It’s 10.15am. I’m sitting in the lounge area of a local old people’s home waiting for the lady I’m visiting to finish dressing.

For a while, all is quiet, save for the ticking of an old grandfather clock in the corner of a room. And then all at once, several old ladies and gentlemen come in and I stand up. This, you see, is coffee time and one and all are eager for their mid morning beverage. They are various ages and in various degrees of ill health.

One tiny, well dressed lady catches my eye. At least, the flash of bright blue on her fingernails does. She smiles at me and apologises for the amount of time it’s taking her to walk past me. I smile back and on an impulse tell her that I love her brightly coloured nails. With a sweet smile, she leans her head close to mine and whispers to me.

‘I do it to shock, you know. Most people think it’s disgusting!’ 

She laughs a child’s giggle and continues on her way. I go back to my chair with a smile on my face, filled with a ridiculous happiness. Oh, the joys of blue nail varnish.