It's one hour ahead of New Lockdown and the town's busy for 5 p.m. on a Friday. More people than during a modern Christmas Eve scoot round lest they be turned into pumpkins at the 6 p.m. curfew. There is no car parking space on Clwyd Street, usually the last to fill and usually gappy at this hour. Elsewhere, cars are littered at the kerbside, some mounting the kerb, as if abandoned last minute to remembered grocery items or an impulse purchase hurriedly made before the blinds come down. It's too late for some: already, shops are closing or closed, blank and black within, having given up hope for the two week's duration.
Drinkers in local pubs enjoy their last social pint. Wetherspoon's, in pre-virus times, would usually begining to fill for Friday family meals, has about 20 within and seven in the beer garden. The Boar's Head has mustered a dozen and a half. There's evidence in both of failures to socially distance, with groups of people around tables. These are good grounds for lockdown. There are about 10 in the Feathers.
Exactly seven months ago, we locked down for the first time. This was a progressive process, with some businesses initially changing their hours or shutting because of childcare commitments when Ysgol Brynhyfryd closed. It was rather like house lights going off at random, one after another, till the day of the prime minister's broadcast. Now, though, we're all prepared. We've been given notice and, let's be honest, we've expected this for a week and a half. This time, it's lights out all at the same time, like a power cut. No need, then, for the apologetic shop notices of March that were posted on every window and door. We know what to expect and when to expect it. But, will it end on the appointed day?
(Yesterday, pubs could close at 10 p.m. Towards closing, Wetherspoon's had nine within and 17 outside. The Boar's Head had 10 within and a half dozen in the beer garden. Origin held six. The Park Place was already making preparations to close and had two drinkers within. The Feathers managed six).