Shoppers have flocked to the high street today and restaurants and beer gardens on the first Saturday since lockdown restrictions were eased.
Pavements were packed across the country this morning as people returned to their favourite shops and met up with friends.
Oxford Street in London was heaving with people out enjoying the 53F (12C) sunshine in the capital, which is set to rise later this afternoon.
And shoppers descended onto Northumberland Street in Newcastle-upon-Tyne this afternoon, with little social distancing in sight.
Non-essential shops were reopened at the start of the week as Britain continued on Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown.
Shoppers pack the pavements of Oxford Street in London today on the first Saturday since lockdown restrictions were eased in England
Shoppers pack onto Northumberland Street in Newcastle on the first Saturday since lockdown restrictions eased and non essential shops reopened
Oxford Street in London was heaving with people out enjoying the 53F (12C) sunshine in the capital and meeting up with their friends
Restaurants serve customers outside in Chinatown, London, as groups enjoy a Saturday meal out for the first time this year
People walk and queue outside restaurants in Chinatown, London, this afternoon on the first Saturday since lockdown restrictions were eased
People enjoy the warm weather early this afternoon sitting on deck chairs outside pubs in Wimbledon, south London, where temperatures are set to reach 57F (14C) later today
People read the newspapers and enjoy takeaway beers on deck chairs outside pubs in Wimbledon, south London, this afternoon
Bars and restaurants were also allowed to welcome back customers outside and hairdressers and gyms opened their doors again as well.
Customers returned to outdoor restaurants in Chinatown in central London today with people enjoying a Saturday meal out for the first time this year.
And Newcastle’s main high street was jam packed with families and groups of friends perusing the newly opened stores.
Social distancing did not appear possible on the wide avenue as huge crowds of people took up all available space.
One onlooker said: ‘I am shocked. This time last week the place was a ghost town. Today, you can barely move for the shoppers.’
The Met Office is forecasting sunny spells and highs of 57F (14C) in England later today, as people begin to fill out their reservations in pub beer gardens.
The mercury is set to rise to 61F (16C) on Sunday and possibly even higher in parts of Scotland on what is expected to be a dry weekend for much of the UK.
But there will still be overnight frosts — and temperatures will be nowhere near the highs seen during the mini-heatwave a fortnight ago which brought the hottest March day in 53 years with 76.1F (24.5C) recorded in London.
It comes as the first sporting event to be attended by fans also kicked off today, with Crucible Theatre in Sheffield is a third full for the opening session of the World Snooker Championship.
Shoppers descend onto Northumberland Street in Newcastle-upon-Tyne this afternoon, with little social distancing in sight
Shoppers queue outside the Lego store in Leicester Square, London, as the sun shines down on the capital this Saturday afternoon
Tables pack out outside My Place in Soho, central London, this afternoon on the first weekend since lockdown restrictions were eased to allow restaurants to reopen
Fans have returned to a live sporting event in the UK for the World Snooker Championship. The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield welcomed around 300 spectators for the first session
Revellers squared up to each other in London’s Soho this evening as a row broke out over table reservations at some venues
Police detain a man after an argument, as people party in London’s Soho district as lockdown restrictions are eased
Revellers out in Newcastle city centre yesterday evening on the first Friday night since lockdown restrictions were eased
Police calm down revellers out in Soho, London, last night on the first Friday night since people were allowed to return to pubs
A group of young women enjoying their night out in Manchester city centre, on the first Friday since restrictions were eased
It is the first of a series of test events on the road to a return to normality at sports events, with tomorrow’s FA Cup semi-final between Leicester City and Southampton at Wembley set to be watched by 4,000 fans.
And last night experts estimated that around five million pints were poured as Brits enjoyed their first Friday night out since pubs reopened.
Scuffles broke out over table reservations as revellers packed their local outdoor bars.
But tensions boiled over in some areas, with police having to intervene amid violent scenes in London’s Soho at the start of the night as drinkers clashed, with some detained from officers.
It was the first opportunity for people to wine and dine with friends and family in six months, with November being the last time revellers could enjoy outdoor hospitality.
Experts estimated around 500,000 bottles of wine were drunk by an estimated 1.5million people across 20,000 restaurants nationwide.
It means alcohol sales are likely to be double those on a normal Friday night as Britons celebrate their newfound freedom.