Well, as lockdown, continues we are all having to adjust to a new reality.

The four walls of my living room is the extent of my horizons, television is rubbish without live sport and the one piece of state-sanctioned exercise feels like a cross between a blessed relief and going into battle against an unseen enemy.

Just to be clear, I am all in favour of the lockdown and social distancing. I would be quite happy to stay at home until the scientists produce a vaccine.

In some ways everything has changed and yet on a day-to-day basis, nothing is changing.

The days just all seem to roll into one another, although I am still working from home so that does provide a little light relief. That just goes to show how mixed up things are when I actually look forward to the days I have to work.

But having to be at home at a time when virtually everyone else has to be at home as well has thrown up some interesting new observations.

For a start, I’ve discovered neighbours I never knew I had. I’ve lived in my current house for a long time but for most of that I’ve been at work during the day, so apart from the people who live either side of us – and a couple of others – I never really got to see the neighbours.

The warm weather over the Easter weekend provided the opportunity to do a bit of gardening and it was actually quite a pleasant experience to exchange a few words with people as they walked past.

The second revelation was just how many people actually have dogs.

I’d never noticed it before but it is quite remarkable. I’m tempted to say that more than half of those out and about had a dog with them. To be honest, it was the furious barking from half a dozen houses along the street as one couple walked past with their two dogs that really caught my attention.

As someone who neither likes not trusts dogs, I found it all a bit unnerving and a little bit dystopian to think there are quite so many dogs around here.

Generally speaking, I don’t mind the lockdown. I’m happy with my own company and would quite happily sit and vegetate for however long this lasts. My wife, however, has a different method of dealing with the situation.

This time of year is when she goes into what is known in our house as Pre-Holiday Cleaning Frenzy. (That’s what I call it, she prefers to call in spring cleaning.)

No cupboard is left unemptied, no paintwork is left unwashed, no window (and its frame) is left unwiped.

The difference this year, of course, is that our two week break in the Spanish sun isn’t going to happen.

Now I somewhat naively thought that meant in these unprecedented times we could give pre-holiday cleaning frenzy a miss.

Oh no. Apparently we have to crack on as normal, so while you were all having your Easter barbecues I was on the extension roof wiping window frames.

Which opened up a whole new world to me. My elevated vantage point gave me a clear view into neighbours’ gardens.

I have to confess I was a little taken aback by the lack of social distancing I could see.

At least a couple of neighbours had ‘guests’ who I know for a fact were not from that household.

For a brief moment, I almost went full-on Stasi informer on them… but I didn’t. It was a real moral dilemma, though. What they were doing was against the lockdown regulations but I couldn’t bring myself to snitch on them to the police.

I still don’t know if I made the right decision, but my conscience was eased a little when I saw on the Guardian’s website a quote from a Cheshire Police spokesman who said: “Please only tell us about something if you feel there is a significant issue or breach.”

I really hope there are no coronavirus consequences for my neighbours. That would be a high price to pay for a back garden get-together.

Stay safe everyone.