AS SHOPS reopened for the first time this year, long queues of people were spotted waiting outside popular shops in Oxford and Bicester Village.

Ahead of the reopening of designer outlets, crowds were filmed at the luxury mall in Bicester.

And in Oxford, long lines tailed around the Westgate Centre outside shops such as Primark.

Oxford Mail:  

Here’s what our readers on Facebook said about crowds flocking to the shopping centres after the third lockdown:

ANNE PLATT: “I’ve just got back from Oxford - there were no queues into John Lewis at all. Yes we queued to get into Primark (needed to return some items) - but it is very well managed and organised. The store isn’t busy when you get in there as they are keeping the numbers to a maximum. Although the queue looks long (as people are social distancing) it only took us 10 mins to get to the door. No other shops in the Westgate had queues while I was there.”

CHARLY AMY: “If Boris says we can do it, let’s do it. People have no brain, I swear if we go into lockdown again it will be his fault, no one else’s as it’s easier to blame others than take responsibility for your own actions. Why do people do it, it’s beyond me and it’s only Primark.”

Oxford Mail:

JEMMA LOUISE: “We beat that queue!”

GEMMA GALLAGHER: “It’s no different to the queues for the supermarket, just let people get on with their lives. So much hate all the time.”

GEMMA WHEELER: “My son sent me a video of the queue a while ago and it was about 200 people deep by 11am, queuing around the block, crazy.”

SARAH CHANDLER: “How stupid. Come on people think about it. If it continues, we will be in lockdown again.”

DAVINA JANE: “The queue outside Primark was down to the John Lewis doors when I got there, so I walked away as I didn’t feel comfortable standing in the queue. Everywhere has just gone crazy.”

PATRICIA GARDNER: “When I went at 10am it was near Krispy Kreme when I came out it was all the way round past John Lewis, Blackwell’s and near the Trespass shop it went crazy.”

Oxford Mail:

KATHRYN WHITBY: “I will just stick to mail order thanks.”

ALEXA GALLEY: “Got to Primark at 8.30am and walked straight in. By time we came out, the queue was down and round the corner.”

CLARE JAMES: “Wow, what a judgemental lot - no one is forcing anyone to go out, stay at home if you prefer. It was heartwarming to see who many out in our local town this morning back to its happy, bustling self. A much-needed boost for retail and hospitality industry.”

AMIE PHILLIPS: “Honestly, if you don’t like it shop online. I literally have been in clothes shop and had people like ‘there’s no social distancing’ don’t become part of it, then moan about it.”

LAUREN FISHER: “I hope those businesses had a great first day back open! More importantly the thousands of people able to return to work! Must be such a massive mental health boost. The majority are wearing masks. Time to stop living in fear and trying to get back to some normality.”

CHRIS MOSS: “People moaning again, the shops are open and you’re allowed. Nothing to stop them is there.”

Oxford Mail:

MARTY DOLOMITE: “Common sense says don’t go mixing with other people if you don’t need to. Most people have gone out just because they wanted to go out, rather than needed to.”

REBECCA BROWN: “What an utter joke. Good social distancing going on...shame on you all.”

JOSH COOK: “What did everyone seriously expect, for the shops to open and no one to go?”

KELLIE WADLEY: “Can’t wait to go.”

MIKE SMITH: “Covid cases will rise but the theory is that people who are likely to end up in hospital should have been vaccinated by now so not putting pressure on the NHS. “Of the rest who catch it most people will not be seriously ill and will increase the herd immunity.”

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