ALMOST all pandemic-related restrictions have now eased, but has this made a noticeable difference to Swindon’s town centre? While wandering around on Saturday, our roving reporter noticed several shops still encouraging customers to don a face covering and self-isolate, though these rules are no longer legally enforced. Inside supermarkets like the Tesco Metro on The Parade, there was an even 50/50 split between those with a mask and those without. Inside the Brunel Shopping Centre, it was more 70/30, leaning more towards mask-wearers, while outside in the open air there were around one in 10 people wearing a mask. Navigating the town centre’s streets proved fairly easy, though any caution about keeping at a distance seems to have gone. On a couple of occasions, there was someone almost brushing right up against me to get past with no regard for personal space, let alone the former two-metre rule.