CHANGES TO BRIGG SHOPPING HABITS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS EMERGENCY

Barry Chilvers - the well-known Brigg market fruit and veg trader - is continuing sales from the Molly's Flowers shop on Thursdays and Saturdays until further notice, now that North Lincolnshire Council has suspended all markets for the time being due to the Coronavirus emergency.
Our picture (above) shows customers waiting to stock up on fresh produce on the first Thursday that Barry set up business in these retail premises within the Market Place near the Coney Court archway.
 

During a meeting held some weeks ago, one Brigg councillor questioned why a sign (seen above) beside the A18, near the Monument roundabout, had been removed while the Saturday Brigg Farmers' Market it was promoting to passers-by was still in full swing.
A month later the end-of-March farmers' event went ahead in very limited form, with traders taking along their own stalls after North Lincolnshire Council decided to cancel. 
However, the banner near the Monument stayed in place well into the following week, despite the decision to cancel having been taken the previous Friday.
Obviously, in these troubled times, sign removal is priority zero. But some passers-by, seeing it still in place, might have thought another market was coming up in early April - obviously not the case.
It's now general knowledge that markets have been exempted from closure by the government if the organisers wish to keep them going, but this is not the case with Brigg's and Ashby's, although Scunthorpe's town centre indoor market continues.
The Brigg banner was eventually removed from the railings and, given the current situation, is unlikely to re-appear for some weeks.
Many people in Brigg are now using small businesses they don't normally frequent.
Some shops permitted to stay open under the government regulations have decided to shut for various reasons, meaning that regulars have been trying out other shops.
Some local people for whom time is a major factor rather than the hope of saving a few pence, are opting to visit convenience shops for supplies rather than joining queues to get into some of Brigg's larger stores, including Tesco.
As the old saying goes: You pays your money and you takes your choice.
Surprising shortages of some items continue. We've hunted shelves many times recently and failed to find any spaghetti.
It's getting to the point where we are pasta caring! Chips and something will have to do.