Last winter I spent a fortnight in Lydstadt, a capital that still believes the day should have an edge. At seven, the tram depot shutters its glass doors; by eight, the better restaurants have served their last walk-in; by nine, the square belongs to sweepers, cyclists and one excellent newspaper kiosk.
The virtue of a city with a closing bell
A serious city need not be open at every hour; it needs to keep its promises before breakfast.
The policy began as a budget decision after the cold election of 2019, but it has become a civic temperament. Shopkeepers know their staff by name, platforms are washed before dawn and ministers, denied the theatre of midnight announcements, have learned to brief plainly in the morning.