Willow Herb.

It all began something over a year ago with a "domestic." It was over whether Wally Whyton or Ralph McTell sang the songs, such as "Albert Ross the Albatross"  on children's television programme, "Alphabet Zoo." The LP became one of Jnr's favourites. Of course, I lost, and the penalty was paying for a sewing machine that was on Herself's "must have" list. Today was the day we finally went to pick it up from Mr Poodle.

I must say a few words about Richard Poodle at this stage: he is a passionate man, trained as an industrial engineer specialising in sewing machines; he now sells and repairs any model from the early treadle driven Singers to the modern electronic pieces of wizardry. Mrs TD tries to refer to him as "Richard" as she doesn't think he likes being called "Mr Poodle," but his surname is perhaps one of his greatest assets. One only has to mention it and, somewhere, a seamstress' eyes will glaze over and she will start recounting her experiences of doing business with him.

We didn't just drop in, pick the machine up, pay and walk out again; oh no - we had to be shown its magnificent virtues (compared with the dismal failings of its lesser contemporaries) and shown how to use it - for two and a half hours. It was also explained that we had bought a life time advisory contract; any problems and a phone call would either result in immediate advice or an appointment to arrange a free demonstration, a claim re-enforced by the story of an elderly lady who popped in every week to find out why she had, once again, bent a needle.

Much to my surprise, when it came to payment, herself hurriedly stepped up to the mark. I suspect that she didn't want to divulge the precise sum involved - but I'm pretty sure that it contained more digits than the price of any cycle (or camera) that I have ever purchased.

The blip was taken while walking Merlin along the canal path a little while later, he had earlier been to see his optician and, for the first time in several months the bill was modest (relatively) and the news was good. He now has no eye defects other than some minor scar tissue.