Despite the chill the pubs reopened and then slowly Greater Manchester started to spring back to life It's been a very happy Monday indeed for locals finally released from lockdown Updated Manchester on the day that lockdown has eased (Image: Joel Goodman) Mancunians have been out in force today as pubs, restaurants and non-essential retail spaces can begin to reopen. From the dawn queues forming at high street shops to the three-hour waits to get into some of the city's beer gardens, the appetite for a taste of normality - and a cold draft beer - is tangible. Wet-led pubs and bars here have been locked down since October last year, with the rest of the hospitality industry forced to close not long afterwards.