Blissfully crowd-free: now’s the time to visit London’s museums

What are the unexpected benefits to have come out of Covid? Letterbox cocktails? An irrefutable excuse for you to bail on a social occasion? An end to gouty Great-Uncle Matthew lunging for a slobbery kiss at Christmas?

Like a booster shot, most of these will wear off over time, so we should make the most of them. Similarly, a recent trip to the National Gallery prompted a flurry of bookings as soon as we got home. For the first time, it was possible to appreciate favourite paintings unencumbered by a sea of iPads held aloft by un-seeing tourists. ‘Just buy a postcard in the shop!’ snapped no-one at all. It was bliss. Peaceful. Civilised.

Of course, this isn’t sustainable. It’s a tragedy that — according to The Art Newspaper — visitor numbers to the National Gallery are down 13 per cent on pre-pandemic levels. Yet the ongoing social distancing measures afford an opportunity usually only available to people prepared to arrive at opening time on a Monday morning during term-time.