Last week was my birthday, but – as so typical for 2020 – my plans were scuppered by the fact that the North East went into local lockdown. A planned trip to a gallery with a fellow September birthdayer, a girls’ weekend away, a family gathering – all went by the wayside. So I admit I was primed for a fairly depressing day.

In the end, though, the day was rather lovely. A steady stream of gifts (at one stage I had delivery men practicising social distancing chess on the path to my door), cards and nice messages made me feel very loved, to the point that it actually got a little overwhelming and I found myself quite tearful. It’s a weird time for a big birthday, but the kindness of friends and family meant it also was a powerful one, reminding me of all the people and things I have to be grateful for in my life. Not a bad start to my next decade, I reckon.