I did very well out of Covid – plenty of time off with pay and found the whole thing relaxing and productive. Others had a very different experience.

Here’s a few thoughts that go beyond the NHS and  teachers. Not saying that they aren’t heroes, but they do have a habit of telling us how hard they work, even in non-pandemic times and seem to have a well-tuned PR machine.

Bin men. Out is all weathers taking rubbish away. Take the bin men away for a month and you’d start to see rats in the streets and the breakdown of society.

Shop assistants. A couple of my sisters in law were in ASDA all through the pandemic, putting up with abuse from the public, risking infection every day and keeping us fed.

Bus drivers – several died from Covid as they kept our transport system going so people could get to work. Their deaths passed mostly unreported.

Postmen. Another profession that suffered Covid casualties but kept going through thick and thin. People were quarantining mail during lockdown because they were afraid of it bringing in germs, but the posties had to handle thousands of items a day. After the first lockdown, when we did close, they kept our eBay business going.

Street cleaners, meals on wheels, power workers, farm workers, police, firemen, railway staff. I’m afraid that I can’r even start to list everyone, because there are so many people who get taken for granted and I’m bound to have forgotten someone.

So, to all the people out there who kept the country running and didn’t get a proper thank you, I assure you I am grateful.

Finally, care workers. Not going to labour the point, but underpaid and unappreciated are words that definitely apply.