I’ve succumbed to the ‘it’s not Covid’ cold

Trudy Tyler catches the worst cold she’s ever had and she knows exactly how she got it. By Christine Manby

(Illustration by Tom Ford)

Making it slightly easier to face the final week of this year’s Sober October is the news that Her Majesty The Queen has been advised to stop drinking for the rest of 2021 ahead of her busy Platinum Jubilee year.

The Queen’s favourite tipple is a dry martini, presumably made with Buckingham Palace gin. The Palace released its own brand of the spirit last year to raise money to conserve Her Majesty’s art collection. Apparently it’s made with ingredients from the Queen’s own gardens. I can picture her going round the flower beds with her secateurs, looking for suitable botanicals that haven’t been peed on by a royal corgi. It must be galling to have your own brand of gin yet not be able to drink it. Perhaps the Palace should release an alcohol-free version. I’ll suggest it to my boss Bella at our next office “thought shower”.

I haven’t been into the office this week because I’ve had that “it’s not Covid” cold that everyone’s been catching. It may not be Covid, but it’s definitely one of the worst colds I have ever experienced and I think I know why I succumbed.