After the cinemas finally opened back up – and my desire to help the industry in any small way – I headed back to Uxbridge.

New one-way arrows on the floor, vending machines that dispense face masks and other PPE, clear plastic screens on tills, and face masks on faces.

Welcome to the new normal.

All of this is, relatively fine. We all mostly want to protect each other, and I can’t complain about the few hours of face mask I have to endure while shopping when thinking about every NHS worker on their 12+ hour shifts. Even in my work, I have to wear a mask for longer than when I’m shopping.

My more immediate concern is the fact that before lockdown, Debenhams was struggling, all cinemas were, restaurants such as Chiquito and Franky & Benny’s were, small businesses are, large businesses are, even Intu has gone into administration.

And now we are going into a second lockdown.

Im concerned that the Odeon won’t reopen, or Waterstones. Because really, who was doing so well before the lockdown that they can weather this storm?

My concern is that no-one is 100% safe from the inevitable tide of COVID.

Hopefully, this will only last a month. As promised by the PM. My hope, only slightly tarnished by the Prime Minister’s track record for the occasional lie.

What now?

Well, dear reader, we will remain strong, and keep that famous stiff-upper-lip that we are so proud of. We will carry on in the hopes that all our friends and family make it though. We will try hard to support those in need, and not take our our aggression on those that are simply doing their job. We will carry on as we always do, and we will help put everything back together afterwards.