The new security measures imposed at the Royal Opera House in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena atrocity will change the habits of operagoers.

Most people go to the opera straight from work, often carrying a briefcase or laptop. That’s no longer advisable, says the ROH.

So opera lovers will have to adjust their timeworn habits, either returning to the office after the opera to collect their essentials or making other arrangements.

They will, of course, adapt. This is a minor inconvenience in the face of a mortal threat. Londoners have proved themselves time and again to be flexible and cheerful. They have put up with much worse. They will stay calm and do whatever is required to stay safe and sane.

Nonetheless, the restriction on carrying personal belongings into the opera house is a rude intrusion of grim reality at the very moment when one enters a place of art, preparing to suspend disbelief.