When the pandemic took hold in 2020, there were dire predictions about the future of our high streets.

Enforced temporary shutdowns coupled with an explosion of online selling were thought to herald very difficult times for retail centres.

Quite a few businesses did close for good. But the good news for Hampstead, four years later, is that the high street did not die, far from it.

A steady stream of businesses have been setting up. They at least balance the number that have departed since 2020.

One encouraging sign is that sites that have been empty for years, including some on Hampstead High Street, are at last being occupied. Both our retail centres, Hampstead Village and South End Green, are very busy places. In the latter, widening of the pavement has improved the shopping environment.

In 2020, with shops closing and many people suddenly working from home, the Hampstead Neighbourhood Forum was concerned that the area could change a lot, with businesses closing and the sudden influx of people working from home. For this reason, we kept track of the comings and goings of retail outlets, including cafes and restaurants.

Alexander Nicolls says there were concerns about Hampstead High Street post-CovidAlexander Nicolls says there were concerns about Hampstead High Street post-Covid (Image: A Nicoll)

During the first two years, 33 businesses closed and 26 new ones arrived—some big names left, like Gap and Carluccio’s, but there were prominent arrivals, including Sainsbury’s and Planet Organic. Two pubs, the Magdala and the Old White Bear, reopened after long absences.

The signs from the most recent two years have been even more positive.

Since spring 2022, a further 36 businesses have gone - including, it has to be said, some of the previous new arrivals. But meanwhile, 43 have come. And more are on the way.

This is a crude indicator. We should not conclude that businesses are booming. Life remains challenging, with high rents and costs.

Still, among sites that were empty for so long, there are positive signals about the old NatWest. The old Lloyds Bank is a hair salon and the owners of the former police station have published plans for offices and flats.

The new businesses are a blend of smaller start-ups and better-known names.

Hampstead has its full share of clothing stores, bakeries, cafes and estate agents. It also has greengrocers, butchers, dentists, barbers, cosmeticians, galleries, bookshops, hardware shops and restaurants. That’s a pretty good mix. We are lucky to have such a choice.