St Cuthbert’s Lane, off English Street, is home to several long-established businesses. They include a popular beauty salon and a classy men’s clothes shop. As ‘non-essential’ shops opened their doors for the first in three months, Cumbria County Council workmen moved with to begin a long-awaited renovation of the lane, where some of the flagstones were uneven and cracked. Though customers can still access the shops affected, the work has meant the introduction of a one-way system and barriers around work areas that could post a threat. Business owners say they are delighted that the work is being done – but they have questioned the timing, beginning as it did on the first day after easing lockdown.