I’ve had a lovely day. I’d planned to spend it packing up the lair, boring but necessary. However it turned into a blissful afternoon and evening hanging out with my friends.

Laura texted to ask if I was up for joining her, Hannah, Emma and Emma’s sister Lucy for a wander round Borough Market, a Saturday food market near here. Emma had mentioned this yesterday but as I’d got a meeting with the estate agent scheduled I didn’t think it’d be possible. I was also worried about all the walking a trip to the market would inevitably involve.

But it was a bright sunny morning and I thought an expedition like this was exactly the type of thing I’d wanted to do last weekend, so I decided the packing could wait. I rescheduled my appointment for earlier and by midday I was out of the door.

Walking is really tricky for me at the moment so when I told Emma I could come I said “I’ll need a lot of help – are you up for it?” Without hesitation she said yes and she was absolutely fantastic all day.

For various reasons the others were less able to help physically. Hannah had her fourteen-month-old son Luke with her, Laura is eight months pregnant, and Lucy was hung-over. When walking around was too much we found somewhere nice to sit and they rotated staying and chatting with me, and bringing back nice things to eat and drink. Being with them I felt very relaxed, despite my tics.

Laura, Hannah, Emma and Lucy are amongst my oldest and closest friends. I’ve lived with them all at some point and they’ve seen my tics change and deteriorate. Though we know each other incredibly well, there have been times when I’ve found it hard to ask them for help, or when I have asked them and they haven’t responded in the way I’d hoped.

As my tics have got worse I’ve had to get better at explaining what I need, and this has made it much easier for people to help me effectively. Today showed me how true this is and that with friends like these, being out doesn’t have to be fraught.

The good times and company carried on well into the evening and I even managed to get in a bit of packing at the end of the day.