My London sister has just moved into a new apartment with her girlfriend of two years. My mother is thrilled that my sister “is now finally settled with a partner who is not only nice and wholesome but also understands about things like expensive storage solutions, cleaning services and Pledge”.

Cornwall. My mother and I are sitting upstairs in a small café, looking at menus. My mother orders the carrot cake on the condition that I will finish it if she can’t.

CORNWALL, it’s 10am, my mother’s house. 

Day trip. Part 2. 1.30. My husband and I are below deck in a ferry boat cabin, chugging across the harbour towards an island famous for its subtropical gardens. 

Road trip, part one: Last weekend, my husband and I took off on a day trip. Up the west coast on a whim we went, following what felt like the road to freedom in warm, balmy air, returning 10 hours later, our minds as smooth and untroubled as freshly laid eggs.

It is 8.30am, on Saturday morning, but conditions are proving too adverse for a lie-in. 

Like I said, since my mother has got the hang of Whatsapp, frankly there’s no telling where she might surprise me with a call.

I am having dinner with my old friend Ed, writes Aida Austin.

September – the time of young ones, their departure and new beginnings, writes Aida Austin. 

Monday, early August. Now that my mother has got the hang of Whatsapp, the timing of her phone calls is unpredictable.