What a year it has been.

A year in which we had to stay indoors, wear a mask when we were out and to keep apart from others – and a year in which we were prevented from hugging our elderly relatives at a time they needed our comfort the most.

2020 saw a massive upheaval to our daily lives as the coronavirus swept the country claiming so many lives and threatening the vulnerable, and forcing the Government to lock us down and restrict our movements.

Businesses have struggled or gone to the wall as the shutters came down; we have been prevented from having a pint in a pub with friends, browsing for goods in a shop, watching a play, going to the gym or worshipping in church. We have learnt to meet, to be entertained, virtually, although we know it’s just not the same.

We clapped for our carers involved in the heroic struggle to save lives, protect the NHS and look after those in care homes, and we recognised the workers in key roles keeping the country going.

Loved ones have been lost and families have had to face saying farewell in small gatherings or mourn privately.

Weddings, parties, festivals, meetings of groups and community get-togethers were cancelled as we kept apart, stayed in and hoped that this would soon be over and we could meet out families, our friends, again.

Yet despite all this, we have found a way to keep going, to look after each other, to try and be normal as we can. We have adapted and ensured that life has gone on.

Nowhere has this been more evident than in Bridport where the community has rallied round to support each other.

In his Christmas message last week, mayor Ian Bark said: “Bridport, you’ve been fantastic in this awful year and I urge you to carry that on.”

Meanwhile, town clerk Will Austin said: “I don’t know about you, but for me 2020 has seen various extremes of depressing, testing, frustrating, puzzling, hopeful, humbling, sad, and even at times thoroughly uplifting.

"But the one thing that’s carried me through 2020 is a huge sense of pride in the Bridport community. Volunteers queuing for six hours to collect prescriptions. Community groups and businesses providing food and wellbeing support. Retailers finding novel and amusing ways to keep going safely. Local people showing determination to deliver socially distanced public events. The lengths people have gone to so that our most vulnerable residents are kept safe and cared for is immense, and I’m proud of the part Bridport Town Council has played in this.”

He added: “We have stood front and centre this year – leading the creation of a local support network and helpline, putting social distancing measures in place in the town centre, helping with the creation of testing and vaccination centres, partnering in a great ‘shop local’ campaign, expanding the market area to make distanced room for stallholders, leading on the delivery of two mini music festivals, providing a safe Christmas market, and so much more. All whilst keeping our core services going and with barely any financial support. I feel privileged to have such a dedicated group of councillors and staff, and to be a part of this most caring, generous and hard-working community. And in Bridport, people do it all with good humour and with respect – after all, we are the UK’s only Rights Respecting town!”

Summer saw us return to a normality of sorts as the country opened up again but it was clear the pandemic was not over. Autumn brought new restrictions, more cases, and now a new strain of the virus. Vaccination programmes have begun but it’s clear that it’s not all going to be over once 2020 is out of the way.

We've now gone into tougher new restrictions which will be a further strain on our communities, our businesses. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Mr Austin said: “As things stand the battle will continue a long way into next year, so let’s all take a breath, relax and enjoy a safe New Year, and return ready to finish the job in 2021. The virus has done its best to drag us down since March, and it has failed to dampen our resolve here in Bridport – we fight on and we will prevail.”