Today was one of the best days I can remember since lock down began and we all started living differently. I have worked out that it is more than three months since I have worked in an office setting after losing my job in March, and, perhaps surprisingly, I have also worked out that I have been a lot happier since this has happened.

Don’t get me wrong, lock down has been a challenge and I want to get back to work. There has been a slight culture of fear, and like most asthmatics, I have been on edge about Covid-19 getting into my lungs. Until last week, I had not taken the tube since March and central London is still something of a ghost town.

I have felt lonely (as those of us who live by ourselves sometimes do), and have overdosed on sleep, social media, the news, custard creams. My social highlight has been going to the nearest M&S food hall and nodding over my mask. On my daily walks, people don’t smile or say hello, so I have let my one-woman campaign to greet everyone I meet, grind to a halt. I now talk to the neighbourhood cat, instead.

And, when I really want to depress myself, I look for a job (this was and is a daily occurrence), and what an eye-opener that has been.

Should you ever wish to feel like the Invisible Woman, may I suggest hunting for a new job during a time of a global pandemic? It may be that 99% of my applications have disappeared into an online black hole, because this would explain why very few organisations could bring themselves to respond to my CV and fabulously well-crafted covering letters. As about 1000 people have said to me: “It’s tough out there.” This observation is usually made by those in employment and / or recruitment agents, with whom I’m bound to agree.

Today though, was the best day I can remember or a long time. Not since finding out that I had achieved “informal discussion” status with a law firm have I felt such happiness. It’s because I had a Golden Ticket in the form of a confirmed place to swim at my local lido. Ten minutes before we were allowed in, a happy gaggle of swimmers stood outside Parliament Hill Lido like children going on a school trip to a fun place. Complete strangers looked at each other sand said: “I’m so excited! Are you excited? Isn’t it great to be back?”

I dived in (to the slow lane), swam up to the surface and spent 45 minutes swimming in the unheated 60 metre pool. People were smiling at each other and no one grabbed your feet, as you had to swim five metres behind the nearest person. I didn’t worry about being unemployed, about global recession, about being lonely, about Covid or where or when my next job interview might happen. I was just happy to count (or guess) the lengths I was swimming and then to dry out in the sun like a happy seal on its favourite rock.

Today, I feel as if I can do anything. Whatever the question, the lido seems to have the answer – by taking the question away for a golden hour, dappled by the sunlight on its inviting waters. I have already booked my ticket for Friday – and I have two job interviews in the near future. Who knows what might happen? Wish me luck – and happy swimming, or whatever it is that makes you smile.