Monday marked a sombre and very difficult start to the week, as Tony attended a church service for his late father. On the upside, the funeral represented a meeting point for Tony’s family, who, living in places as distant and diverse as Muscat, Oman, rarely meet.

Tony’s family, sticking around for a few days after the funeral, visited the Gallery on Tuesday. The refurbishment that the Gallery underwent during the holidays is fantastic; the upper room, once a cold, empty space coated in cobwebs and a thick layer of old dust, now resembles a real working office. This was a positive start to the first working week since the Christmas holidays.

The family reunion ended on Wednesday, as everyone headed for home. Family get-togethers are always too short, says Tony, coming to this sad realisation after his father’s funeral.

Thursday marked a return to hard work in more ways than one. Tony returned to the gym after two weeks of almost total inactivity throughout the latter half of December and the beginning of January.

Tony buried his dad’s ashes on Friday at a quiet ceremony in Middlesbrough. The whole event was very peaceful, with all wishes respected and a tangible sense of finality. He hopes his father is in a better place now.

Saturday was a fantastic day. The Gallery was almost fully staffed for the first time since it closed on Christmas Eve. Upstairs, Terry and the others finished building the office, leaving behind a surprisingly complete working area where once there were only cobwebs and timber. We now have a place in the Gallery where staff can work in peace. Tony is now looking forward to the arrival of collectors and friends as the entire country returns to full power after shutting down almost entirely over Christmas and the New Year.