When I arrived at T and S’s house, LO’N and CT were already there. L looked fabulous even though she had only just given birth to baby S. When I asked how she knew CT they both laughed. Surely I could tell that they shared the same great-grandparents? I calculated that they must be second cousins.

T offered us some food as we went through to the sitting room. He told me that I was not to worry. It was true that he still had the remains of the chicken dinner from 6th December in a tin, but he had no intention of serving this up again today.