Friday

Friday takes a surprising turn of events. By midnight, it's clear we'll miss the last fast train home and will turn up at 4am on the milk train. Then someone has a word, who has a word, and there's a nod and a hotel room magically appears in the four star up the street.

These things happen in Dig's world. They never happen in mine. Problems are never solved by quiet words and secret wizardry and taps on shoulders or nods of heads. In my world, I get electrocuted, the ceiling falls in, the fire brigade is called, or I have to stand on street corners wrapped in plastic.

Aunty Dee will think we set this up. But we didn't; neither of us have snook out spare knickers, or toothbrushes, or fresh socks. I admit to a second pair of tights, but that's all. It doesn't matter. The hotel room is fresh and clean; the showers work and the bed is soft and warm.

By morning it's distinctly odd wearing last night's clothes. I did quite well with the silk dress and have only one dribbly tomato stain down the front. The rubber bit on the heel has disappeared on one of the shoes, the other heel feels a bit wobbly, and a button's starting to hang off the jacket. But all this is within range compared to what I normally wear, and our walk across London to catch the train home turns into a pleasant stroll through the sunshine on the South Bank, with a brief detour into the Tate where I can have a bit of a grumble about Gilbert and George.

We get home just in time to change and make lunch and regret missing the art and play session I try and make each week with the children. Aunty Dee says she got lost driving to the RSPB meeting and got there late but Shark, Tiger and Squirrel did get a chance to unroll their albatross, so everyone was happy.

And I quite enjoyed the Friday walk. The shoes just make it home before one heel collapses completely. I wrap it up in paper and put it with its partner into the bin. I don't think I'm going to use those again. Perhaps I'll have to start cruising around those charity shops looking for a replacement pair, just in case I ever get invited back into Dig's World.