There's no bouncing back..

There is an idea that reopening everything means things can and will go back to what they were before. This is what we want to happen.

But retail, arts, culture, entertainment, travel and leisure in general now go back saddled with vast amounts of debt and a lack of momentum. Most were not making money hand over fist before the first lockdown. God knows we are not going to be making it now, with reduced capacity and cities emptied of students and workers.

It's going to take time. Maybe more time than we all have.
Normally when there is less of a thing - less bums in seats, say - the situation is resolved by putting up prices. But that's really a thing none of us feel confident in doing. So I guess we will roll the dice and see.

I don't want you to think the war is over just because you can't hear the gunfire. If you work in these industries you know its not. That in fact now is the hard part. Because people will think that life is back to normal in a month, when it is far from normal and may never be again.

Be kind. Be supportive. Be understanding. And if you work in one of these industries, be safe. And its good to have you back.