Town centres are slowly getting back to normal after a year like no other with streets bustling with shoppers again.
Sadly, the pandemic has hit businesses and traders hard with some forced to close while starting up a new business is out of reach for many or just too much of a risk.
High streets are the heart of our communities and it is important town centres like Watford are thriving as much as they can.
But unfortunately Watford - like towns and cities up and down the country - has its fair share of units and spaces waiting to be filled. We took a wander down the high street and around Atria Watford shopping centre to see how the shopping scene is faring in the town centre.
In summary, Watford appears to be doing okay with long lines of shops and restaurants and other businesses operating and warmly welcoming customers.
For example, the middle of town is really busy near the shopping centre extension especially with relatively new restaurants, takeaways, and bars like TGI Fridays, Burger King, Cassio Lounge, and The Florist.
But at either end of the high street and inside Atria Watford, there are vacant units waiting to be brought back to life.
In Atria Watford, John Lewis is the major space that needs filling. We have been told there is plenty of interest in the site after the historic store shut down last year to the dismay of shoppers - it's a waiting game to see what lies next.
There are several other units inside Atria lying empty at the moment including the former Disney store, the ex Thomas Cook space, and the former TM Lewin site.
Ed's Diner has closed and the former Carphone Warehouse site has yet to be filled.
We counted at least three more derelict spaces within the shopping centre - but good news is clothing store Vanilla has now opened and the kids train has returned after Covid restrictions were lifted.
Out on the high street in the middle of town, there were a couple of empty shops - formerly Keech - which we know are to be redeveloped into housing with commercial space on the ground floor. A similar development is taking place next door to Five Guys.
Just off the main street in King Street, Middletons Steakhouse has shut and Zizzi is empty - but craft beer taproom Mad Squirrel is set to move into the latter.
Down in Lower High Street, women's clothing store The End has shut permanently and The Money Shop has also closed. Jimmy's World Kitchen signage is still up but the restaurant has closed.
Gourmet Burger Kitchen is empty but Boga Steak Grill is new and Indian vegetarian restaurant Crispy Dosa is opening soon, according to posters on the shopfront.
Queens Road, which runs through Atria shopping centre certainly needs some love thrown its way.
At the other end of town, almost all of the units in The Parade are in use filled by bars like Walkabout, Columbia Press, and Slug & Lettuce, with healthy and beauty bars, salons, convenience stores, takeaways, and phone shops providing further choice for shoppers.
Bar Bodega up by the pond closed earlier this year and there is a phone shop in The Parade lying empty after it the company relocated further down the high street.
But it is not all doom and gloom. Watford has seen new businesses open over the last year or so like Italian restaurant Fratelli's, American fast-food chain Taco Bell, Heavenly Desserts, clothing store USC, Sports Direct, Next at Home, escape room Escape Hunt, and mini-golf venue Glow-in-One, with a further mini-golf venue Puttshack set to open inside Atria in time for Christmas.
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