‘She clearly wasn’t hugged enough when she was a child,’ sighed the tall, willowy mother who had arrived next to me. Her disapproval radiated out every perfectly manicured pore. She had a shaggy brunette cut with a fringe and was wearing a block-print jumpsuit with Isabel Marant trainers.

‘Her son does look a terror.’ I motioned towards the curly-haired boy running around, pushing over anyone who came near him.

‘Frieda, sweetheart. Go to the slide!’ the tall mum shouted to a little girl in grey harem pants and a chequered hoodie. She motioned towards a slide on the opposite side of the soft play to the pusher.

‘Great outfit she’s wearing.’

Tall Mum smiled. ‘I only buy gender-neutral clothing.’

‘I completely agree. It’s so important that girls don’t feel stereotyped.’

Tall Mum nodded approvingly. It was good to meet a kindred spirit. Someone else who understands that the lines between what was for girls and what was for boys could benefit from being more blurred.

‘Mamaaa, I want snack.’ Gigi came bounding up to us. She was wearing a bright pink flowered dress with a puffball skirt, teamed with rainbow socks and pink sparkly trainers.

Did I need to explain that I let her choose what she wanted to wear this morning? That the dress was bought by a doting grandmother? Or that the awful trainers were a result of a hungover shoe shop trip where I didn’t have the energy to fight the ‘But I love them!!!!!’ tantrum. Tall Mum’s nose may have wrinkled at my daughter, the pink explosion.

My street cred dented, I needed to make a retreat.

‘Come on, Gigi. This way.’

I took her back towards the table that had a ‘Reserved for Alexis’ sign.

‘Let’s sit and wait for everyone.’

I pulled a couple of rice cakes out my bag and handed them to Gigi while I scanned the room again. A man at the table next to us stood out. He was wearing sunglasses and had a baseball cap pulled down low. I stared at him again. He definitely didn’t look famous. And that was surely the only excuse to be so questionably attired in a soft play centre on a cloudy October day. Unless of course he was just trying to be cool. But he didn’t seem to be a poser. He wasn’t lounging back in his chair, guffawing with equally ridiculously dressed friends. He was alone, staring down at a cup of coffee. I hadn’t even seen him with a child. One to watch.