‘So sorry, I forgot to put my mask on!’

It finally happened, Trudy made the ultimate pandemic faux pas and forgot to take a mask with her when she left the house. By Christine Manby

(Illustration by Tom Ford)

It had to happen at some point. Almost a year after masks first became mandatory in shops in the UK, last Friday morning I accidentally went out without one.

The sun was shining as I set off for my daily sanity stroll around the Common. I was busy turning over in my mind how to rejuvenate the PR campaign for #Yne, the root-based non-alcoholic vegan beverage that makes you feel good until you drink it. By the time I was on the home straight, I thought I had nailed the first few lines of a new press release. I was making a note on my phone as I walked into Waitrose to pick up a pint of milk. It was only as I reached the dairy aisle that I felt suddenly, inexplicably “wrong”.

A young child, sitting in a trolley, was staring at me. I smiled and stuck my tongue out to make him laugh. His brow wrinkled in horror.