The pop pickers amongst you know the next line of this Average White Band song is ‘maybe we’ll turn back the hands of time’. The announcements of last weekend suggest we may again be on the Covid merry go round, although sadly we can’t turn back time.

But if we could turn back time, a topic of many a conversation I have with businesses and I am sure we all have with friends in the pub (masks on from now on, except when drinking) is what would we do differently? An earlier first lockdown maybe, a better vaccine rollout, we did well with that, a slower opening up of society last summer, well the numbers did stay low until September.

For me, what we should have kept in place was mask wearing and Covid passes for the hospitality sector. You go into a bar or restaurant and showing this passport would be the same as showing ID. I have forgotten the last time I was asked, or showing a loyalty card, CAMRA for me, or paying via your mobile phone. It becomes a seamless activity embedded into modern life. It would be a continual reminder to us all to keep up to date with vaccinations and what are likely to be regular boosters, customers and staff would feel safer that everyone is thinking of each other and doing our bit.

So as we continue to adapt to life with Covid -19 let us all remember the basics, wash our hands regularly, use a face covering, where possible keep your distance and keep your jabs up to date, this really is the way through this situation. None of us want our civil liberties to be impeded but to be honest it is not about us as individuals, the world really is a better place when we come together as a community and work together, remember HANDS, FACE, SPACE it really does help.