Long queues for cards and a call to support a dying high street from Gosport on its first day back

Shoppers flocked to Gosport's high street to pick up gifts and run errands on the first day back trading after the second lockdown.

The most popular shop was the Card Factory, which had a steady stream of customers.

Graham Sampson, 74, from Gosport, was in the queue, next in line was Dorrie Litherland, also from Gosport.

Graham said: ‘It is good to be out, it’s not been good with no pubs, no football and no betting shops. I hope to see them all open back up properly soon. I need to get some cards today, pop into the bank and visit Argos. The last nine months have been a nightmare. We were going away at Christmas and that’s had to be cancelled. We had to cancel our holidays too. I am hopeful for this new vaccine and that it comes in quickly and we can get back to normal.’

Dorrie said: ‘I have been into every shop looking for the cards I need and nowhere had them. I hope they have them in here. There’s not much choice on Gosport high street.

‘I have just come out of hospital and needed to come out for a walk to strengthen my legs. Hopefully things will change soon and I will be able to see my friends and family who live in Kent and up north soon.’

Further along the high street, Steph Humphrey, store manager at Eden Mobility, in High Street Gosport, was at her store's front door talking to Sheila Baker, 76, and Malcolm Allen, 68, from Fortune House.

Steph, from Gosport, said: ‘I don’t think the last lockdown was a proper lockdown as so much was open.

‘Standing out here and looking at the high street, I’m not sure that people are paying much attention to the rules. There are lots of people together, and lots of people breaking the rules, it’s worrying.’

Sheila said: ‘It is wonderful to see everything open again. It is great to see our friends at Eden Mobility, enjoy breakfast at Poppins, speak to people at the First Light Trust and shop at Mini Amsterdam.

‘It is lovely to see it all open again and it makes me so happy to see more people in the street again. If there’s a vaccine I will be first in the queue.’

Malcolm, a veteran, said: ‘It has been hard, but hopefully things will start to get better.’

Also hoping for business was Nick Green, 62, who runs A Little Slice of Heaven in Gosport High Street.

Nick, who has run the bakers for four years, said: ‘Throughout lockdown it was very quiet. Today there are a lot of people wandering aimlessly about but not many are spending money.

‘We have missed our older customers, some we haven’t seen since February.

‘People should support small businesses like mine, they all wanted us when the supermarkets ran out. I sold 160 dozen eggs in three days, whereas normally I will only sell five dozen a week.

‘Yes the supermarkets are cheaper but we give a better service. We give a more personal service. I like to see my place as a place people can come to offload their worries.’

Keith Draper, 69, was out with grandson Bradley Abrams, 12, from Gosport.

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Keith said: ‘I can’t stand being locked up and stuck indoors.

‘Gosport high street is dying, there are 25 empty shops, everything is moving online. It is killing the high street. It’s suffering a sow death. People need to support their high street, or they will lose it.’

Also pleased to be back open - and hoping for trade were Jay Twyford, 29, from Gosport and Steve Lowry, 40, from Stubbington who work at The Lair tattoo and body piercing studio.

Steve said: ‘It has been horrendous. As we are self employed and have only been self employed for less than a year we didn’t qualify for any government help.

‘We opened a food bank from the studio to help others during lockdown.

‘We are just glad to get back. We were desperate to get back to work. I hope people will come and support us.’

Jay said: ‘We have lots of Christmas deals, I’m doing buy one get one free on piercing, we have not been able to open or earn. We hope people support us now.’

For others it was more than just a first day back after lockdown, for David Rose, 38, from Gosport, it was his first ever day trading.

He has just opened Black Rose Barber Collective with his wife Mandy.

He said: ‘It has been quite busy. Hopefully lockdown has opened people’s eyes a little, and made them realise there are some excellent small businesses right here in Gosport and they don’t need to travel far to get to them.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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