At the end of the Christmas holiday, my mother and I were guests of MB at the Old Ladies’ Lunch in Humshaugh. (I was a little offended at the invitation, but not sufficiently to refuse a good meal.)

Two ‘spare’ cats were also in attendance. The huge, black fluffy one wrapped itself like a luxury fur around my mother’s neck and shoulders. I was more taken by the tiny leopard spot kitten and its enormous Puss in Boots eyes. It looked like at least one of these creatures would be coming home with us, most likely the black one. The two shy house cats would be staying put.

We returned to the house by bus. All along the A69 the driver took great pleasure in treating pedestrians as skittles. He had a particular talent for taking out pensioners with walking sticks.