Forget lockdown this Christmask

THE leaves have not yet turned, there’s still the chance of an Indian summer and the clocks are not going back for another two months.

But, up and down the country, coronaweary folk have been going online to gaze at baubles, yearning for yuletide.

John Lewis, the nation’s ation’s tinsel barometer, knew that Brits s would want something to look forward rd to after lockdown and opened its Christmas shop early.

Searches for seasonal goods oods are already up by 370 per cent ent and folk are ordering their eir puds from Waitrose.

My bah-humbug instinct t ells me crackers rs in September are an abomination – but perhaps a bit of fake snow now and glitter is just what we all need now to banish the e pandemic blues.

And, with four month to go, there’s plenty of time to prepare for the e new normal and start dreaming of a Covid Christmas.

Markets, fares and light switching ceremonies are likely to be cancelled and candlelit carol services snuffed out.

School Nativity plays will have to be conducted via Zoom, with stables big enough g for Mary, y Joseph, p the animals and Three Kings to socially distance.

And office parties will soon fall flat without drunken congas and sneaky snogs. But children everywhere can

r est as as- - sured that the big man himself will never be defeated by this virus.

This week Father Christmas sent his earthly surrogates to Santa School in London, to learn how to run Coviddcompliant grottos.

They were issued with special Christstmasks – it’s a no-no to yo-ho-ho without ut one – and taught how to set up pulleys ys to deliver presents to young visitors.

And, of course, they were provided d with ample quantities of hand Santa-tiser.

Over at the North Pole, the real Santa has taken his little helpers off ff furlough and got them back in the he workshop after a elf and safety check. k.

Rudolph’s had a test, and the red nose ose isn’t a symptom so, thankfully, he’s back ack in his harness.

And now everything is on schedule for Christmas Eve when Santa will don magic PPE that lets him come down the chimney safely to deliver presents.

So, there may still be 116 more sleeps to go but it’s fine to start dreaming of Christmas.

Because this year we all deserve to look forward.