Kelso

On the right the ruined abbey and far left Ednam House Hotel where we had our wedding reception.

Today we went to have lunch at Mr C’s niece’s with her Dad, husband and 2 daughters. They are all nice people. One daughter at uni and the other at school. I attempted to ask them about stuff they were into but the response was minimal. I asked how they felt about taking responsibility for the mess we had made of the world to be met with blank looks then a polite smile. (Our 10 year olds could have told them). The parents had bought both girls top of the range IPhone 14 and Apple Watches. Apparently they are needed as the watch will tell you if you are getting cancer. Probably will tell them when they next need their lips plumped up too.

Niece is a teacher who won’t strike and her husband a firefighter who doesn’t believe in unions yet is on 6 months sick leave with full pay after falling off his bike. How does he think he got that benefit? Grr.

The Dad, (79) the widower of Mr C’s sister and my old school friend, (who introduced me to Mr C) is a real Victor Meldrew, especially if he’s allowed to drone on about the Scottish Government. (I was sitting opposite Mr C and he kept winking at me so it was hard to not giggle). His present “companion” is a titled personage who is on a 3 month cruise in warmer climes. She pays £10 a day to use wifi from the ship to message him. Apparently several men on board are requesting her company at dinner. (She has had lots of work done on her face and has a neat figure - I told BIL she might find a better prospect that him). He refuses to get hearing aids so when he said “what” after anything I said I just said it wasn’t important. I’ve had enough of repeating for Mr C and love that he at last can hear me (mostly).

Mr C does nothing about ever contacting or seeing his family and leaves it to me - but I’m thinking it would be fine with me to let him get on with it.). When our girls were teenagers while we lived in Suffolk and they stayed up there with their cousins on a visit they asked us “If we lived there would we be like them?” )

I know, it’s me, not them. I was very fond of Mr C’s sister but I don’t know - is it worth it? they’ll be sighing in relief to see the back of us too.