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Ms S was an interesting lady. After some issues (I arrived at her block of flats and rang the intercom to no reply, so rang and she could not answer the door so shouted so loudly one of the neighbours came and let me in instead!) I was able to come up and confirm her list of goods she needed.

The list had read: 4 avocados; • 2 packs blackberries; • 2 litre milk; • 1 jar instant coffee; • 1 jar powdered milk; • 2 large bottles Lucozade.

There were a few last minute addendums to be made - Ms S also had a request for some incontinence pads, flavoured water and peppermint chocolate. She also wanted to change the numbers, including a request for 4 jars of instant coffee! I said I would try my berry best to get all her goods, and head out to King Street.

First stop Sainsbury’s, where I picked her blackberries and avocados, one lone jar of coffee, Lucozade (and the exciting job of deciding on the two flavours), milk and a bar of chocolate. Goods paid for, it was off to Boots, to purchase the pads, and then to Iceland to collect the rest of the groceries.

Thankfully, there was powdered milk here, and the flavoured water she had requested. I also threw in an extra jar of coffee (so at least she could have half of what she had requested) and the second bar of peppermint chocolate (she wanted two - I wasn’t sure which brand she had mint, so treated her to an Aero and a Ritter Sport). Final shop was Savers for another batch of lady products, then it was back to Ms S’s apartment block.

I arrived back at the intercom again, and there was no reply to her buzzer, so another call was made. Ms S informed me that her intercom was broken, and I would have to ring the neighbours and ask for someone else to let me in...

1-0-0 I dialled, hoping the ‘OFFICE’ would pick up... Nope. 1-0-1 for the ‘LOUNGE’. Another thirty seconds of ringing to no avail. So I started at the first flat of the 22 in her block! No reply... No answer... More ringing... Miss this one, as this is Ms S... Still no reply...

Finally, it was the final flat. If this one didn’t answer I’d be sat out here with a bag full of incontinence towels and instant coffee until someone decided to come in or out... Luckily for me, flat number 22 answered. A garbled message from me later, the automatic door buzzed and swung open. Hooray, I was in!

Back up the stairs to Ms S’s flat. She was very excited at the haul, ‘you got the coffee, and the peppermint chocolate!’. She thanked me, and then asked if I could mind putting it all away! Good thing I had my mask and hand sanitiser, as Ms S gave me shouted instructions on where to put the powdered milk and where to keep the Kotex.

Good deed done, Ms S waved me off as she munched on her mint aero, and I could escape the flats as the automatic door swung open to the cool November air.