Art lovers said they hoped the reopening of galleries would “lift everyone’s spirits” as museums welcomed back guests for the first time in months. Visitors queued outside the National Gallery in central London, where Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden was among the first guests. Oliver Dowden (left) at the National Gallery in London (Stefan Rousseau/PA) Lois Brooks, 71, who is retired, travelled from her home in Ispwich to visit the gallery in the capital. She described the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions as “exciting” and added: “I have missed doing this and I think it’s going to be really great.”