Birthday Boy!

A highlight of my birthday every year is getting a card from Mum.

This year it only arrived a few days late (which is quite good for her), although I did have to journey to the main sorting office in Willesden to collect it and pay extra postage because she hadn't put enough stamps on it.

But it was worth it.

You see Mum thinks I am about nine years old and her cards always feature cartoon furry animal of some description engaged in some comedic scene. And this year's (featured above) was a belter – a cartoon bear playing snooker.

I think at some point in the dim and distant past she must have asked me if I liked one of the cards she sent. And I obviously wasn't really listening and must have unthinkingly answered in the affirmative because every year I now get something like this.

I think I'm going to have break the news to her that I am now 38 and don't really like cartooon furry animals any more. At the same time I may also have to tell her that I no longer take sugar in my tea because whenever I go back home she still puts two spooonfuls in my cup because that's how I used to have it about 30 years ago, despite repeated attempts to tell her otherwise.

And worringly she's probably the sanest member of my family back home...