I was out last night moving amongst the (not really) ordinary British and was met by a wave of protest that there was no blog yesterday.  Nice that you noticed but people, people, I have a life.  And the reason I was not, for once, lying around in bed entertaining you, in a computer related way if you please,  was because I went to the opening of my son’s shop.  Imagine.  A child of mine in trade.

The emporium is located in what is the latest modish area of London,  the siting of which changes on a weekly basis, and is currently somewhere called Peckham.  If you have heard of it, and I would be staggered to discover that you had, it was because that was where the Trotters (from ‘Only fools and horses’ ) lived and bless, you, I expect you thought it was a made up place.

I myself had to look it up on a map – it is in Sarf London where, like any black cabbie, I am always reluctant to travel.  A little quiz question here to wake you up.  How long do you imagine it takes to get there by train from my own tree-lined, river-fronting, spelt munching area?  25 minutes.  That’s practically next door.  No 2 Son was incredibly proud that I had made, and survived, the journey although obviously I wouldn’t of dreamt of taking my lovely convertible or wearing jewellery.  Trendy does not mean safe, whatever estate agents would have you believe.

The rest of the day was given over to gilding the lily for a birthday dinner.  The host had made the classic mistake of telling people his real age and inviting people he had known since boyhood who knew anyway.  I wish he’d asked me first.  I would have told him to admit to 60, do that at least twice, three years apart and then gradually let the figure creep up.  Poker tactics.  Just practice keeping a straight face.  Works for me.

I had a chance to catch up with his very beautiful daughter who has looked to me for advice for 30 years and sadly ignored most of it.  Now I have turned out, predictably,  to be oh so right about career options and starter husbands I can only hope she will be paying better attention in future.  And that goes for all of you.