Peace in our towns

Earlier this year, while we were still deep in lockdown, I wrote in these pages about the fear with which hoteliers viewed the future. How, with social distancing, would they be able to host enough guests to remain financially viable? How would they keep their guests safe? Would anyone want to brave a hotel or a restaurant, let alone a cosy inn?

Now that the dust has settled, the results are clear. Anyone with a hotel in a seaside or halfway decent rural location has had a rip-roaring summer, and many have reported their best August on record.

Dropping the two-metre rule in