Originally Posted by squawk

I shouldn’t “like” this, but I’ve noticed a significant uptick in road traffic in Newcastle since Monday - both on arterial roads, and in the city centre. When I wandered in today, footfall was also hugely up on last week and the atmosphere - with a huge number of outdoor seating areas - was almost continental.

If there are any good things to come from the pandemic (other than mRNA vaccines, which hold all sorts of promise for other diseases), the rise of an outdoor continental style cafe culture is definitely one of them. If it can work in Stockholm and Tallinn, it can work on Tyneside!