ANALYSIS: What Happened to Small Business Owners Who Refused to Close During Lockdowns

Businesses said it ‘completely insane’ to be told to close their shop, especially when corporations were allowed to stay open during COVID.

Undated photo of Lydia Walker-Cox, who ran Grace Cards Books in Droitwich, and her husband Alasdair. Lydia Walker-Cox

Small business owners revealed that they faced intense media scrutiny, legal battles, and financial struggles, during and after publicly vowing to flout lockdown closures.

With the ongoing COVID-19 inquiry, the political hangover of lockdown restrictions seems to be starting, meanwhile, some business owners are still struggling with the aftermath after they refused to close down to government-mandated lockdown restrictions.

Some weathered the storm, though they said they are still “looking over their shoulders” as debt collectors seek to get their hands on thousands of pounds of unpaid COVID-19 fines.

Others succumbed to the pressures imposed by lockdown restrictions and vowed not to talk to the press because of how they were treated at the time.

‘Non-Essential Businesses’

In March 20, 2020, the UK government placed COVID-19 restrictions on businesses to “slow the spread of the coronavirus,” with all “non-essential” high street businesses closed.

Subsequently, after a second national lockdown in Nov. 2020, the government implemented a tiered system of restrictions in 2021, which varied on the level of COVID-19 transmission in different parts of the country, areas were placed in Tier 3, the highest level of restrictions, which meant that all non-essential businesses, such as clothing stores, cafes, and hairdressers were forced to close.

Supermarkets, however, were allowed to stay open, as they were deemed to be providing “essential goods and services,” though this sparked major criticism from many business owners who argued that it gave an unfair advantage to large supermarkets and corporations.

A number of businesses around the country, from hairdressers, beauticians, tattooists, pubs to cafe owners and more, faced repeated visits from police and council COVID-19 enforcement officers for breaching lockdown restrictions, according to many press reports.

Some said they wanted to remain open to support vulnerable customers, while others complained that government compensation COVID-19 did not even cover the rent of their premises, and they needed to continue trading.

Many said they questioned the official narrative, taking part in “Great Reopening” protests, which had hoped to inspire a number of businesses to rebel against lockdown regulations.

After cross-referencing, less than a dozen of these businesses that were featured in the press for not locking down do not appear to be trading, with some no longer accepting calls.

The Epoch Times has not been able to verify if they have continued business elsewhere under a different name.

Some business owners were also reluctant to speak openly because of the backlash from the negative press they had at the time. Another said that he may attempt to sue councils over the treatment of a business-owning family relative and could not comment further.

‘Completely Insane’

Lydia Walker-Cox, who ran Grace Cards Books in Droitwich, and her husband Alasdair, became at the centre of a media and legal storm for refusing to close during lockdown in Nov. 2020 onwards.

Mrs. Walker-Cox told The Epoch Times that it was “completely insane” to be told to close their shop, especially when shops like WHSmiths, which was around the corner “selling everything that we sold, were allowed to stay open and we weren’t.”

Questioning the issue of the principle of COVID-19 lockdowns, she said they felt it was wrong.

“It’s like somebody putting a gun to your head and saying ‘is black, white or is white, black,’ and you have to go against what you know is true,” she said.

The couple eventually had to shut down their business in 2022, in part, due to the aftermath of COVID-19 restrictions, and online corporations taking business away from the high street. The Christian family had run their business for over thirty years.

Mrs. Walker-Cox said they had multiple “intimidating” police visits at the store and that they were brought before a court and fined for beaching coronavirus regulations by the local council. At one point, they faced paying £35,000.

“It went on for so long because we lost at the magistrate court in August 2021. And then we had to wait until February 2022 for an appeal,” she said, adding they eventually won they won the appeal.

“We didn’t have to pay a penny. The council had to pay all the costs,” she said.

At the time, she had there was intense reporting on their decision to not close from local, as well as national media.

“They were literally parroting a narrative,” she said.

While intense, she said they refused to read social media comments and that they had the support of a very close-knit family.

“Everybody was behind us,” she said.  They now have another business.

When pressed, she said that she wouldn’t want to “particularly go through it all again,” but has no regrets.

“When you’ve made that decision to stick by something like that, then you build on that in the future because other things come along and you just say ‘actually I’m just going to be brave again,’” she added.

Non-essential items are blocked off in a Tesco supermarket on Western Avenue on Oct. 23, 2020 in Cardiff, Wales. Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

‘I’m Having to Look Over My Shoulder’

In 2020, Swansea’s Cinema & Co, the town’s only independent cinema, was ordered to shut down by a judge after its boss breached several COVID-19 regulations and refused to implement vaccine passports.

In 2022, Anna Redfern told The Epoch Times that “she felt she was in a movie.” At the time, she said she was labelled a “racist, a homophobe, and also a conspiracy theorist and an anti-vaxxer” for not closing.

The cinema is still open today, though Ms. Redfern said that bailiffs have started to come into the cinema seeking the thousands for failing to comply with Welsh Coronavirus guidelines.

“I’m having to look over my shoulder all the time,” she said.

In Dec. 2020, Ms. Redfern was fined £15,000 and given a 28-day suspended prison sentence in Swansea Magistrates’ Court after admitting contempt of court for failing to comply with the earlier order.

Looking back, she said that she pleaded guilty “under duress.”

“I had no choice. I pleaded guilty and otherwise would have gone to jail for Christmas,” said Ms. Redfern, who also lost her mother to an illness during the time.

“She died on Jan. 30, the day my appeal was due to be heard in the Crown Court. There was no compassion shown at all,” she said.

Of her experience, she said it has been “a rude awakening”, but she has always been “anti-establishment.”

Undated photo of Anna Redfern at Cinema and CO. Courtesy of Anna Redfern

The business is still targeted with what she calls a local “far left” faction. In Jan 2022, BBC Wales reported she was “dangerous” for breaking lockdown rules by opening and showing a film by the son of conspiracy theorist David Icke.

“I’ve alienated all the ‘anti-racists’ for making my stance,” she said.

“There’s an irony there as I stood against discrimination, and I get accused of it,” she said.

She says that today, there are people who are still actively boycotting the business, though there is still support.

“To this day, it feels like victimisation; they are bullying a single mum, and people go out of their way to try and destroy my business,” she added.

Earlier this year, British conservative commentator Katie Hopkins appeared at two sell-out shows at Cinema & Co.

Ms. Redfern said that she could have sold out more nights. However, to counter the appearance of Ms. Hopkins, locals organised an alternative event.

“Over 60 people stood opposite my premises, shouting ‘Nazis scum get off our streets’ in my direction. Yes, it was a harrowing ordeal to be accused of, but I also recognised a lot of people demonstrating it,” she said.

This is despite her helping local women’s and homeless charities, giving them access to free space at the cinema.

“The local cultural community that I’ve done so much for in the past have taken their turn their back on me,” she said.

Are you still financially affected by large lockdown fines? Contact Owen Evans at [email protected]