It’s Wednesday in Nuneaton town centre which means market day.

But will the outbreak of coronavirus have changed the shopping habits of townsfolk?

Having spent a day inside it was time to see how the rest of my Nuneatonians were coping during these testing times.

I spent two hours in the town centre, and this is what  I saw…

11.15am - Asda and McDonalds (part one), Newtown retail park

Where else to start this mission? Traffic was light on the roads so for once we breezed into the biggest town centre supermarket. The car park is packed.

Motorists are sheepishly coming across from the left bank of spaces in search of one on the right. The neighbouring two-storey railway car park is noticeably light of vehicles.

There’s a lot of people about in the ‘at risk’ category of 70+, some much older. Defiance or maybe there’s no-one about to assist them with their shop. I didn’t expect to see so many out and about.

Asda is busy. Till queues are four/five deep of people waiting their turn. What’s not in their tills is toilet roll, soap, handwash, yeast and even teabags have all gone.

I noticed a couple of people pushing trolleys with jumper sleeves pulled over their hands. Others are keeping their mouths under scarves and the colors of a fleece.

The in-store McDonalds has a couple of customers inside awaiting their order. New rules imposed nationwide means you can’t eat inside the restaurant.

11.37am - B&M home store, Newtown retail park

A couple of women walk to the entrance before one pulls down her hygiene mask before popping in a cigarette and lighting up.

‘Mad ennit’ said one man metres inside the store. The shelves are well stocked here, items like large stacks of tinned tuna are here to keep those cupboards brimming. There’s queues at the tills but the atmosphere is calm.

‘I don’t want to go to nursery’ shouts one cheeky boy at his mum, who dismissed her son’s protestations.

11.56am - Nuneaton bus station, Harefield Road

There’s about as many people waiting in the shelters as there are buses. I saw one take off with nobody on board.

11.57am - Greggs (part one), Harefield Road

Whether it’s the competition from the adjacent potato wagon or Roasters, there’s only one person waiting to be served in Greggs.

As usual, there’s a couple of people queuing in the rain at Roasters, as they sheer off some pork, lit up by those glowing golden lights. A slice of something warm and nice in the dreary weather.

11.58am - Market outskirts, Harefield Road

One gazebo stands without any contents. Maybe they decided against coming today, or perhaps they packed up early. It’s not the last vacant stall we will see.

12.06pm - Boots, Market Place

‘We have currently sold out of toilet rolls, hand sanitisers and paracetamol’ states a sign at the tills.

Everywhere else in the shop, the shelves are well stocked. We managed to get some nappies, but only what we need.

12.08pm - Poundland, Market Place

‘Please think before you buy’ asks a sign on the shop front window.

A three-item limit on a small number of products is in place.

It’s pretty quiet inside, perhaps people think they’ve missed their chance there for another day for the golden items that are in short supply.

12.09pm - Queens Road market

This is the beating heart of the town’s market. These narrow streets have hosted market days for generations.

The fruit and veg stalls look busy, but others are quiet.

 Coronavirus and the weather not helping their cause.

12.14pm - Nero’s coffee shop, Queens Road

It’s always busy in here, but not today. Our pitstop for a coffee was achievable while maintaining a safe distance from others - until one couple decided to ignore the 15 free seats and sat right next to us. The gentleman immediately released a guttural cough to my right.

A reassuring sign states staff members are asked to wash their hands every 15 minutes and that cups and cutlery are washed ‘multiple times a day at very high temperatures’.

There’s about 10 people in here, the atmosphere is calm. But with Mr Cough-a-lot nearby, we drink up and get out, our tongues stinging a little from not letting the drinks fully cool.

12.41pm - McDonalds and Greggs (part two), Queens Road

Anyone who knows Nuneaton, knows that these two lunchtime options are seldom short of patrons.

You can’t eat in at McDonalds because of measures stated above, but there was only one customer inside as I peered through the window. Greggs only fared slightly better.

12.42pm - Ropewalk shopping centre

The cleaning team are out and they’re not inconveniencing customers. Because there aren’t any.

I walked up to as far as Costa and only three people crossed my path. There’s a lot of closed shops in here but still, this is super quiet.

12.44pm - Iceland, Queens Road

A sign at the tills explains it opened today from 9-11am for elderly and vulnerable people. Fantastic. What a great move. Shock, there’s no bog roll.

I overhear one worker speaking to a customer: “If everyone just got what they needed, it wouldn’t be a problem”.

Another employee at the tills answers a question “it’s all gone between 9 and 10 in the morning’. I wonder what he’s talking about. Tinned tuna? Frankfurter sausages? Garlic mayonnaise? My hunch is it’s something a little more practical than that.

12.55pm - Toppers chippy and Felix Holt Wetherspoons, Stratford Street

I knew it. There was a queue at Toppers. The windows steamed up from the heat inside as fish and chips are served up.

A meteorite could be headed for earth and I’m certain people would still head here for fish, chips and mushy peas.

Wetherspoons isn’t bustling with action but there’s more people than I thought there would be, given Boris Johnson’s words on Monday night.

12.56pm Heron Foods, Abbey Street

I’ve never been here before, it’s a cracking little grocery shop. A steady stream of people are walking up its couple of aisles.

There’s plenty of long-life stuff on the shelves like Spam and sandwich paste. What the hell, I grabbed one of each. There’s no toilet roll and the flour has long since gone.

13.01pm - Abbey Street

Another empty market stall stands outside Admiral casino. You could have a game of five-a-side football here it’s that quiet.

A couple of market traders are joined by the white-cloaked worker from a nearby unit. All facing towards the oncoming traffic. Eyes fixed forward, staring vacantly, no conversation.

13.04pm -  Savers, Abbey Street

I’m almost at a full loop now. One last chance for some toilet roll. Come on Savers, you’ve got this.

Sadly not. Nor any hand wash and very few nappies. Prices are cheap here, but not that cheap to be this vacant of stock. Panic buyers have been and gone.

13.10pm - Asda car park

We’re back at our car with a couple of bags for life of items purchased.

It’s still busy here, perhaps a little busier than I’d expect for a regular day - taking coronavirus out of the equation.

It was time to head home, with a few extra bits for the cupboards, but, no toilet roll to speak of!