The sunny warm weather continues and I am beginning to believe that spring really is here and that it is not just one of those occasional “heat waves” that, along with “cold snaps”, are so characteristic of our beloved British climate. If you want me to put a number on it, the temperature stood at 23°C (73°F) when we ventured out.

As has become our custom, we were heading for Myddelton’s for our coffee treat but, to lengthen the walk a little, we took a roundabout route. This took us via Myddelton Square – yes, again (I said our walks were apt to become repetitive) – where Tigger took this panorama showing two sides of the square and the central garden.

Panorama of Myddelton Square
Photo by Tigger

Perhaps because we were later than usual, there were more people about in the streets and we even spotted someone picking berries through the railings of the reservoir. Happily, we were able to keep our distance by the now familiar avoidance tactics.

On the way home, we spotted a couple of mounted police officers, the first we have seen for quite a while. Tigger managed to get a quick snap of them.

Mounted police officers
Photo by Tigger

Public attitudes to the police have changed somewhat during the lockdown. Many people now wave to officers passing in police cars or on horses as they do to passing ambulance crews. Whether this new friendliness will survive a return to normality remains to be seen.

In fact, a lot remains to be seen. Suggestions are being made that the pattern of our daily life will have to change, at least for some time to come if not permanently. That might be no bad thing if it means that the sense of working together in a crisis, appreciation of the NHS and ambulance crews, and the friendliness that has come from the feeling of all being in the same boat were to continue. After all, even when the disease itself is beaten, we will have enormous problems to overcome of which dealing with a shattered economy and facing up to climate change are only the two most obvious.

I would like to believe this and I hope I will not be disappointed.