We still need your custom during lockdown

And, it’s not just the hospitality trade that is learning to adapt.

Rachael Fletcher, owner of Fletcher and Hughes gift and card shop in the Bull Ring, is one of the many retailers rising to the challenge.

She admitted: “It (the) lockdown isn’t brilliant timing for us.

“We’ve put all our Christmas stock out and we would have been very busy in November.

“Now, we’re going to have to think again.”

Rachael says she has not had the time to set up a website.

She will be offering a call and collect service during lockdown and is happy to deliver to people.

She added: “As long as people don’t actually come into the shop, we’ll try and help them, the best we can.

“We can’t afford to close completely - not at this time of the year.

“The aim is to get through November and then focus on what we hope will be a very busy December.”

Rachael has run the shop for the last three years although she has been in the retail business for over 30 years.

She added: “We’ve never had anything like this before - and hopefully never again!

“Everyone understands why there’s a lockdown, even though this area has not been affected by Covid as much as other parts of the country.”

Rachael, though, is frustrated by some of the lockdown regulations which she believes are unfair to many small businesses.

She pointed out garden centres and supermarkets can still open as normal and sell their Christmas stock while she has been forced to shut.

She also says while the furlough scheme has been extended, many grants that were available for small businesses in the first lockdown are not included this time.

Rachael was a leading figure in the decision to offer late night opening in Horncastle last Wednesday - just hours before the lockdown came into force.

Many retailers opened until 8pm and reported a brisk trade.

Rachael explained: “I was sat at home on the Saturday night and saw a post on Facebook saying shops in Sleaford were going to stay open.

“I thought it was a great idea for Horncastle. I tried to contact as many businesses as possible but because of the short notice, some could not open. Still, it was a success.”

Shoppers say they were delighted to take part in Horncastle’s late night opening event last Wednesday (November 4).

Kay Burge, who runs a recruitment business in the town, was happy to support the event.

She was out and about with her son, Brad, who is 10.

She said: “We’ve done everything we can to support local traders.

“We‘ve bought our Christmas cards at Hughes and Fletcher, we had tea at the Admiral Rodney and bought a mobile phone from Robinsons.

“Now, Brad is in the queue to have his hair cut at the barbers!”

Kay, who is a key figure in the town’s traders’ association, said she was confident Horncastle would bounce back

She said: “There’s a great community spirit in the town

“The business community will, as ever, pull together and help each other.

“We’ learned a lot from the last lockdown. I’m confident we will be ok.”