Kelvin Inglis, the rector of St Thomas’s in Salisbury, was beaming. Some 350 people had just packed into the ancient city centre church for the Easter Sunday morning service and young and old were now milling around cheerfully tucking into chunks of a giant chocolate egg handcrafted by the head verger.
“I believe Salisbury is starting to get back to normal,” said Inglis. “I don’t think most people are frightened of what happened. People are carrying on with life.
“Obviously the investigation and public safety must come first but we’d love the police cordons to go. We’re ready to have the city back, to reclaim the place for the common good. Salisbury isn’t about bad news. It’s a beautiful city, full of good people.”
Exactly four weeks ago the former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, collapsed just across the river Avon from the church. Skripal, 66, remains critically ill at the city’s district hospital. Yulia, 33, is still being treated at the hospital but is improving.
The political ramifications of the nerve agent attack have been felt across the world and scores of British counter-terrorism officers continue to attempt to establish the whys and wherefores.
Public health officials are offering reassurance and working hard to establish whether there could be any long-term implications for the general public, and council and business officials have the task of mitigating the economic impact on the city.
From Tuesday the painstaking process of decontaminating sites that have been cordoned off is likely to begin. Experts in hazmat suits will be back in the city clearing areas and possibly even demolishing some structures.
So the Easter weekend has felt like a time for people to take stock. And while mighty Salisbury Cathedral tends to grab the limelight, actually St Thomas’s, a stone’s throw from the bench where the Skripals collapsed, seemed a better place to assess the mood.
John Cox, a retired English teacher who attended the morning service, said there was a “spectrum of feelings” in the city. “There has been such damage to a number of people, spiritually, economically and socially. Then there’s the curiosity factor – it’s like living in a cheap thriller but there’s also stoicism and humour,” he said. “There’s sadness too that so many people in Russia – and Russians in Britain – have been affected. The political actions affect so many people.”
Tracy Daszkiewicz, the director of public health at Wiltshire council, was among the congregation at the church and was happy to discuss any health concerns. Nobody approached her. “My impression is that people aren’t hugely anxious,” she said. “The message we want to get over is that Salisbury is open for business.”
No great focus was put on the attack during the service. Prayers were said “for those affected by war, terrorism and violence throughout the world and those affected by this violent attack in our city”.
Bobbie Chettleburgh, a former Salisbury mayor, said there was huge sympathy for the Skripals but she was not concerned for her own health. “I live in the city centre but I don’t see the point in worrying about things you can’t do anything about,” she said.
St Thomas’s central location – close to the Mill pub and Zizzi restaurant that the Skripals visited on Sunday 4 March – has made it a key focal point for the recovery effort. Whereas visitor numbers to the cathedral dropped by 40% since the attack, St Thomas has noticed an increase of people dropping by to spend a few quiet moments.
Kirsty Sharpe, who was at the church with her two young children, noticed that the city was a little quieter than normal. “We just booked lunch – normally we’d struggle to get a booking on an Easter Sunday, but it was no problem today.”
There is concern that there could be a long-term impact on some people’s mental health. Public health officials have already started to look ahead and plan how people can access services to help. Experts have been making discreet visits to people who live close to the Skripals’ house to speak to them about any concerns.
Last week the police said they believed the Skripals first came into contact with the nerve agent from their front door. The Skripals’ street, together with nearby paths and a children’s play park, remains sealed off and quiet.
But in the city centre there were signs that visitor numbers were recovering. During the Easter morning service at St Thomas, parties of French and Spanish tourists peered in at the doom painting, a medieval depiction of judgment day.
Across at the Crystals shop in the Maltings, assistant Clara Tappenden said trade was picking up. “I’ve heard from a few people that they are scared and are staying away,” she said. “But business is improving. It’s a more positive picture. Life is returning.”
