‘I can only walk short distances without a wheelchair, it’s nothing serious, just my hip. But with a man I can hold his arm, it’s just that with Manita I feel wrong, clutching on to her. But with you, I don’t mind, if you don’t mind me clutching, and if we walk slowly I’m fine. I should have the surgery, but the doctor is worried my heart wouldn’t take it. Why my heart shouldn’t take it I don’t know, I feel strong, but I have a murmur or something. Oh God, too boring, I refuse to talk about my health. It is so not the thing to do, to talk about one’s health, everyone has a something-or-other and to be quite honest who wants to hear it? Just get on with it all. Don’t you think? And my past, I don’t want to talk about that either, just want to go on, keep going on, although I will tell you my husband died thirty years ago and I used to come here, you know, to the Polo Lounge, with him. I went a bit after he died, with my bridge friends, for a while, but then I stopped playing, so I guess it must be about twenty years or so since I’ve been here. That house on the right, that is now a monstrosity, that used to be owned by some man from the Middle East, years ago that is, and when they wouldn’t give him the planning permission he wanted, he didn’t build a thing, just put statues of naked women all along the front and painted them with pubic hair. Hilarious don’t you think? I never knew him but kind of liked him for that, made me laugh every time I passed, all gone now. He sold it. But hey. You just seem like the right one to take me. I hope you don’t mind cos I didn’t really give you a choice but actually if you do mind I don’t really want to hear it. So please don’t mind, I have to tell you I’m excited and thrilled that you came round, I was hoping you would. I don’t see that many people now, really, I don’t know why. That is all right, it is really all right with me, I don’t know why, just, I suppose, I don’t know, I get into my own head and somehow… you know. Oh well, tonight is just the perfect evening and it has been quite a boring day so… My goodness, here we are already. Don’t forget to give me your arm wherever we go, look on me as something that will fall over if you don’t hold it upright.’