People In Glass Houses....

I was reminded today of a funny incident that happened many years ago when we lived much further north in Bonny Scotland. Property prices were much cheaper there, and we had a huge garden complete with a large greenhouse. A significant feature of this greenhouse was the fact that it had a latch that allowed you to lock it from the outside.

It's a well known fact, mentioned in the book "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus", that men like to withdraw to their "caves", basically to contemplate their navels, from time to time. To some men their study is their cave, to others the garden shed, and to others their cave is their greenhouse.

That weekend my in-laws were visiting and I was pottering in the greenhouse. Wosog strutted across the lawn and harangued me for being antisocial, and devoting more time to my tuberous begonias than to her, and my mother-in-law. Having said her piece, she turned around and absentmindedly fastened the latch on the door.

Ten minutes later, I finished what I was doing and went to open the door, only to find it locked shut! The greenhouse was practically brand new and I had no intention of breaking anything to effect my exit. I can't remember how long I spent fuming at the fact that I had a perfectly clear view of my surroundings but I was totally unable to go anywhere! I can still, however, remember Wosog storming across the lawn, incandescent with righteous indignation, and ready to tell me off for staying far too long in my cave. As she got nearer, she saw the steam emitting from my ears and it obviously dawned on her what she had done. With a deft flick of the wrist she opened the latch, and sprinted back towards the house hotly pursued by a barrage of expletives from me.

We don't have a greenhouse in our current garden. 'Nough said....