There were endless pints of Guinness and London Pride bitter, while rules about not standing at the bar and ensuring a 5ft distance between tables were scrupulously observed. 

Unsurprisingly, Covid-19 monopolised conversation, but it was a convivial evening nonetheless. Wobbling slightly, an elderly customer sauntered off at closing time with a tune on his lips.

Those minded to dial a shop- a-neighbour hotline should rest easy, for this Tudor Arms is not in the UK, but is a British-themed pub in Stockholm. In Sweden, the rules are different. It refuses to join the rest of the world in harsh quarantine. 

Children are still in school, bars and restaurants are open, as are garden centres and shops; crowds of up to 50 are allowed, and no one is chastised for sunbathing, sitting on park benches or daring to flee to countryside boltholes.

It is a strategy aimed at allowing some exposure to the disease to build immunity among the general population, while protecting the vulnerable and ensuring hospitals are not overwhelmed.