Customers have been welcomed back inside a Darlington pub this afternoon.

Ian Clough, who runs the Orb micropub on Coniscliffe Road, said they were ready for regulars to come indoors from midday.

There has been an outside seating area for a month but the recent rain hasn't been helpful in attracting customers.

Mr Clough said: "We'll be able to double capacity with indoor and outdoor seating which will help claw back some of our takings, it's been a very difficult time for the hospitality industry."

Image source, ORB Micropub

Alex Regan
BBC News

The easing of restrictions across England means that many can finally hug loved ones after more than a year of social distancing.

Megan Warren, from Ruddington, Nottinghamshire, got to hug her 72-year-old granny, Sue Kirkwood, for the first time in 14 months.

Ms Warren, who turned 20 on Monday, said it was "the best birthday present ever".

"It meant everything - it was such a magical and special moment.

"We were counting down the minutes until we could hug on our WhatsApp group."

Image source, Dawn Warren

Ms Warren's mother Dawn added: "I just had a cry about it. It was very emotional - it was amazing.

"It was great for me too as I haven't been able to hug my mum since March last year."

A warning system will tested to advise people in areas affected by floods, fires, terror attacks or industrial incidents.

Rehearsals are getting under way again at West Yorkshire’s theatres as coronavirus restrictions ease in line with national guidance.

People can now socialise indoors in limited numbers, hug loved ones and visit pubs and restaurants inside.

The ban on foreign travel has also been lifted and replaced with new rules.

Actor Billy Pierce (pictured) is due to perform his socially-distanced comedy act at Bradford's St George's Hall in mid-June. It'll be his first live show in over a year.

Billy said: "I never thought I’d miss it so much, to be honest, because I’ve had 50-odd years of it.

"It’s not just us, it’s our sound guys, the stage crew, lighting.

"Everybody’s suffered – all the connections to the theatre: the restaurants, the pubs round about, the car parks even. It’s everything – it’s like throwing a pebble in a pond."

Comedian Barry Ferns put on a show as soon as lockdown rules were eased at one minute past midnight.

Laura Mcmullan
Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

Getting some normality back is the main theme from parents at the soft play centre I visited in Staffordshire earlier.

Come Into Play reopened in Stone and children were soon running around with shouts and laughter in the air.

One parent said her son "loves playing, so he is a happy little baby" while another dad said it was "really great to go out of lockdown".

It was not just the youngsters benefiting, as a mum told me: "It is really nice to sit down and have a cup of coffee knowing that [my] little one can play around and she is in a safe environment."

Thousands of people got jabs in Bolton over the weekend as the town battles the Indian variant.

After being dark for 14 months, West End theatres are finally starting to reopen.

Ahead of tonight's first show for more than a year, the set and stage at The Mousetrap, the West End’s longest running play, are being fumigated.

"We are sold out for the next few weeks, so there's clearly an appetite to come back to the theatre," said the show's producer, Adam Spiegel.

"Obviously we are operating with social distancing, so we have a reduced capacity, but my sense is that people want to get back out."

The counter in the foyer will greet the audience for the 28,200th performance - it had been stuck on 28,199 since March 2020.

Allen Cook
BBC News

The first person in the world to be given the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has taken advantage of lockdown easing to go on a coach holiday.

Image source, Harry Shaw

Margaret Keenan, 91, was given the vaccine at University Hospital, in Coventry, in December.

Coach holiday firm Harry Shaw tweeted a photo of Mrs Keenan and said she had joined them for a holiday.

The 93-year-old is taking a break in Bournemouth with her daughter and son-in-law.

All mainland council areas in Scotland - with the exception of Glasgow and Moray - have moved from level three to level two Covid restrictions.

Damien McLaughlin, a supermarket security guard, is enjoying a pint on his day off in Dundee’s Bank Bar.

He says the social aspect of people being allowed to drink indoors in pubs again was “massive.”

“Not just doing a Zoom chat or a video chat, people can just sit and catch up and get their banter going again.

Damien thinks people might feel “a bit awkward” returning to the pub, but that would be short-lived.

“People slip back into it quite easily,” he said.

“They’ll have a laugh, maybe take the mickey out of each other.

“That makes everybody feel a lot more friendly, takes away the anxiety that people were feeling.”

Tourists will make a big difference to a tea shop in Lincoln which has opened again today as Covid restrictions ease, its owner says.

From today, people can socialise indoors in limited numbers, hug loved ones and visit pubs and restaurants inside.

The ban on foreign travel has also been lifted and replaced with new rules.

Nicola Lockwood, who owns Bells Tea shop in the Bailgate area of Lincoln, says: "We’ve had people walking by knocking on the window going, 'when are you opening, when are you open?' - local people, but also people from further afield."

"This is a tourist area and all of us need tourists. That’s what’s going to make the difference."

Ben Sidwell
BBC Midlands Today

Most pubs haven’t opened yet in Tenbury Wells, but here is a photo from inside The Vaults, which is on the Main Street in the Worcestershire town.

They opened for the first time this morning since the start of January. Fair to say it was busy when I popped in to set up an interview for later.

Pubs, restaurants and entertainment and sporting venues welcome people back as restrictions ease.

London's mayor makes the request as about 400 people test positive for the Indian variant in London.

Figures from Transport for London (TfL) show a slight increase in public transport use up to 10:00 BST on Monday.

Tube journeys were up 5% from last week and bus journeys up 1%.

Businesses delight in allowing customers indoors for the first time in months.

BBC Midlands Today

Wolverhampton speedway fans will be among the first spectators allowed back in to watch their sport.

Fewer than 1,000 supporters can attend Monday evening's meeting at Monmore Green for the Thank You NHS Trophy.

It has been 20 months since speedway bikes were last able to race at the track.

GCSE, AS and A-levels will take place in NI again but pupils taking CCEA exams will sit fewer tests.

Paul Russell, owner of the Bank Bar in Dundee city centre, says he felt “some trepidation” ahead of reopening. His customers have other thoughts.

Most of mainland Scotland is easing restrictions today as they move into level two, while Moray and Glasgow remain in level three.

“You can safely say most of them were looking forward to getting back, having a pint,” Paul says.

“More people want to get out and speak to people and have that engagement again.

“If you can provide a safe environment for people to come in, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

He says that providing a takeaway food service during lockdown had kept the pub in touch with its regulars.

“It’s been very, very difficult,” he says. “We are a bit of a community pub, we do a lot of fundraising for charity."

Amid the joy of being back there are fears that some customers may have died during lockdown.