Guildford Quiet As Lockdown 3 Hits

Published on: 20 Dec, 2020
Updated on: 22 Dec, 2020

By Hugh Coakley

Guildford was quiet today (Sunday, December 20) on the first day of Lockdown 3. Only shops selling essential goods were open. Traders on the few stalls open on the North Street market said that business was slow.

Guildford town centre was quiet as Lockdown 3 started.

People who spoke to The Dragon were largely supportive of the new lockdown but split on whether the government edict had come too late.

Heidi Jones of Heidi’s Flowers was critical about the timing of the announcement on television: “It was bit sudden. We should have been given at least a day’s notice. We didn’t hear about it until friends rang us in the evening.

“We are lucky we can trade as a market stall. But we have hardly any customers. It seems bizarre that people across the border in Waverley can stay in Tier 2.”

Only a few stalls opened on the North Street market. It is planned to be open every day on the lead up to Christmas.

Guildford residents Adam and Laura Bury said: “The government has tried their best. They have tried tiers but it hasn’t worked out. You can’t predict a virus.”

They were less reconciled to the government’s approach on lockdown. “They chose not to have a national lockdown and said we could meet at Christmas. We now have the worst outcome – shops are shut and we can’t get together over Christmas.

“Guildford is doing better than most towns. It will come back stronger.”

Another shopper said: “Everyone seems to be angry that the government has not acted sooner. I hope we all follow the rules so we can just get it done.”

The Rev’d Tom Pote, curate at Holy Trinity Church in the High Street and St Mary’s Church in Quarry Street, said: “The government priority has to be saving lives. It is a fast-moving situation and the virus doesn’t work to a calendar.”