So, after months of basically staying home and seeing (almost) no one, this week represented a few moments if not of normal, than of what might pass for it now. On Thursday I needed to go into town to buy a new laptop: my first trip into the city centre (and on public transport) since March. I admit I was nervous, but the Metro wasn’t overly crowded (though neither it nor the city centre were as quiet as I had expected) and mask wearing was mostly observed.

I didn’t do a lot of shopping: Boots, Fenwick’s, Waterstones and Waitrose all being my usual stops, so I did pop into all of those, and enjoyed browsing (and, yes, buying). Most seem to have sensible if not overly strict measures in place, and staff were coping well with the new retail reality (though I have heard some horror stories from friends who work in shops: don’t be a dick to retail staff, people, they have enough to deal with.)

Sunday was more of a social day – brunch at the Biscuit Factory with my friend D. We’d booked a table and the place wasn’t overly busy (though it definitely filled up nearer lunchtime) so we were able to eat and have a wander round the gallery without ever feeling crowded. Again most of the measures in place seemed sensible, the staff were friendly and explaining, and the food, at least, is unchanged: my mushrooms on toast were so tasty I could have cried, though possibly just at the sheer excitement of eating food someone else cooked and would have to wash up after…