TODAY we have reported on how hundreds of people have flocked back to their favourite shops after months of grim lockdown.

There is no doubt that the ability to meet friends outside, to go into shops, and to have a drink in a beer garden are signs that life is returning to normal.

It has been a bleak time for families and businesses, and for retail, online shopping is sure to have an impact on the jobs of thousands of people in the months ahead.

So the sign of seeing shoppers once again returning to stores like Primark and centres like Churchill Square will be a welcome one for many.

But The Argus report about Eric and Molly Martin, who have spent a year shielding at home, shows how our gradual return to normal should be tempered a little.

The two nonagenarians marked their platinum wedding anniversary, and this is a cause for celebration.

Yet it will no doubt have been a testing time for them and for thousands of people stuck indoors or isolated in the past twelve months.

And of course there are those who have lost their lives or lost loved ones during that period.

As a city and a country we should continue to follow the rules and we should also find a fitting way to remember in years to come.