Having  tired of watching footage of my sister-in-law J making an early departure from a reality television series, the rest of us set off to find more interesting entertainment on the Isle of Lewis.

TPR and I contrasted the new commercial developments that made our usual holiday destination look rather backward and shabby. How had we missed the wonderful luxurious hotel and all the organised activities?

With my sister J, her family, and my mother we walked through the new hotel and towards the activity building to join an ‘art wall’ class. I expected that this meant that we all would contribute to the same canvas, but instead we sat around a table with other participants and were each handed a laminated postcard on which was already sketched a mountain scene.

The main instructor asked everyone at the table to introduce themselves from behind a white painted screen. I dreaded my mother’s response, but she managed a few words without breaking into tears. My sister, unfortunately, made someone rather uncomfortable by insisting that she say more about her failed doctoral studies.

When the time finally came to do some drawing, I was keen to take advantage of the advice of the Finnish instructor next to me and perfect my Moomin technique.