For anyone with uncontrollable movements in their arms, soup isn’t usually the best choice on the menu, and although my bowl was full of chunks of bread to help keep it under control, I still managed to make a mess.

The reason: a recent memory from our last night in Edinburgh. After the final performance of Backstage in Biscuit Land, our good friend Kevin arrived, helped us out with all our stuff, and drove me, Leftwing Idiot and Jolie to his place for a home-cooked meal.

Kevin’s helped out with all sorts of Touretteshero-related projects over the years and has supported me in a sensitive way when I’ve had difficult ‘ticcing fits’ during his visits to London.

This meal was particularly significant because Kevin and his girlfriend Ceci are soon moving to Australia, so it was a farewell dinner. They’d cooked us an amazing meal and we ate it in the kitchen, laughing loudly all the while. At one point I noticed a knife block, which drew immediate comments from my tics like, “I know where the knives are” and “I love you knife block.” Ceci said that was nothing and that there was a whole drawer full of sharp knives, and I got very excited.

Just as we were leaving, Leftwing Idiot suggested that we look in the knife drawer. I eagerly agreed and chaos inevitably ensued. I found myself grabbing at knives with both hands while Leftwing Idiot, breathless with laughter, did his best to stop me. Fortunately for everyone we left the house in a taxi, not an ambulance, after saying our last goodbyes this side of the equator.

So how does this relate to mushy-pea soup? Leftwing Idiot and I were in Persepolis this evening, eating delicious food and generally recovering from Edinburgh. Halfway through the meal he grinned at me and said, “What about that knife drawer?”

Just remembering how much it’d made me overreact, made me overreact again and, shouting, “Imagine this was the knife drawer!” I plunged my hand straight into the soup.

To Kevin and Ceci – thanks for a wonderful evening and for all your kindness over the years. I look forward to seeing how much bigger your collection of knives is when I come for a visit in Australia one day.