We spent the afternoon watching old films on television in the sitting room. Fortunately nobody sat on the green-threaded needles that KT found at my end of the sofa.

Then, when we saw that snow had fallen late in the day and we technically had a white Christmas, we set off for a walk across the frozen wastes above Edinburgh. The route was tricky in places, especially along the wrought iron ladder that you had to climb backwards.

Suddenly I found myself alone separated from TPR. A gang of teenage boys attempted to kidnap me and I only just managed to escape – by biting and tickling them.

Free once more I headed home on the bus along London Road, admiring the enormous faded paper poppies that the council had placed as Christmas decoration in the branches of the trees that lined the street.