Buzz around town as businesses welcome back customers

Businesses around the country have this week been reopening their doors to customers who they have not seen in over five months.

Since Monday, click and collect by appointment recommenced for the retail sector, with all remaining non-essential retail opening on Monday, May 17.

Similarly, personal services such as hairdressers, barbers and beauticians welcomed back clients on Monday, including Deirdre Gallagher from Studio One Hair Salon located on Columcille Street in Tullamore.

“There’s a lovely atmosphere and a great buzz around town,” she said. “We’re very busy but we’re enjoying every minute of it, and we’ve been spoiled rotten with flowers and chocolates and people bringing us in lunch.”

Deirdre explained that ten chairs had to be removed from the salon to allow for social distancing, and the waiting area was also minimised.

“I’ve never been happier to have the two storeys because it has come in handy with social distancing. Three of our staff left last year, and I remember thinking that it was going to be a huge blow to the business, but little did I know what was going to happen and that we wouldn’t have had the space for three other hairdressers to work alongside.”

Studio One has been in business for 22 years, and Deirdre says the team had regular contact with the loyal client base throughout the lockdown.

“Anyone that had an appointment in January or February got first choice of an appointment date. Then people who contacted us through social media were added to the waiting list.

“At one stage we had six phones on the go here and we have slotted them in over the next six weeks!”

Another business that reopened a section of its premises on Monday was Kelly’s Toymaster located on Church Road, Tullamore.

Ian Kelly says that while there is some difficulty getting stock from the UK, they have been planning for the reopening for the last number of months.

“Because we have a nursery section we were allowed to remain open by appointment only for essential nursery items,” he said. “The last time we sold a toy was just before Christmas.”

“We’re getting a lot of calls about being open, but people are waiting to be allowed to come back in with their children to have a look around. Children have been quite good for the last while but they have been overlooked a bit too.”

Ian explained that parents were under pressure to find new toys that were being promoted on YouTube, a platform that has proven to be popular amongst children.

“Even something as simple as a jigsaw is quite hard to get in lockdown but that can keep a child occupied for hours and hours. There’s only so much time that a child can spend running around outside before they want to come in and play with a toy or experience something new.”

All 11 staff members were this week reminded of the full reopening on retail on Monday, and Ian says they all responded positively about returning to work.

Some cultural venues such as galleries and museums also reopened on Monday, including the Birr Theatre and Arts Centre.

Manager Emma Nee Haslam says that the general consensus among people visiting the centre is that they “are delighted to get back out and have somewhere new to go and see – we’re no longer browsing the teabag section in the supermarket!”

“Our gallery space is immediately inside the door in our foyer, so it’s lovely to have the doors wide open and have the sunlight shining in. People potter in to have a little look as they pass by.”

While the gallery has reopened, there is still no government guidance on when exactly the theatre can once again welcome the public.

“We’re delighted that we have our gallery space open with a beautiful ceramic exhibition from Monica O’Meara from Roscrea, but we certainly look forward to more announcements in the future when we can have more indoor activity.

“I was at a National Campaign for the Arts yesterday and the expectation is that we will have an announcement in early June for further reopening. I also have a meeting for Scripts, our playwriting festival that has been moved into August, and there has been planning for Birr Festival of Music.

“So we’re making plans for an active summer, and once we’re open we want to stay open. It’s frustrating planning for something that you don’t know if it’s even going to go ahead. As much effort and work goes into cancelling something as goes into organising it.”