“Smiling faces…..”

There were lots of these in our little Suffolk seaside town this week – people relieved to at last be able to go shopping in all those “non-essential” places. They were certainly getting plenty of retail therapy judging by the number of bags being carried too! A new phrase seems to have been coined – “revenge purchase” which aptly describes the feeling that you just need to be able to spend some money after being locked-down for so long. I felt it myself in spite of having made some internet purchases. There is nothing like being able to wander into a shop and to see (close up) and feel the item before you decide whether to buy it or not. Lots of the people in town seemed to have visited from out-of-town…. Essex and Norfolk of course, but further afield too, I met some from Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. No doubt the local self-catering properties will be booked to capacity which will help revive the local economy. What a relief. Let’s all do our bit to help with recovery and shop locally. (“Smiling faces, beautiful places” was the state’s slogan on our car’s registration plate in South Carolina)