quiet streets on December 2 when restrictions eased. By the weekend, though, it was a different story, with photos circulating online showing huge crowds on Market Street, in the Arndale, and at the Trafford Centre.
The crowds in city centre's shopping district left one operator 'fuming' and others questioning the logic of the tier restrictions.
Perhaps the loudest voice over the weekend came from Darlington chef James Close, who is behind two Michelin-starred Raby Hunt - but plenty of local voices have weighed in too.
Close posted a photo of a London street packed with shoppers and wrote: "No Words. Hospitality stays closed in the North my restaurant is in a village of a population of 150 people" His tweet has been shared thousands of.
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