It’s cold again today with a “feels like” factor of -1°C. Yes, I know that some of you live in parts of the world where you take deep subzero winter temperatures for granted but I don’t. I’m British, brought up in a land of fog and rain where, if it does snow, it’s well-behaved, apologetic, snow that has the decency to melt straightway or at least, within a day or two. I feel the cold!

It took us a while to get started today, until lunchtime in fact. Then we sat around for a while thinking about going out. We had half-planned to visit Myddelton’s deli today but, well, they closed at 3pm today, and we missed them.

Saint Espresso – closed

We decided we would just make a dash for coffee and come home again. We tried Saint Espresso but arrived just too late – there was someone still on the premises but he indicated by hand signals that they were closed. So Tigger hand-signalled “Happy New Year” to him and we went on our way.

“We’ll go to Starbuck’s,” said Tigger. “They’re open till 5pm.”

She had thought to photograph the opening-hours notice at our last visit.

Jusaka – closed

On reaching the Angel crossroads, we could see that Jusaka was closed. That was no surprise as they have been closed since before we entered Tier 4 and we’re beginning to wonder whether they will ever open again. This has been a ferociously bad time for small businesses and many have closed never to open again.

Islington High Street – busy

The High Street and, beyond, Upper Street, were quite busy even though the banks and other businesses were closed. I don’t know where all the people were going but they all seemed purposeful enough.

Starbuck’s – open

Starbuck’s was open – Tigger was right, of course – and in we went. Tigger went to the counter to order and I went along too as moral support. Then Tigger went to the collection point and I retired to my corner. That’s just to the left inside the door beside the shelf with the notice reading “DO NOT USE”. I’m out of people’s way there and it’s a warmer place to wait than outside.

Looks the same – except for the screens

Inside, Starbuck’s looks as it always did, except, of course, for the transparent screens that are now in use in all shops and businesses dealing with the public. That and the round footprint markers glued to the floor indicating which way you should walk.

Clutching the coffees (which, as I have explained, is my job), we set off for home.

We had, of course, put on masks to go into Starbuck’s, a fact that reminded me of something I find odd. Has anyone else experienced this?

People who wear spectacles complain that wearing a mask causes their lenses to steam up, especially in cold days. Now, I don’t wear spectacles in the street but I have noticed that my eyes steam up.

You may think that silly and the effect of overweening imagination but I first noticed the effect when I tried to read a notice while wearing a mask and finding I couldn’t. I thought my eyesight was failing but later, without the mask, it returned to normal. Since then, I have experienced the same effect systematically: my sight suffers when I wear a mask.

If you have noticed the same thing yourself – your eyeballs “steaming up” – I’d be interested to hear about it.

We returned home and drank our coffee accompanied by Kit Kat, the dark chocolate variety. I have rediscovered Kit Kat and how well they go with coffee and, for that matter, tea. Maybe I am regressing back into childhood!