near me. People queued to go into the shop I went into, and at the garden centre I then decided I was brave enough to try had an orderly queue too. I didn't stop there though as I didn't want to push my luck. I'd have gone in if no-one else was queuing. I won't be in a hurry to repeat this outing though. It was an essential journey today - even if the garden centre was a mad spur of the moment idea. I'll wait a little longer.

Marieeliz Thank you. I’ve just rang the groomers and left a message. Her ansaphone message confirmed she had only recently opened again. My doggy will be very happy. He is a rescue from Cyprus and is very timid and nervous. The groomer I use now is the only one he isn’t frightened of.

DD just phoned to say that DGS said that easing the lockdown is, 'Better than going to Disneyland'!
We'll see them, suitably distanced, on Thursday. Can't wait!

Surely this means that lockdown is effectively over? Car showrooms are able to open from 1st June so anyone can simply go out and about under the pretext of looking at cars.

We’re still locked down in Scotland but from Thu that is to be eased. As far as I can tell, it will be ok to drive quite a long distance to visit elderly relatives although not to use their toilet. As I need to visit my mother, two hours away, should I stop off at Tesco on the way and use the toilets there? I’d have thought that would be a lot riskier than using my mum’s loo and giving it a good clean afterwards!

Watching from another country the release from lockdown in England seems very muddled . Just okay from 15th June shops can open no easing in to it. Plus surely now it should be like most countries that masks must be worn in shops and public transport.
At least here is Portugal there has been a gradual opening up of shops. Firstly from 4th May small shops which included hairdressers but keeping to strict rules. Then last week larger shops but not shops inside shopping centres. Plus restaurants and cafes but at only 50% of capacity and keeping tables 2 metres apart. Golf and tennis opened up too.It will continue like this over the next weeks with cinemas, swimming pools etc and with beaches opening up from the 5th June and strict rules there too. I know I feel safer here because most people are following the rules. It would appear that some people in Lisbon think they know best which is showing by the continuance of new cases there.

I feel markets should be abolished, too open, too much risk

I'm sorry Nannan2 but I don't understand this comment. Surely, the very fact that a market is "open" makes it a far lesser risk of incubating the virus than any supermarket or small shop? It's been confirmed that we're at significantly less risk of catching or spreading the virus out of doors. So why do you feel that an open air market is to be avoided/abolished?

Susie42- i dont know why any supermarket would 'decline' an order just because its under £40?? Usually the guide is if you spend under a certain amount they do charge a delivery fee though - but free if you spend the required amount- but most of the large chains recently have been waiving the 'certain amount spend' rule.

Im with you GrowingoldDisgracefully!

Inishowen, I'd have snapped back "bloody move off then and let some others have some"! Id have bloody told them at the door too of their mistake!! If you 'just want argos' at the sainsburys outlets you still have to queue up outside to just go argos, same as everyone for sainsburys..so why shouldn't 'just buying plants' in other shops be same.

Mareeliz I've been shopping each week throughout the lockdown. The difference in sheer number of people out shopping is extremely noticeable compared to last week. Something has made people feel more able to go shopping...

I feel markets should be abolished, too open, too much risk.

Us neither Houndi

Joesoap- when they do open i doubt Boris will bother- he always normally looks like its just hacked off & mussed up!

So its ok for dog groomers, but not for barbers or hairdressers whom we most of us really need right now??government are going crackers!! Covid 19 did definitely turn Boris's brain to mush.

Some of these new rules seem up in the air to me.Distancing must be honoured by everyone and I think face masks will be very important, if anyone knows where to buy them.Why arent hairdressers being allowed to open surely they are the most essential of all places,I wonder when Boris hairdresser will open?

Two or more weeks.