Sarah Portlock
BBC News, West Midlands

'Whisky woman' Amy Seton cannot wait to see her customers in person again.

The businesswoman said the pandemic, which caused the closure of Grain and Glass, formerly the Birmingham Whisky Club, in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, had been awful.

“The changing goalposts made it difficult, we opened and then closed, or had to manage the rule of six, or make sure people were family members.

“We were putting staff on and off furlough which is very difficult for them. We were all really worried," she said.

Image source, Rav Reyet

“But we started collection boxes online which we are going to continue doing.

"And we started doing tastings online. We did a whole festival online too.

“It got a bit of money in and a whole new customer base which has been really positive."

“Now we're reopening, which is great – and we have lots of people trying to book, which is lovely.

“It’s been quite difficult to get new staff though as a lot of people have relocated or got new jobs for understandable reasons.

“We are excited to see our regulars again. Everyone has been very supportive.”

Laurence Cawley
BBC News

Dancing Queen, 17. For Bingo fans 17 May has finally arrived, meaning they can once again step inside their beloved halls and get their eyes down on the cards.

The BBC is at a Bingo hall in Great Yarmouth finding out what a post-lockdown game looks like and what it means to those taking part.

Patrick Duffy, managing director at The Palace, says: "We've had hundreds of phone calls and the relief with people is incredible.

"There was so much sadness when we closed. People were very worried and concerned. Everybody is very enthusiastic.

"The bulk of our customers are regulars. We know nearly every customer and often their children and grandchildren as well."

Image source, PA Media

People are starting to head back to London's attractions with some making the most of the additional space.

These visitors took the opportunity to get the ultimate selfie through the glass floor on a high-level walkway at Tower Bridge in London.

Laura Mcmullan
Reporter, BBC Midlands Today

Customers were queuing at the doors of a soft play centre in Staffordshire this morning waiting for it to open, according to its owner.

Caron Lim runs Come Into Play, in Stone, and said parents had told her how much they had missed going to play centres like hers.

"For a lot of customers with young children, not being able to socialise with other children, see other family members, see other friends, it has been a real gap," she said.

Despite reopening, the building is only running at up to 40% of capacity due to Covid rules and has to clean for 30 minutes after every two-hour slot.

As lockdown restrictions ease across Scotland and England, the National Youth Choir of Scotland are already out singing in Edinburgh.

The chef and restaurant owner of Frenchie Covent Garden said his staff are "on fire" ready to welcome back customers.

Greg Marchand spent lockdown creating a new spring menu and said he can't wait to share it with people.

"We are thrilled to welcome back customers and see what a live restaurant sounds and feels like. It's been way too long for us.

"We've got a fully dedicated staff who have been at home for way too long and I assure you everyone is on fire."

It failed to respond to fire risks, or report serious injuries, or clean properly, a report finds.

Horse racing fans are being welcomed back to Redcar although capacity at the course is reduced.

Entry is via pre-paid ticket only and while racing has been taking place behind closed doors, it's the first meeting with spectators since October 2019.

Amy Fair from Redcar racecourse said: "We are being very cautious and we have a reduced capacity compared to what we would have normally - it's considerably reduced."

In the past traditional big race meetings, such as Ladies Day, would see around 7,000 people at the course but the current run of meetings is a fraction of that.

"Our total capacity for the grandstand side only is just over 2,000 people, so for today's meeting we're looking around 1,000 people coming racing", Ms Fair said.

Image source, Getty Images

Lunchtime Live
BBC Radio Scotland

Image source, Jean O'Reilly

Now while many businesses across mainland Scotland are celebrating the easing of restrictions today as they move into level two, Moray and Glasgow remain stuck in level three.

Katie Moody is head of marketing for the Princes Square shopping centre in Glasgow and she expected it to be a grand reopening today.

“We were very excited on Friday, we were getting everything prepared, making sure we were all organised and then Friday evening…we couldn’t be more devastated, it’s a hard blow.”

"A number of our restaurants weren’t opening until today, because a lot of our restaurants don’t make money just on the food, the money comes from the alcohol element, that’s where the margin is.

"We also had our cinema to give us the full Princes Square experience, they were fully booked and yet today that had to be closed down again."

She says: "We’re absolutely nowhere near where we should be…it’s not the same as what it used to be and now that people can’t come into Glasgow city centre we’ll be down again.

"This was an opportunity for us that sadly can’t happen."

Darlington's Hippodrome theatre is preparing to welcome back audiences, with its first live show due to happen next month.

The venue is currently hosting movie screenings and musicals filmed in London's West End, as well as dance groups.

Programme director Helen Tarran-Jones said: "We are erring on the side of caution with a one-metre-plus seating plan at the moment as we come into the summer and find out what happens with the government's roadmap on 21 June.

"We can then potentially reduce those restrictions on the seats."

She said they'll be listening to what audiences feel comfortable with too, with the first live show on 24 June having a 300-seat capacity, rather than 1,000, as was pre-pandemic.

"It does hold us back but at the same time we want to make sure people want to come back and it feels safe to do so," she said.

Image source, Darlington Hippodrome

Vicky Norton
BBC Radio Stoke

We have our first hug.

It's one of the big changes from today; the government says contact with people from other households, including hugs, is a matter of personal choice.

For millions of people this will be the first time they've hugged family and friends in months.

This one took place at the Floral Hall, a community centre in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, between Pat and Betty.

It is Pat's birthday today and Betty, who chairs the hall's trustees, said "she's a little sweetheart, this lady".

The National Youth Choir of Scotland sang as Covid restrictions eased across most of the country.

Sophie Calvert
BBC Radio Stoke

The disco lights were on, the bikes were fired up and eight people took part in one of the first exercise classes in Stoke-on-Trent this morning.

Eight people were absolutely going for it in the spin class at the Wallace Sports Centre, Abbey Hulton.

Alison was one of them and said it was "brilliant" and she had "really missed it".

Also in the group was Jo who said all the bikes were 2m apart and everyone sprayed them down to comply with Covid rules.

She said she had missed the social interaction: "We were all social distanced and doing our own thing but you are still part of a team and the team kind of pushes you along. Loads better."

Image source, PA Media

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said: "Today we're not just getting a step closer to normal, we're getting back to the things we love.

"Cultural organisations can now reopen and venues across the country are preparing to welcome audiences back to performances."

Speaking at the Tate Modern, he continued: "Of course I recognise the anxiety people feel as we assess the situation over the next fortnight in the run up to stage four, but today is a huge moment for our hard-hit cultural landscape."

Mr Dowden said more support would "be on its way to our much-loved museums, music venues, theatres and historic houses" as they reopen.

Image source, PA Media

It has been hard to source verifiable information about the pandemic in North Korea. Officially, there have been no cases of Covid-19 during the pandemic.  However, there have been reports of infections, particularly along the border with China, and the threat of the virus has been having a major impact on the North Korean economy.  One possible outbreak took place last year at an elite military academy in the capital Pyongyang which lead to the demotion of the officer in charge.  Rob Lauler, a news correspondent who works in Seoul, South Korea, has been monitoring reports that filter out via Daily NK, an online news site that reports on the North from its offices in South Korea. He outlines what is known about the outbreak, and the impact of the pandemic.

Photo: People wearing protective face masks commute in Pyongyang, North Korea, March 2020 Credit: Reuters

The owner of a bar in Yorkshire has said it is "incredible" to welcome punters back indoors again, as his venue opened at midnight.

Image source, Danny Lawson/PA Media

From today, Covid restrictions are being eased in England, meaning customers can eat and drink inside hospitality venues, with six people or two households now being allowed to meet indoors.

Cinemas, theatres and museums are also being allowed to reopen.

Ian Snowball, the owner of Showtime Bar in Huddersfield, said: "The anticipation and the planning has been amazing.

"We've got all the staff here and everyone's happy. It's nice to be inside, warm. I don't have to have a hoodie or a coat on any more - it's great.

"And hopefully we don't have to go back outside again. Hopefully this is the end of it now," he added.

Image source, Danny Lawson/PA Media

Customer Finlay Woodhead, 20, said: "I'm over the moon, I've been waiting so long.

"It's so nice to be sat inside where it's warm. I love it, honestly, I love it."

Richard Williams
BBC CWR

As well as flights leaving airports, coach holidays are back and one firm has nine leaving Coventry for other parts of the UK.

Colin Duncan, from Dunwood Travel, says the past three weeks have been their busiest for bookings in the past 25 years.

He is "excited and relieved" to have coaches departing, "ready to jump in the air".

Suitcases were on the pavement in Fairfax Street along with some very happy people, waiting to depart at about 09:30 BST.

Yarmouth-bound Sue said she was "nervous, but happy" while Jackie, off to Weymouth, couldn't wait to be walking along the sea front - "looking forward to it".

Ian, about to step on the coach to get to Weston-super-Mare, said he felt a bit emotional: "Been stuck in the house for so long and it is just nice to get away."

His first plan for when he arrives? "Have a pint."

Image source, Pencil Me In

Now it's not the whole of Scotland's mainland that is moving to level two today - with Glasgow and Moray remaining in level three.

Sarah Holmes has run Elgin’s Pencil Me In for five years, after relocating from Manchester.

“Staying in level three is frustrating when you see all the happy freedom stories today”, she says. “I don’t disagree (with that decision), but the travel restrictions massively impacts tourism in Moray.

“I feel we need to ride out this week. Online is only about 30% of our turnover, most is in store – the reason I have a shop is I like the customer connection”.

She says she is “quietly confident” that Moray’s infection rate would have fallen enough by the end of the week to justify an imminent move to level two.

Ray Spencer is director of the Customs House theatre in South Shields which is back open tonight.

He said: "A lot of the people haven't been performing for over a year, so there's a genuine nervousness about whether they'll still be able to sing in front of an audience, whether they'll be able to have people laugh at them at the right time."

However, he was convinced it was going to be a "such a special occasion".

"I'm sure there will be tears", he said.

"Because connecting back with the audience, for those performers, it's hard to explain if you're not a performer, how you need that connection, how you need that adrenaline rush.

"And they'll be getting that tonight."

David Gregory-Kumar
Science correspondent, BBC Midlands Today

As ever with coronavirus, today is all about risk.

The government has decided that despite an incomplete vaccination campaign and the arrival and spread of the Indian variant (B.1.617.2) it is still opening things up today.

Image source, PA Media

There are scientists who are very worried the new variant could be much more infectious meaning there's a real chance we will see another peak in deaths as big as any that have gone before.

But the government has decided to go ahead with relaxing lockdown. That's a risk on their part.

And now each of us have to make a decision about what sort of personal risk we are prepared to take with our health and the health of those around us.

Asking people if they've been vaccinated before deciding whether or not to hug them? Sitting inside a badly ventilated pub where people are shouting and singing? It's all about risk.

Whatever any of us decide today, we'll be watching the numbers as all those little decisions we all take add up to the big picture the government has to deal with in a few weeks' time.