ALMOST all pandemic-related restrictions have now eased, but has this made a noticeable difference to Swindon’s town centre?

While wandering around on Saturday, our roving reporter noticed several shops still encouraging customers to don a face covering and self-isolate, though these rules are no longer legally enforced.

Inside supermarkets like the Tesco Metro on The Parade, there was an even 50/50 split between those with a mask and those without.

Inside the Brunel Shopping Centre, it was more 70/30, leaning more towards mask-wearers, while outside in the open air there were around one in 10 people wearing a mask.

Navigating the town centre’s streets proved fairly easy, though any caution about keeping at a distance seems to have gone. On a couple of occasions, there was someone almost brushing right up against me to get past with no regard for personal space, let alone the former two-metre rule.

Tables inside and outside Swindon’s coffee shops and cafes were full of happy customers. Manjit Lalli owns The Blues Café on Havelock Street and has done so for 24 years.

He said: “It’s been a tough couple of years but this week has seen some progress to something better. To go back to 100 per cent normal will take a little while, though slowly but surely we are going in the right direction towards what it was like pre-Covid.

“At the end of the day, it’s about looking after yourself and doing your best to protect yourself.

“We still have hand sanitiser, we open the doors and windows to keep the air flowing, some people are still wearing masks though it’s a choice now.”

“The town was a lot quieter compared to how it used to be, it was like a ghost town, but since the lockdown ended more and more people have come back

.”

Dhiraj Pujari opened craft beer shop Drink Valley inside the Swindon Emporium opposite McDonald's last July and has just celebrated its one-year anniversary.

He said: "It's not compulsory to wear masks and shoppers do have a choice, though we're still wearing them and we recommend that people do in the store, we still have notices up.

"Everyone who's come in during the last week has worn a mask, which is nice, it shows they are wearing them because they want to out of consideration for others, which is good thing to do until things improve.

"When we started last summer, there were very few people in the town centre but since the last lockdown ended, it's been getting better.

"We have had a lot of positive support from people which has helped us stay open

."