Above: click or tap to see just some of the local shops and services back open for business.

It's 9am on Heswall's first day in Tier 2. The sky is grey, it's cold and drizzling - but Sue Porter, owner of Linghams Booksellers and Cafe, is feeling bright having opened her doors for the first time for almost a month.

"Today," she says, "opening up the shop, it felt so good, and there was a lady in an orange coat, our first customer, and I just wanted to hug her. I can't tell you how happy I am. We've missed a month's trading, which is going to have a knock on effect, but to be able to welcome people back - I can't put it into words. I'm ecstatic."

Today we learnt more detail about the vaccination programme which will be rolled out, starting this month, but while we may be glimpsing the beginning of the end of the pandemic, vaccines won't be a quick fix, and we can't predict the consequences of Christmas socialising both authorised and not. Most experts agree we will be tightly constrained until Spring at the earliest.

FUTURE TENSE

"I am worried about the start of the new year," explained Sue. "November and December normally pay for our January, February and March when business is inevitably a little slower following the holidays. The news about the vaccine is great. Get it up here! But in the meantime people are still going to be uncertain about shopping. It's very understandable, even though we've tried our hardest to be absolutely Covid secure with a one way system and hand sanitiser as soon as you walk in, and for the coffee shop, and Linghams' very responsible team, and lovely customers who are very aware of each other and take distancing seriously.

"I'm very aware of looking after our customers and staff because we've got to get people through the doors, because if we don't there may be no doors to open some time next year, and I'm sure we do everything we can to make sure people can shop here safely."

BUY LOCAL, OR BYE LOCAL

High streets in many small towns were feeling the strain before Covid, and Sue has a rallying cry for the community now and in the future.

She says: "We need you to come back folks and support your high street, because if you don't support us now then the high street may soon look very different. And I'm sure people will come back, because those last three days before we locked down, the shop was very busy, it was brilliant. Thanks to everyone who came. Today, this is the busiest I've seen Heswall for ages, with all the cars and people out and about. I just want to shout, 'Hello!' It's great to see shops already making really nice Christmas window displays, and I think we've got to, all the shops and customers have to stick together and work together really hard to encourage people to shop locally.

"Hand on heart, we really need you now. Have a bite to eat in Isabelle's, order a new bathroom from Inspired, some clothes from Sue Huntingon, books from Linghams, obviously, and make time for all the other independents in town.

"It's worth remembering that local shops can offer unique selling experiences. Linghams can't compete with amazon, so please don't ask us to match amazon prices, but we can do what online book stores can't do. All our staff, and me, are avid readers, so if you come into the shop and you're not quite certain what you want, perhaps it's a book you want to give as a present, then the chances are we can give real expert advice that means you can go away with just what you need. It's warm, it's friendly, very knowledgeable, and much quicker than doing an online search."

GREAT GIFTS

Talking of presents, it's not long until Christmas. So why does Sue think it's worth putting a few books under our trees?

"For children, books encourage imagination and creativity, and they're also a whole lot of fun. For people like me, I love the smell of a new book and turning its pages. I love opening a book, being drawn in by the first chapter, wondering where the journey is going to take me, and then finding out."