Isn't it strange how quickly the situation seems to change from one week to the next, in spite of this impression of time standing still!

The sense of shock that prevailed in the first weeks of lockdown has all but disappeared. Have we just got used to our new circumstances, or have we even perhaps started to enjoy certain aspects?

As we begin to envisage coming out of lockdown, it seems appropriate to take stock and reflect on what I have enjoyed during lockdown - and what I have actually really missed.

Appreciating the small joys that everyday life serves up has got to be the big lesson of lockdown for me: Never before have I taken the time to go for regular walks like I have this year as Spring unfolds. The small wonders of blossom, followed by wisteria and bluebells, have been a major source of contentment over the last few weeks.

Then there is the renewed pleasure in cooking; Perhaps having my 19 year old daughter home from university is part of this new enthusiasm for creative cooking, and perhaps it is to do with this feeling of time standing still. Either way I am really enjoying inventing new recipes every day.

Just as family life has made lockdown enjoyable, so it is also family that I miss the most. Not seeing our son who no longer lives with us, and who in fact got the virus early on. Or my father, still coming to terms with the loss of my mother, alone in his apartment in Paris.

And now as the atmosphere changes and with the end of lockdown in sight, we start to think ahead to how we will need to adapt to the "new normal". What measures should we put in place to keep our staff and clients safe? In truth we had already implemented some of them in the run-up to lockdown. But there are also lessons to be learnt from the measures implemented by the stores that have remained open through lockdown.

This week-end I have been busy designing my own face-masks, aiming for something both stylish and comfortable. I'm using a method of construction recommended by the Grenoble Hospital Trust for non-medic use. Being rather sewing-averse, this project has been quite a challenge for me, but nevertheless I am rather pleased with the result! And if I can do it, so can you!