Life after lockdown in Seaham: Busy summer and 'hellish community spirit' helps town rebuild

Cafes and non-essential shops have thrown open their doors again following the easing of the lockdown, with customers returning to their favourite spots or venturing to discover more places to love.

The new normal might feature social distancing signs and one-way systems, but it’s not long before you’ll hear an ‘Aye, aye’ between friends, and as one shop owner put it, the town is “hellish” once again.

Valente’s cafe in Church Street has seen 100 years of life and like many, its changed its opening times as customers change their ways.

"We pulled down the shutter on the Friday afternoon, went home and that was it, I was gutted,” said Susan Dugan, who owns the business and has worked in the cafe for 47 years.

"But since we’ve reopened, it’s been better than I expected – but it could be better.

"It’s been lovely, we missed our customers terribly, they are friends to us, at the end of the day.”

Among those having a cuppa with other regulars was Rita Goncagul, 75, who said: “We love it here, we come every morning and we definitely missed it.”

Karan Batey, who has run her florists in the street for 34 years, said: “It’s back to normal for us.

"Since we’ve been open again, it’s been absolutely fantastic – but then we are hellish here, there's nowhere like it.

"People were over the moon to see us and would just ring up to make sure we were alright.”

"It’s a proper old pit town, everyone looks after each other,” added her daughter Gemma Richardson.

Seaham institution Angus, founded in 1956, has a butchers in Blandford Place and deli in Church Street.

During lockdown it continued to keep townfolk fed with a deliveries, with drop-offs going on until 11pm.

Nick Thompson, deli manager, said: “Obviously, the lockdown wasn’t good for us financially, but we wanted to help people.

"It’s starting to pick back up, we’re seeing the old faces again and it’s nice to see them.”

Starting next week, a work will start to replace the street’s paving and seating as part of a £2.25 million regeneration scheme.

Also among those who kept people from going hungry during the tough times was Flanders, which was opened just days before cafes were told to close.

With stock sitting in their kitchen, Andrew Harrison and Chris O’Connor made free meals for the emergency services, then launched a project to ensure those in need still got hot meals.

Customers can now sit in, reassured by the safety measures.

"The Eat Out to Help Out scheme has helped us massively,” said Chris, a former military chef.

"I’m not originally from Seaham, I’m a Hartlepool lad myself, and you go back to the miners' strike and the pits and it’s easy to see how that happened again, people helping each other.

"It’s not changed here.

"The support we have seen has been phenomenal and me and Andrew have a military background, we've seen what can be done when something has money put into it, but what we’ve seen here, it takes your breath away.”

Just a few doors down – where the Harbour View stood before a fire destroyed it five years ago this month – workers are grafting away to create what will become a cocktail bar, bowling alley and flats.

In the marina, in the once industrial North Dock, visitors headed back down in their droves after the gates were unlocked eight weeks of lockdown – with a new child care business getting ready to open soon.

Adventure Access’s managing director Libby Robison had kept busy and money coming into the outdoor activity centre through her work with Easington Colliery Primary School, where she helped key workers’ children on its allotment project.

Thanks to funding from Sport England, she has taken on a general manager, with sessions such as kayaking and paddleboarding starting back on a one-to-one basis and families, before others were then added.

"We were prepared and had our finger on the button ready,” she said.

"It’s been really busy down here, I think busier than it was last year, and it’s really evolved, we all work together, it’s lovely.

"We’ve got the gym down here, the Flamingo cafe, and we all really compliment each other.”

Graham Low, who runs East Coast Fitness, turned to Facebook Live and Zoom to help his clients keep fit and has now returned to holding sessions, while locals have also launched a sea swimming club in the harbour in the wake of the lockdown.

He said: “It’s been really good and my advantage is I can hold my stuff outside

"It’s been great to continue to what we do and it’s so much better face-to-face.”

Flamingo Bar and Cafe owner Hannah Jackson-Harrison said customers have been delighted to get back and enjoy her terrace, which looks out over the sea.

"It’s been great and we’ve had a lot of families in, disabled people, and a lot have said it’s been their first time out.

"It’s so lovely to see customers' faces and I think it’s made people enjoy the little things in life.

"Some people were regulars before lockdown, some new, and it’s been nice to see people coming together.”

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