'Viral goats' but not a pint in sight – my daycation in a reopened Llandudno

Relieved retailers lift their shutters for the first time since Christmas Eve; waves crash ever so gently against the glistening beach pebbles; and the internet-famous goats can be heard from afar.

It’s a surprisingly mild morning in Llandudno as I legally saunter along its palm tree-lined promenade that – like many others – I’ve yearned to revisit. In its summer pomp, North Beach and the adorning pier throngs with Midlanders like myself who regularly pop across the border for a dose of vitamin sea. Early this morning, it’s mostly local dog walkers and runners scattered along the seafront… though, I imagine many back home are packing up their cars as I write this.

Such retailers reopening include Petticoat Lane, a charming independent boutique in the shadows of the promenade’s pastel hues. “It’s a mixture of relief and excitement, [to re-open]” said store owner Kate Russell, as I pop in for a chat at opening time. “We have a really great relationship with our customers, and it’s been quite strange not to see our customers for two quite long periods of time.”

“We’ve stayed in touch online, where our customers can buy things and interact with us, but the main message we’ve been receiving is that they can’t wait for us to re-open, if not just for a catch-up alone,” Kate continued. “It’s been almost four months since we last opened; we closed on December 19. It’s been tricky but you just have to try and adapt in the circumstances.”

And how have they adapted? “We sell a lot of seasonal clothing, so we got our heads around using Instagram TV to post videos when new stock came in. Thankfully, we’ve gained a lot of new custom through that platform which ensured that the majority of that stock didn’t just go straight into the sale today.”

This morning in Llandudno, there’s clearly a desire for the return of shopping. Every parking space is taken and queues at the likes of department store Clares were forming well before opening time. It’s encouraging, but renowned entrepreneurs such as Charlotte Tilbury and Henry Holland still think more needs to be done. They’re calling for a ‘Shop Out to Help Out’ scheme – similar to the Eat Out to Help Out restaurant scheme of last summer – that would give retailers a welcome boost.

Retail will enjoy a boom this week, but hospitality in Wales is still fairly restricted. Self-contained accommodation sites such as campsites and caravan parks are the only legal options for those looking to turn their ‘daycation’ into something longer, and shared facilities at these sites remain closed. All of Llandudno’s famous seafront hotels remain shut for leisure too, while restaurants and pubs can’t serve people outdoors until April 26 (compared to today, April 12, in England).

That might put some people off returning, but not Julie and John, whose overly familiar Midlands twang I overhear on the pier. The couple from Wolverhampton say they couldn’t wait to get back as soon as it was legal to do so.

“We’ve been coming to Llandudno since we were teenagers. We probably make four or five day trips here a year,” said Julie. “We just love the beach and the pier. We came today not only because we’re now allowed to, but also because the shops are all back open. We like how all the little shops here feel like a tight-knit community.”

“Hopefully the hotels will be back open soon and we can get back to the Grand Hotel, where we got married many moons ago,” Julie continued. “We’ve really missed not being able to come back.”

When I arrived in Llandudno and first walked along the pier this morning, the sun broke through the clouds exactly as Lou Reed’s ‘Perfect Day’ began to play from the pier’s PA system. If you didn’t believe in fate, that would surely be enough to convert you. And to the man walking down the pier drinking a beer at 9am as that song played: I salute you.

There’s a further fortnight to wait for that first freshly poured pint in a freezing cold beer garden, but the buzz around town is enough alone to provide hope for the near future. Not least for today’s deep azure sky, fresh sea air and pleasant lack of snow showers.