People and businesses in St Neots 'thrilled' as lockdown eases

Residents and businesses in St Neots told us they were thrilled to be out and about as the long-awaited lock-down easing came into force on Monday.   

John Kaine, 70, from St Neots was with his granddaughter Lilly and the pair were on the Market Square enjoying the sunshine.  

John said: “I think it is tremendous that St Neots is reopening, it is good for the town. 

“It’s good, the shops are open, it’s a lovely day, it’s great to see people sitting outside enjoying life."

Mel Cox, 63 years old from St Neots was also sitting outside on the Market Square on Monday, enjoying the sunshine.  

He was thrilled when he saw one of his friends, Marion Noble, 76, from Eynesbury, walk past who he said he hadn’t seen in eight months.  

Mel said: “We have literally been sat here talking for an hour and a half and it has been lovely."  

Marion said: “I feel much safer coming out now that I have had my vaccine and it is great to see my friend Mel again.” 

Mrs Linley and Christine Andrews, both 77, from St Neots, were also basking in the sunshine.   

Christine said: “This is the first time we have both been able to come out and actually have something to eat.  

“It feel like freedom, to finally be doing this, it is the first time I have walked round the town since early last March.  

“I feel like there is a nice community atmosphere today, and after Sunday’s weather it has just become so different, it’s great to have the sunshine back.” 

Adrian Kabzinski, 24, soon to be the new bar manager of Bohemia, a restaurant in St Neots, and Matt Allen, 24, who is the bar manager of Bohemia, were both working in the restaurant on Monday, the first time they were able to use their outdoor seating area to provide food and drinks.  

Adrian said: “It has been absolutely amazing, seeing everybody coming back together again, slowly going back to normal, even though it is just our outside area.  

“It has just been nice, people are a lot more happier, everyone is just excited, we are excited ourselves. 

Matt said: “We are more of a community here, so we have our regulars that come in seven days a week.  

“It is so nice to see them outside, even if it is only outside and temporarily.” 

Carol Pittom, the owner of Capsule Boutique, in Cross Keys,  has been the owner of the shop for more than 10 years.  

Carol said: “It has been wonderful to open back up, it was nice to switch the open sign on the door to actually ‘open’ as we have been closed for so long.  

"People are realising even younger people that they want to come out and have a look and feel clothes.  

“The social side of it as well when you go to the shop is nice and people can get advice and then they can go and get coffee and have lunch, it’s then the whole experience of what happens in a market town like St Neots."

Katherine Roberts, the owner of the Shirt Shop, in St Neots, has also been pleased to reopen.  

Katherine said: “It has been brilliant to reopen, the customer’s have been delighted to be able to come back and shop.  

“A lot of men have had their haircut this morning and then they come in and get a shirt, as a lot of them have tended to put on weight during the pandemic lockdown.  

“We are actually the factory that supplies the entire UK High Street and Europe with shirts.  

“My other half has a factory in Tunisa and we supply Next, River Island, DKNY, TM Lewis, Charles Tyrwhitt. 

“We also made all the shirts for Pirates of the Carribean, movie one and there is a photograph in the window of Johnny Depp wearing it.  

“I have also got one of the shirt’s in the shop.”