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Parade, LEAMINGTON SPA, CV32 4NL

This was the day when 'non-essential retail' was allowed to re-open after lockdown 3 of the pandemic, together with pubs and eateries able to serve outside. Here at lunchtime some of the venues in this food street were attracting customers.

The entrance to Regent Court off Parade, with a rainbow in the sky following a heavy shower.

A rainbow over the entrance to Regent Court off Parade.

Livery Street sounds old but is a recent creation, a street of shops and cafés in the former backland of the Regent Hotel, Regent Street east and Regent Grove. On the right here is the rear of Regent Street east shops. Straight ahead is the back of Regent Square House which fronts on to the Parade (built controversially on the site of the Regent Hotel's garden). I worked there when Warwick District Council's offices were scattered all over the town centre.

Livery Street sounds old but is a recent creation, a street of shops and cafés in the former backland of the Regent Hotel, Regent Street east and Regent Grove. This entry between the 1884 Town Hall, right, and the 1809 Regent Hotel, now a Travelodge, extreme left, originally led to the stables and coach houses to the rear of the hotel, hence the livery label. It evolved into a car park and garage. The shops have been bundled as Regent Court in an attempt to make them seem like somewhere. Livery Street is a handy traffic-free short cut between the Parade and Regent Street but, sadly, is often in shadow, lacks any character and feels dead.

The entrance to the Regent Court shopping arcade in central Leamington Spa.

This obesity shop serves crèpes, waffles, cakes, 'old school puddings', ice cream, hot chocolate, coffee and, oh yes, tea.

The Regent Hotel was opened in 1819 see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent_Hotel for some history. It has had some famous guests over the years, however it is now a Travelodge. The car parked outside was a fully electric Tesla even the low spec model can do 130 miles an hour and 0-60 MPH in around 5 seconds, they have a claimed range of about 300 miles on a charge (but not if you put the pedal to the metal too often).

The Regent Hotel in Leamington Spa, which was refurbished in the last few years as part of an area redevelopment.

Livery Street shops and eateries were developed on the site of the former livery stables, later garaging, behind the Regent Hotel Image