w.atching the w.orld unw.ind

Out of the blue, we received a letter from someone we've both known a very long time.

Met originally as the beautiful girlfriend, and subsequently wife, of someone I once worked with, we holidayed with them several times and created a language and catalogue of catchphrases that survive to this day.

They always get one of our infamous 'Christmas letters' but over the years - and primarily because we've moved around and on - we just lost social and verbal contact.

And it seems that, for literally a whole generation of time, she's been labouring under the total misconception that the last time we met up, she somehow said or did something that offended us, and so caused a rift? Mrs.D. and I racked our brains, blamed early dementia, mentally retraced our history, but could not remember having anything but the greatest fun with them?

We tried to 'phone, but they're ex-directory, so we wrote and asked her to call us.

Last night, the 'phone rang and her mellifluous, modulated voice was there, uncoarsened by the twenty plus years since we last spoke, and it was just like stepping back in time.

She said our letter had been like a release from prison and could we meet up soon?

"Nah, pi55 off!" we said, and then all laughed our collective socks off.

I bet she's still a stunner...