Listen: conversation expert Georgie Nightingall on bringing back small talk

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a small talk revival on Britain’s high streets. A new study from Metro Bank has found almost half (47%) of us are making more effort than before the pandemic to talk to people when visiting our local high street, while over a quarter (27%) say we value our local high street and community more than ever before.

When it comes to the UK’s chattiest high streets, the independent poll of 2,000 people across 84 towns and cities in the UK found St Albans in Hertfordshire has the UK’s chattiest high street, with Hemel Hempstead in second place, followed by London’s high streets.

Being at the heart of the high street, Metro Bank is harnessing this new-found sense of community spirit to launch national Hi Street Day on Saturday 4th December by bringing to life the power of ‘Hi’ and showing how it can bring a little joy to people and communities, as we move into a post-lockdown world.

Aston spoke to conversation expert Georgie Nightingall and Kat Robinson from Metro Bank.