Northampton's shops finally reopening today...here's what you can expect

You can go shopping in Northampton today for the first time in 12 weeks, pray in one of the town's many churches, or go to a betting shop.

You can travel by bus .. as long as you wear a face covering and can get a seat on services which must run 80 per cent empty to maintain social distancing.

But you can't go to the pub, cinema — unless it's outdoors — or get a haircut for another three weeks, until July 4 at least.

June 15 has been a date circled in the calendar ever since Boris Johnson put the country in lockdown on March 23 in a desperate bid to slow the spread of the deadly Covid-19 bug and the county's most vulnerable were told to stay indoors for 12 weeks.

Essential shops such as supermarkets and pharmacies have stayed open. DIY stores and homeware stores slowly reopened during the last month.

But today is the day non-essential shops can unlock their doors. And the shopping experience will be very different.

Fashion giant Primark is among the stores opening today in Northampton's Grosvenor Centre and prepared customers for what to expect by sharing a video and photos showing what the 'new normal' looks like.

Primark CEO, Paul Marchant, said: “We have really missed our customers and we are delighted to be back on 15 June and able to provide them with the quality, affordable products they love from Primark.

“While it might take a little longer to get into store, once inside, customers will find all their favourite Primark products and plenty of choice as usual. We have worked hard to make sure that clear signage and extra help will be there to guide them through the changes we have made to allow for social distancing.

“We are also asking customers to respect the measures we have put in place to help ensure shopping at Primark is an enjoyable, safe experience for everyone.”

The biggest change will be changing rooms staying shut, perspex screens at checkouts and separate entrances and exits.

You might have to queue to get in as numbers will be controlled and at the tills, half of which will be closed to avoid congregating.