My best velvet shirt, my Christmas Day attire, has marks on it. Just the pile on the velvet seems to have gone bald. Most annoying. I checked on Google, and it might be possible to fix them, by steaming.

I took it across the Links to the dry cleaners. No dry cleaning till after New Year. He was doubtful anyway, but suggested I go down the road to the next dry cleaner. Which I did. He was doubtful too, but he’ll try.

We passed a favourite pub I haven’t been in for a while, so on the way back I popped in for one of my favourite treats - crisps and a half pint. Quite nice soundtrack too.

Later, the upstairs neighbours popped in for a visit. They have a wee boy, but we really haven’t seen much of him. We (and they) thought we’d be having nice afternoons together in the sunny back garden, but that didn’t work out with this year’s hopeless summer. We were a bit worried that Archie barking when they arrived would alarm the wee lad (he’s almost three). He speaks three languages! His mum is Polish, his dad is Danish, and he speaks English (with a Scottish accent) at nursery.

BUT… Archie’s behaviour was exemplary! He gave ONE woof as they came in, then… nothing!! He lay down and snoozed. Sometimes he doesn’t even bother staying in the room if there are too many people. What a boy!