SHOPAHOLICS were able to put weeks of frustration behind them today - and they seized the opportunity with both hands, as this photo of the queue outside Primark in the Coppergate Centre illustrates.

At one point early this afternoon the queue stretched back almost all the way to the top of Coppergate Walk, said Phil Pinder of the York Retail Forum.

The queue for Primark today Queues also formed early outside The York Ghost Merchants in Shambles - and outside Monk Bar Chocolatiers a bit further up.

Mr Pinder said there were reports from across the city of retailers doing good businesses.

If anything, he said, business today was a little bit up on the same period just after Easter a couple of years ago. "It has been a very nice first day back," said Mr Pinder, whose own shop - The Potions Cauldron on Sambles - has also been busy.

"Businesses seem very bouyant. And it is particularly heartening that people seem to have been doing everything in a safe way. People are wearing face masks between shops, and they clearly don't mind queueing!" 

Angus McAerhur of the York Ghost Merchants on Shambles - which makes and sells ghost figurines on the premises - said people had begun queueing outside the shop at 5am. Today was the first time visitors to the shop had been able to buy in stre a new 'penny dreadful' ghost figure embedded with a coin from the 1890s. 

Because the shop is quite small, only a few people have been able to come in at a time, he said. "But we've had some wonderful customers, who have been very patient, willing to wait between two and two and a half hours just to get into the shop!"

Make It York also stressed it had been a great first day back for retailers and pubs and restaurants.

“With many of the city's incredible retailers and hospitality businesses now being able to reopen, the feedback we've had about this first day of trading has been really positive," said Ashley Young, the organisation's senior marketing and communications officer. 

"Businesses have been working so hard to get things ready for customers to return safely and it's been wonderful to see local people already out supporting them.

"The new temporary outdoor seating space is also working well with the public using it to reunite with family and friends. This is a safe space for people to have a meal, snack or a drink together, whilst supporting local pubs, cafes and restaurants."