We’re back!

It’s been 15 long weeks of isolation for The Big Issue’s vendors. Lockdown brought an abrupt end to street sales when we had to remove them from their pitches for their own safety. But now they’re gearing up for their big return and many just can’t wait. We speak to a group of vendors, champing at the bit to get back to their customers, about the highs and lows of lockdown and beyond. Plus, what to expect from your new-look vendor.

Also inside this week’s magazine:

• It’s not just vendors who are making a comeback on July 6 – as lockdown eases there’s a whole host of other things happening, from indie booksellers opening up their doors to beer gardens welcoming punters and cinemas taking in limited numbers of viewers. So wash your hands, grab your mask and see what’s happening
• In her Letter to My Younger Self, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson hails her late father for never accepting second best for his daughter just because she was in a wheelchair
• It’s 40 years since Bjorn Ulvaeus got drunk and penned Abba’s most enduring heartbreaker The Winner Takes it All in his Swedish island hideaway. Malcolm Jack takes a trip to the tiny hut to pay homage and gets a bit misty-eyed in the process
• Is Pakistan really to blame for half the UK’s coronavirus cases? We dig deeper in Fact/Fiction
• Mr Motivator may have finished his 14-weeks as The Big Issue’s fitness guru but we’ve got one final Technicolor treat with him
• Long-serving Big Issue vendor Robin Price says his lockdown has been tough but that he’s ready for a new start back on his pitch

And much, much more!

Head out and buy a magazine from your local vendor – they need your support more than ever. 

But if you can’t make it to your seller right now, you can buy one-off issues or subscriptions from The Big Issue app, available now from the App Store or Google Play.

You can keep us going by subscribing to the magazine to receive it every week directly to your door or device. Head to bigissue.com/subscribe for more details.

You can also get a copy in stores for the first time. Head to Sainsbury’s, McColl’s, Co-op, Asda or WH Smith to grab the latest issue.