"Boris should have done this weeks ago, you can't go treating every town like they're the same."
The news that Wigan is being released from local coronavirus lockdown has travelled fast - and for many shoppers on the streets of the town centre, it's about time.
Wigan has consistently been the borough with the lowest number of coronavirus cases in Greater Manchester over recent weeks, with statistics far below the likes of Oldham's and Rochdale's.
The gulf has led Wigan's leaders to call for their residents to be excluded from the regional lockdown, imposed on July 30.
And on Friday, after weeks back in lockdown, it was revealed that Wigan will be freed from Wednesday, August 26.
Not a moment too soon, says Carole Irving, 68.
"I think it's been played out too long," said Carole.
"Boris should have done this weeks ago, you just can't go treating every town like they're the same. Greater Manchester is just huge and we're not the same as Bury, Oldham, Rochdale.
"I think people in Wigan have been relatively safe."
Jillian Young, a 57-year-old mum from Beech Hill, said: "Being part of the Greater Manchester lockdown has been fair, and it's been not fair, in a lot of ways.
"I think it's a good decision, we've got a low number of cases here.
"If it goes up again, we'll have to go back into lockdown and that's fine with me.
"I still can't understand why one of the first things to open back up was pubs - once people are on their third and fourth drink, no one is staying away from each other."
But for a fair few Wiganers, the announcement that they have been relieved from lockdown means little.
Some say that many residents continued on as normal in the face of the regional rules. And with the town centre streets as busy as the days before coronavirus - albeit it featuring more masks - you could be fooled into thinking the pandemic is long gone.
College student James Turner from Orrell said: "This lockdown doesn't feel as severe, you can't really tell it's been happening.
"A lot of people wanted businesses to open again and that is important but I think safety has been an afterthought sometimes and economics have come first."
"I'm glad Wigan has been released but I think a lot of us had carried on as normal, nowhere closed down the same as the first lockdown" agreed Carole.
"I think we have tried our best but everybody has broken the rules at some point.
"When you see friends in the street, how many of us are saying 'stay away'.
"I mean, I've kept away from people and have worn a mask and will carry on doing that. But I'm almost 70, I'm a widow - if I'd have been stuck at home since March, I don't think I could have dealt with it.
"I'm just being careful and carrying on."
Dee Shepherd, 34, has been working in one of the most vital jobs throughout lockdown - cleaning hospital wards.
She has seen how busy coronavirus wards have been and thinks people did 'pull together'.
"It was hard and everyone pulled together," Dee told the Manchester Evening News .
"It was a bit surreal because your used to hospitals being busy places, to see A&E so quiet was a bit weird.
"It was exhausting but to see people get better and say they have beaten coronavirus was incredible."
But in the face of dwindling cases in Wigan, people are now starting to 'see the other side', says Dee.
"I don't think the second lockdown really made a difference. I don't think the rules have been properly enforced here anyway," she added.
"The amount of times you see people in social gatherings. There will be a table of six people and you just know by looking at them that they don't all live together. But people just want a sense of their normal lives back.
"People were going out whether or not we were in lockdown here because there aren't any cases and I think the government has had to announce this it feels like people have permission."
For others, the brave new world in Wigan is only temporary, with residents expecting that things will have changed again 'by next week'.
"It changes every week," said one mum out shopping with her little one. "No one has been doing as they are told during this local lockdown anyway, we could well go into lockdown again."
There are a cynical - or perhaps realistic - few. But it's undeniable that Wiganers have been imbued with some hope about their plans to see loved ones, go on holiday and, maybe most of all, get back to some kind of normal.
Youngsters who have spent lonely months away from their friends are looking forward to seeing them again.
Dee's son Kyle Atherton, 16, was 'buzzing' about his exam results this week. But says being in lockdown without his mates 'hasn't been easy'.
He said: "It's not been easy not being allowed to go out. It feels horrible when you've been allowed to see your mates.
"And not going to school and not seeing your mates every day makes you realise that it actually wasn't that bad.
"When we go back to college, a lot of us won't be in the same classes anymore. I feel like I've missed out on a few months of being with all of them.
"It's nice to be able to go out and see them again."
For James, who turned 18 during lockdown, the time away from college made him realise that his 'best friend' was more than that.
The pair coupled up over lockdown. The months apart were difficult as they couldn't see each other, but thanks to the new announcement, they are excited to spend time with each other again.
"I went from seeing my best friend every day to not at all. We've not taken risks so we can see the people we love now."
As far as the adults are concerned - it's time for a moment in the sun.
Carole will be heading on holiday to Newquay soon, Jillian and her daughter Rebecca, 20, are planning a masked trip to Turkey, and Dee is hoping to hike in the hills of Wales with her little ones in the coming weeks.
"We're a little bit apprehensive about going away," said Dee, "but I think this is going to be the new way of life, we need to get back to some normality at some point."
