Oh, for goodness sake! Snorting, sneezing, streaming eyes, incapable of speaking and virtually foaming at the mouth.

A customer in the garden centre. Yes, the garden centre!

When so obviously very ill indeed, what on earth would a person feel they couldn’t possibly live without from a garden centre until feeling much better?

Hardly the place to buy linctus or lozenges! A large tin of creosote, perhaps? I felt like suggesting a vat of the stuff, as I tried to avoid all germs like the plague.

The shops and stores have been so empty and quiet as everyone is in bed with the flu or all the other ills this winter is chucking at us.

The best place to be, and far better than dragging oneself out to a garden centre to spew the dreaded germs over those who have been lucky enough not to have succumbed . . . so far.

Please go home, and stay there!

Ros Robinson, Lydeard St Lawrence.