It’s quite striking, really, how little impact Brexit made (on the non-Brits of course - we Brits remain traumatised and obsessed). For pretty much everyone else, once it became clear that the UK’s internal disaster would not infect others (rather it inoculated them), it ceased to occupy head space.

An interesting and, as far as I'm aware, valid point point. However, certainly not the case in Ireland.

Yes. The main difference, of course, is that the EU started preparing for it on day one, while the UK government refused to because it didn't want to admit to the damage Brexit would cause.

which is no shock to you Chris and no schock for me as they were so much bigger that any shock if there could be coped with

And so as I keep trying to get across to British friends (and foes alike): this is an asymmetrical relationship. It’s not even ‘they need us more than we need them’ - it’s ‘they’re that country that had that weird episode, ok moving on to serious matters’

As someone who trades with Europe, though, this isn't always helpful, as certainly in my business (rare books), many EU colleagues have never traded outside the EU before, and are even now entirely unaware that selling to the UK now involves a quite new set of requirements, wrt, say export licences.

It’s been so devastating for so many people. Lives on hold. Families still in limbo for various reasons.