THIS MONTH’S OBSESSIONS:

The Circus – A series of interconnected short stories by Belfast writer Paul McVeigh written for BBC Radio 4 and set in the north of the city. Beautifully read by local actors, they’re available on BBC Sounds.

Tank tops – They say you shouldn’t wear things that come back into fashion if you wore them the first time round but knitted tank tops are surely a classic. Dressier than a jumper, they keep you nice and cosy under a blazer or jacket.

EDITED BY KATHY CLUGSTON

Quite a few people I know found social distancing a welcome relief from the unsolicited embraces of people to whom they’d just been introduced, and a few friends still prefer a fist bump to the more intimate handshake. Where once I might have automatically hugged an acquaintance, I now find myself scanning them for nonverbal indications or even asking if such a move would be welcome. In a world where many of us have more one-on-one contact with our phones than other people, where our understanding of consent is evolving, where viruses are mutating and an epidemic of loneliness is spreading, might we all one day fall prey to the condition starkly known as ‘touch starvation’ or ‘skin hunger’? I do hope not. Group hug, anyone?

Pitted dates in a block – I remembered as a child eating dates that had been squashed into a sliceable mass. I was thrilled to discover you can still buy them in a well-known health food shop. Once you’ve tried a sliced date Veda sandwich, you’ll never look back.