We are polite, as a family, on the whole, so when I annoyed my son tonight, it was not deliberately and his protest was a mild one. I tried to open a file dating back 6 years which had apparently become corrupted in its transference from old iMac to new a few months ago. Wailing self-pityingly (it was a huge valuation which would take ages to redo), he gently said ‘I’ll come and help if you like, but I do get this all day you know’. And yes indeed, it is the first thing they ask in IT support (have you turned it off and on again) because, as you know if you don’t have the luxury of a technician, that’s all that is needed most of the time.

Anyway, he did get the text up for me, but if – IF – my Other Half can find a printout of the original, it will be easier to go from that. Since the local council is even more strapped for cash than it was in 2000, they may not even go for a revaluation, but if they do, I’ll be ready for them.

A friend rang tonight to ask me to email members of the committee of which she is secretary and I am chairman (I don’t go for chairwoman, chairperson or chair; chairman is in such an instance gender neutral). Her internet connection is down for a few days – going on to Broadband is only straightforward if someone in the family has some idea what they are doing (thank you son). She was audibly overanxious and I sympathised. A few years ago I wouldn’t care if I did not check emails for a week. Now I could not possibly last a day. If I haven’t answered within 24 hours I get anxious enquiries about my health – ‘there must be something wrong, you are so efficient’. No I’m not efficient, it’s just the strangely compulsive nature of emails, and the knowledge that if they disappear down a page or two you will never look at them or remember them again. So Do It Now! But why?

On the other hand, nice to know people care. Even if you do have to leave their emails unanswered to find out.