“A Christian couple that accrued more than £40,000 in fines after opening their store in the national lockdowns has had their sanctions revoked. After being hit with multiple fines, Lydia and Alasdair Walker-Cox appeared in court twice. They argue that their Worcestershire store–which sells Christian books and newspapers, as well as gifts, cards and baking ingredients–should have been deemed essential. However, even after having the fine overturned, Lydia says the ramifications of the pandemic and multiple lockdowns continue to have a distinct effect on businesses. ‘Independent retail, in general, was in difficulty anyway, but lockdowns, 32 weeks of shops being closed, 32 weeks of people being told you can only shop in the big shops, it pushed people online probably 15 years earlier than it would have happened naturally.’”
“Christian Couple,” Premier Christian News, Mar. 2, 2022