Between 23rd March and 15th June, while this country was under its fullest lock-down, it was quite difficult to assess how well or badly those around you were coping. It was difficult to know whether individual High Street businesses had gone to the wall or been mothballed for “the duration”. Some made it plain; the French micro-brewery put a note on the door to the effect that it was not open for business but the fact that it was renting out its kitchen to an unrelated cooked food delivery service might delude passers-by into thinking otherwise. And the Blitz-nostalgia Tea-Rooms with the knitted cakes had put a sign in their window offering their chairs for sale.
The writing may not have been on the wall, but it was definitely up there for all to see on doors and windows.

I have now had about five weeks of watching the High Street tiptoe back into life. I have not been surprised to see some businesses close down entirely, but I have been astonished to see just how many new never-been-seen-before businesses are popping up in their place.

This one really took me by surprise until I considered that all eating-out venues are themed in one way or another; Italian or Tapas or Greek or Chinese or Indian or 1940's tea rooms or now some odd nostalgia cafe for childhood breakfast cereals.

I shan't be booking it for my Xmas lunch.