Scarborough Chamber of Trade looks back a year on from first lockdown
We've been speaking to the group's president Janet Jefferson about how the last 12 months have been for the town's businesses
Tomorrow marks exactly a year since many businesses on the Yorkshire Coast had to suddenly shut their doors at the start of the first lockdown.
We've been hearing from Scarborough Chamber of Trade and Commerce about what the last 12 months have been like for businesses in the town.
It's president Janet Jefferson has told us they never expected the restrictions to last this long, and 'the town centre will never be the same'.
Janet Jefferson said:
"I think it's hard to believe that it's been a year, and I like probably everybody else wake up on a morning thinking is this really happening?
"It's been a very difficult year, being locked down, then open, and locked down again, but we are coming out of the lockdown slowly, as a chamber of trade we are looking forward to 12th April when our non-essential businesses can open.
"The first lockdown was a shock to everybody within the town centre I think, not least the retailers and the business fraternity.
"I think we thought it would soon be over, it was weird having to try and shop in safety and distanced, so it's been a long year really now from what we thought would be maybe just a couple of months.
"Within the town, we have lost a lot of the larger firms and businesses especially Debenhams and the Arcadia Group, but I think as independents we're hoping we can carry on and we've stuck together.
"The town centre will never be the same, I think this is what we all believe. It will be diverse, we'll have a bit more leisure in it, we might even have the odd museum or art gallery. We'll also welcome more people living in the town centre, who will be it's lifeblood."