Dear Mary: Will my lockdown appearance be too off-putting for the office?

Q. Just before Covid, we moved out of London with the intention of having a quiet life in the country. We were surprised to find that, although remote, the area offers almost as many potential friends as the city. We were welcomed and we did go out and had people back. Yet no matter how compatible our neighbours were turning out to be, it confirmed for us that actually we don’t want too active a social life down here. We were wondering what to do about this when Covid intervened. Now that social things are about to take off again, we are faced with a big dilemma because, especially with our being newcomers, it will not go down well to say ‘no thanks’. This is not my being conceited. People are bored around here. What should we do?
— Name and address withheld

A. Let the word go out that, for various reasons too boring to talk about, you now find yourselves in a wifi and mobile blackspot.