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What if commuters don’t return to city centres after Covid?
“I’m in with the bricks and mortar,” says George Rogers. “The machines are here. This is my livelihood. I’ve got a family to keep. So you soldier on.”
For eight years, he has slot xo run MAC’s, a small repair shop on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street, now sandwiched between two large, vacated shops with whitewashed windows.
In normal times, three-quarters of his custom would be from office workers, to resole work shoes and mend sporrans for formal events. Scottish Opera looks to him to handle costume repairs.
“It’s convenience. That’s why we’re here,” he observes.
For now, it’s mainly key cutting and watch batteries.
“If I were to focus on turnover, I wouldn’t be here,” he says. “I’m not in control. Nobody’s in control. I just hope to get through it. With each passing week and with the reduction in normal trade, it becomes more pressured.”
He is one of an estimated 30,000 workers in Glasgow city centre who depend on other workers in Glasgow city centre.
Without Covid, they would be serving drinks, food, coffee and be in shops. But there’s little passing trade. Most of those in Sauchiehall Street are schoolkids on holiday, killing time.
The financial district west of Central Station feels deserted. Almost all the cafes and pubs are closed. Those that stay open admit they’re struggling.
Building sites remain busy, erecting vast shiny office blocks, which symbolise the city’s success in attracting financial jobs.
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