AS businesses in Middlewich begin to see the shoots of spring and a post-lockdown recovery, the owner of a nutrition shop is looking forward to seeing and helping her customers again.

Victoria Haslam-Boyd, who runs Big Kingz Nutrition on Wheelock Street, decided to keep the doors to the store locked during the most recent lockdown.

"I was doing click and collect, but with the numbers going up and up and up, I was just too scared to open," she explained.

"I've got family members who I care for and I just wanted to make sure that I was doing my best for them.

"Even though I was doing click and collect at the door, not everyone was following the rules or they didn't want to wear a mask.

"So to save any arguing or confrontation I thought I'd just stay closed for this one."

The fine balance of asking people to follow the rules while not wanting to upset a client base that might have their own viewpoint, meant that Victoria didn't want to be in a position where she might lose custom.

"I know I did lose quite a few customers by asking for people to wear a mask, but rather than cause any further upset, I closed and hoped it would help speed up a way out of lockdown," she added.

To many people, the shop, which is also a tanning salon, provides them with the opportunity to improve both their physical and mental wellbeing, with Victoria all ears to the problems people might bring.

"There's a lot of people who come here and tell me their whole life," she said.

"Some people say coming here is a bit like a post office because they come in, have a gab and tell me all their problems.

"Because I'm a therapist anyway, and have been since 1998, I'm used to that.

"For some reason I absorb people like that.

"I've really missed that because it really gives me energy."

Victoria went on to say how she worries about the wellbeing of people being in a state of lockdown for such a long period of time and hoped the next few days and weeks will see many familiar faces return.

She said: "There are millions of people who suffer from problems and have been hidden away in lockdown.

"I've had people in here who have lost too much weight and they ask me to help them.

"There's a balance of people in here who either want to get big or get little.

"And I've been worried about some people, who I obviously haven't seen for a few months now."

With the shops and businesses of Wheelock Street now beginning to slowly turn back into action, Victoria said she is delighted to see it and is hopeful for the future.

"I've obviously been coming in each week to check on the shop and it's been so sad to see how empty the road has been," she added.

"I love this street and I love the elderly people who will walk passed and I'll open my door and have a chat to them.

"I've missed all that and when I was washing the windows of the shop on Saturday, one of the neighbours here was telling me how much they've missed having all the faces around.

"I'm really happy to be back and I can't wait to see what new things are happening on the street."