The good news or is it? Possibly.

The good news or is it? Possibly.

The good news is that come the middle of June part of Britain could be on the move again. None of us can really know how things are going to pan out until we first see those first tantalising glimpses of commerce, enterprise and financial happiness. Yes, from June 15, some, if not all of our blue riband, flagship department stores in the West End of London and more of those non essential shops have been given the go- ahead to open. It should be all systems go or that's the hope.

Regrettably though, it seems that this maybe just a gradual, tentative step towards a major rehabilitation on the way to a grand, trumpet blowing, all fanfares return to normal life. Slowly but surely the layers are being peeled away in preparation for a much bigger, more momentous celebration of the full time, big time spectacular when everything opens on a much wider national scale.

At the moment things are still very much in the air, balanced uncertainly at times and not sure whether to commit itself to anything more serious than full- time family reunions, all day trading, weddings, barmitzvahs, garden parties, the inevitable summer barbecues, corporate gatherings. Then there are the business functions and endless days, weeks, and months in pub gardens swallowing huge quantities of lager, wine, beer, vodka, gin, brandy and wide varieties of cocktails while not forgetting the Sunday carvery lunches with friends and families we thought we'd never see again.

As things stand at the moment we may be compelled to think in the present rather than plan anything elaborate since the future isn't quite sure what to do with itself. We are in no man's land here, neither nor there for these are very troubling and troubled times. Others would rather settle for full-on optimism. We look around us wistfully at the parks, streets and roads and the irony is not lost on us. People are still running, walking together comfortably within their own particular family unit and yet there are those of us who can never be sure what to do in the best interests of all, how to react emotionally or whether to just accept the status quo. Acceptance and resignation are almost indistinguishable.

The corner shops next to us are still doing, you would have thought, extremely well if only because small businesses with perhaps small overheads are never likely to struggle. They wander in and out with their basic groceries, loaves of bread, milk, tins of peas, dog and cat food readily available without forgetting the scratch cards for the Lottery. How very accessible and cheap the food is in these tiny goldmines so why pay more at Sainsbury's when you can fork out peanuts in the local utility store?

But next door to us the chemist is still imposing its very strict policy on those whose needs are much greater and more urgent than those who can still cope with the cocktail of pills and tablets they may have on hand at home. The people outside wait patiently, still bemused, hot and bothered by the ever- continuing state of hardship, stress and duress. They move very slowly as if mourning the loss of old friends before realising that they themselves are still very much alive and still trying to enjoy life as best they can. Every so often the chemist pulls down its shutters as if scared of something they can't quite put their finger on. Covid 19 is quite clearly indefinable and intangible.

We know why this is happening but it almost seems as if we can't reach out and touch it. If we could only just get our hands on it we'd take it outside and deliver the most scathing lecture to Covid 19. What on earth are you doing here and why are you here? This would be the ultimate comeuppance any disease has ever had if only we could get rid of it.We are though no nearer the all- conquering vaccine or panacea that would wipe the floor with this wretched contagion. How to find the definitive cure for something that is totally invisible and somehow annoyingly elusive? There can be no time frame so let's just be philosophical and take long, deep breaths. Easier said than done.

Now we find that the dry cleaners looks as if might be open because the washing machines are spinning away quite furiously, water sloshing around mechanically and clothes bouncing around quite joyfully. Then there is a dawning realisation that, although the doors are open, people are still not being allowed in. Members of staff are, you feel sure, simply being employed to clean their customers clothes in the vague hope that one day those customers will be given the chance to pick up their washing. But nobody knows when.

The hairdressers is still shut for the time being and if you're still longing for that special Mohican or a more or less complete scalping then you may have to wait for some time. Those clippers will have to suffice at home and some of us had our follicles chopped fairly recently. The forest on your hair was beginning to look so unruly and wild that you began to feel like one of those rural sheep who simply can't wait until spring before Farmer Giles gets to work with the shears.

Still, here we are at the end of May and there is a very real sense that we may not be far away from a partial recovery if not quite the genuine article. For those among us who are desperate for a drop of alcohol or a good, old fashioned weepie at the cinema, the wait continues. You glance inside those neglected and disconsolate pubs with their wooden chairs on tables and you realise that the sociable boozers with a predilection for a Prosecco or a large jug of amber nectar may have to wait until the second week in July to get back in touch with their work mates. It can only be a matter of time.

The pizza parlours, vegan cafes, Chinese and Indian restaurants as well as a whole host of nosheries and eateries, sandwich bars, coffee shops, fish and chip shops, Costas and Pret A Mangers still look like lost souls in a windswept wilderness. There's nowhere to go to for the public who so regularly patronise their premises. These are exceptional times of course but we'll keep going because we have to and we will. We are battle hardened and we do possess the strongest backbone. We will come out of this with flying colours. We know we can.