2nd April, spring looming, birds frisky, buds budding.

The Covid-19 lockdown continues. One exercise outside daily, food and pharmacy shopping only, 2m distance from fellow humans, socially isolating indoors but the company of my wife and 2 of my 3 children, tv, netflix, internet and books keep one from chewing the trees. No sport, none whatsoever, all p;ubs, restaurants and cafes shut. Even McDonalds has closed its doors. Not used my car in 2 weeks though neither has my bicycle seen the outside yet. Walking with the dogs and a near-normal daily routine see the day meet the night safely.

This time last year the national talking points were solely concerned with Brexit and the impending departure of the UK from the EU. Being a determined Europhile I was concerned our future isolation – we are hardly a world leader in anything, dependent on cheap imports of most things, militarily and politically weak yet the march towards Brexit continued unabated. Now, Brexit is forgeotten as new words enter our lexicon – coranvirus, pandemic, covid-19, and the daily 5pm death toll is watched by millions on tv every day.

It seems, though, that the EU is impotent in all that is happening in Europe – Italy, France, Spain, Hungary, Germany all have taken responsibility for their own safety and the EU, as a collective, is never heard on news reports. Did the UK leave at the right time? Who knows.