Covid-19: North East businesses celebrate lockdown lifting

There was a queue of people wanting to get back into Forbidden Planet comic shop in Newcastle

Campsite owners, hairdressers and shopkeepers across the North East and Cumbria are celebrating the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Non-essential shops, gyms and pubs with outdoor seating are allowed to open.

Daniel Holder, who runs The Quiet Site campsite in the Lake District, said his business had been closed for seven of the past 12 months.

Bernie James, co-owner of Urban Concept hair salon in Gateshead, said it was "fabulous to be back".

Hairdresser Bernie James said returning to work felt "fabulous"

She said: "We are fully booked for the next five to six weeks, it's really exciting.

"The last three and half months have been really hard not being able to come in and do the job we love."

Meanwhile, Bill Gillow, owner of Geoffrey Gillow clothes shop in Darlington, said: "Everybody is champing at the bit to get back to it."

Bill Gillow said he was keen to welcome customers back

Mr Holder said staff at his campsite near Ullswater are "very excited" to be back at work.

"There's a huge demand this year for domestic holidays. We are looking forward to a really busy season and indeed a much longer season than normal.

"We fully expect our season to stretch right up to Christmas."

Daniel Holder said he and his staff were very excited to be back to work at The Quiet Site campsite

Jim Walker from Cumbria Tourism said he hoped businesses would not have to face another period of heavy restrictions.

"We really want this to be the last lockdown," he said.

"We know some businesses sadly have folded already and many are very fragile so we are hoping this is the end and we can move forward."

Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne is one of the many places allowed to open on Monday