While we lived at my brother's house, we became good friends with the people living next door. Last night we received an impromptu invite for fish and chips and wine, and bimbled over. The little boy I heard developing conversation from Agagag noises to calling my name over the garden wall, greeted me with a handmade ticket to the royal banquet. There was no banquet as such, he just likes making tickets. Dad took him to bed and read him bits from The Hobbit. Then we settled down just like old times, and an excellent evening made up for the difficulties of the day.

I woke up at 3.30 this afternoon, after dreaming that my mum was annoyed with me about being late.