LET THE FUN BEGIN!
Primark shoppers queue in dark from 5am and gyms reopen at midnight on ‘Wild Wednesday’ as lockdown ends
DESPERATE shoppers queued in the dark from 5am and gyms reopened at MIDNIGHT as the national lockdown lifted today.
Brits jumped at the first tantalising taste of a return to normal life as all shops, salons, gyms and pubs reopened across England.
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Bargain hunters braved the cold as they queued around the block from the early hours for the first chance at Christmas shopping in bricks and mortar stores.
Keen shoppers lined the streets and queued for Primark in Birmingham at 7am, marking the first day out of the national lockdown.
Around 40 shoppers with big coats braved the cold December morning to get into the shops as soon as they opened.
In London, avid shoppers also waited outside stores on Oxford Street in the early hours of the morning to mark the end of the second Covid-19 lockdown.
And similar scenes were seen in Newcastle as people lined up hours before the clothing shops even opened their doors.
WILD WEDNESDAY
It's the first time in four weeks that anyone across the country is able to do their Christmas shopping in person - and the sudden burst of activity has been dubbed "Wild Wednesday."
Hundreds of shoppers piled into Debenhams on Oxford Street this morning to make the most of the retailer's clearance sale.
Queues looped around the block before staff threw open the doors at 10am on the first day after national lockdown.
Last night, the retailer experienced a surge in visits to its website "to unprecedented levels" as it urged customers to be patient while it deals with demand.
It comes amid a high street bloodbath, with the jobs of around 25,000 staff at Arcadia and Debenhams hanging in the balance.
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One shop worker was at Lakeside in Grays, Essex, early this morning and was told by managers to expect large crowds.
He said: “There were people here at 6am to go into Primark, they all came out holding bags.
"It’s definitely not as busy as it was last time that lockdown was lifted.”
Dozens of fitness fanatics flocked to Zone Gym in North London, which was fined £67,000 for ignoring the lockdown, as it opened its doors legally for the first time in four weeks at midnight.
Boss Andreas Michli, 34, was swamped by over 60 supporters tonight as he threw his doors open on the stroke of midnight - as England officially came out of lockdown at 12:01am.
Crowds queued up to get back on the treadmills and boss Mr Michli told : "I feel like I'm fighting on behalf of businesses of all kind.
"So many business owners are suffering, so it's great to see the buzz here tonight and the excitement now that we are opening up again."
It comes as...
- A new stricter tier system comes into force across England
- The Pfizer jab has been approved, and vaccines will be rolled out as early as next week
- One million shoppers joined Debenhams' virtual queue after the chain went bust
- Tier 2 drinkers celebrated the end of the lockdown with breakfast beers
- Fifty NHS hospitals are ready to roll out the new vaccine next week
- Brits can hug their elderly loved ones if they test negative, as care home visits begin today
- Sir Philip Green's Arcadia group went bust yesterday, just hours before having to pay millions in tax
In Falmouth, Cornwall, barber shops opened their doors to customers for the first time in four weeks as lads flocked to get well-needed trims.
But Cornwall is part of the one per cent of the country who will be in the least restrictive tier bracket from today - alongside the Isles of Scilly and Wight.
A Wetherspoons pub in Southampton opened up for its first customer of the day at 8.30am - but like all other Tier 2 pubs, customers must have a substantial meal accompanying a pint.
Last night, MPs voted to enforce the new tougher tier system, and was cleared in the Commons by 291 votes to 78.
Different rules apply for people living in different tiers - but shops will be open universally across the country in a bid to ramp up revenue during the Christmas period.
Personal care and close contact services such as hairdressers and beauty salons are also allowed to open once more - in all three tiers.
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Gyms, leisure centres and indoor sport can recommence, but indoor group activities and classes should not take place at tier 3.
Much of England is under Tier 2 and 3 in the new restrictions, which limits social contact between households, but allows non-essential shops to reopen.
Joining in with the festive cheer, department store Selfridges is setting up a Christmas market outside its London store.
Described as a "foodies' paradise", it will also include several rides including a giant helter skelter.
A spokesman for Selfridges said: "Think a mini version of Hyde Park's Winter Wonderland which was cancelled this year."
Jordan Roberts, 19, was among a dozen people queuing outside as the department store opened its doors on a frosty Wednesday morning.
She said she was doing her Christmas shopping, adding: "It feels more enjoyable being in a store and things run out of stock online."
On England coming out of lockdown, she said: "It's good to have our freedom back."
'WE HAVE OUR FREEDOM BACK'
But for those who are in Tier 3, going out to the shops is one of the only freedoms granted post-lockdown.
Inda Macdonagh, from Nottingham, told The Sun today: “It’s a treat being out shopping again after lockdown but a pity all the cafes and restaurants in the city are closed as we’re in the top tier.
“It’s put a lot of people coming out to shop because there’s nowhere to eat.";
The excitement of lockdown ending was coupled with even more good news this morning.
The UK is the first country in the world to give a Covid vaccine the green light - with mass vaccination planned from next week.
The jab - which is 95 per cent effective and developed by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and German firm BioNTech - is safe for use, health regulators say.
The news means that millions of Brits will soon receive it - in line with the Government's pledge to get the most vulnerable as soon as possible.
Most read in UK News
Care home residents, health and care staff, the elderly and the extremely vulnerable will be among the 800,000 to get the jab in the first wave next week, it was confirmed.
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The first shipments will arrive as early as today, although the bulk of the roll-out will take place in the new year.
An elated Matt Hancock was seen smiling with his thumbs up at the news this morning.
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