ONE of the busiest independent shops in Wellington over the period leading up to Christmas was Tim Potter Family Butchers in Fore Street, writes Barry Knott.

Queues began on the Monday of last week – sometimes 80 yards long in places – with a wait of at least an hour. Surprisingly, there was barely a queue on Christmas Eve.

Tim said: “Certainly it was up there with the best of Christmases for business. I think because of the pandemic people wanted to use their local shops.

“The queues were longer than usual because of social distancing and the fact we could only have two people in the shop at any one time. And not all customers had their order number with them.”

Tim’s shop also oversaw the handing out of 80 free Christmas dinners to under-privileged children, and he added: “I would like to thank everyone who was involved in this.”

After such a hectic Christmas, Tim and his staff were back in business on Tuesday of this week having more than earned their four-day break.

There were also queues at local supermarkets at times during the Christmas week, often when it was raining. It seems people shopped earlier this year but whether it could be described as panic buying is open to interpretation.

Certainly this Christmas was different for many and it is hoped much more joy will be around next year.