Dame Vera Lynn, whose voice saw Britain through the war and turns 103 this week, reassures Britons:

“I am sure many people, especially the elderly, are worried about what the future may hold. I encourage you all to keep smiling through. Even if we are isolated in person, we can still be united in spirit.

“As the war showed us so many years ago, we are all stronger than we think and, however desperate things may seem today, remember that we can still be kind, we can still laugh — and we can still sing.”