“10 days ago (a lifetime ago) I picked up my youngest daughter from uni. She was understandably a bit downcast. All the brilliant things in her life had just come to a jarring halt. For a while, there will be no more flat mates, boozy nights, rugby, parties, time chilling with friends. A new relationship has been put on ice. Her immediate future is to be shared with mum, dad and the cat.

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Meanwhile, her university couldn’t be doing less. PowerPoint docs masquerade as online teaching, yet a dissertation has still to be written and her lecturers hide behind the virus (why can’t they FaceTime?).

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By contrast, I feel I have been given an unexpected gift. We are missing her sister who is weathering the storm Down Under. So I am doubly happy she is home. It is rare to have her to ourselves. All the things I love have been bubbling out of her. She’s funny. She sleeps for England. She looks out for her friends. She makes us watch scary films (Cape Fear anyone?) She’s patient, currently fighting alongside me in Call of Duty (I will be a colonel by the time the virus gives up). She drinks buckets of tea. She sings in the shower. She beats me at Scrabble. We haven’t been together like this since she was a little girl. This hiatus is challenging in so many ways but I know in the future, we will look back fondly on this precious, bonus time.”