I wrote recently about the gift I’ve bought for Leftwing Idiot’s forthcoming birthday and my battle to stop my tics spoiling the surprise. He’s DJing at the Gowlett Pub again this weekend and celebrating his birthday at the same time. It’s not his actual birthday, but I know that there’s no way I can avoid giving the game away if he’s repeatedly being wished ‘Happy returns’.

So tonight I’ve arranged to give him his present before we go to the pub. I did this by email because if I’d tried to do it face to face it would inevitably have ended with, “I bought you a……..”

So far careful planning has stopped my tics letting the cat out of the bag. (It’s not a cat in a bag.)