F has recently celebrated her 100th Birthday, and her mantlepiece was jammed with congratulatory birthday cards.

She was in fine form, regaling tales of the mischief she got up to at Trinity College, Dublin; quoting great tracts of TS Eliot poetry; and together we tested our ability to count down from 20 in French without any hesitations!

She had a twinkle in her eye when telling me how she defied a recent memory test at the hospital and had baffled the doctor by her reference to Freud.

F makes me giggle and tests my intellectual abilities at every visit. Amazing inspiration for growing old disgracefully!