optimista

I also suspect that TT consists of about a dozen people these days.

Bastards. I really feel for you.

Spot the Southerner and the North-South divide. Working-class Northerners always 'ave us dinner at lunch-time. 5 o'clock tea - consisting of a jam, peanut butter or cucumber buttie - or even, God forbid, beans - or worse, pilchards - on toast cannot count as dinner, surely? We sometimes had supper immediately before going to bed - that was egg and chips or a baked potato. Or a nice bit o' bread and drippin'. Eeh, them wo' the days.

But why we are encouraged to install window locks for example? So that it presents an obstacle to would-be burglars' success, thereby absolving the insurance from coughing up? What perverse and immoral logic that is. How do they invent such wankery?

And this is supposed to justify not coughing up? Time to call a spade a spade. This is intellectual masturbation at its worst.

Are ampersands words?

...for what, may we ask?

She's had no choice being presented with a fait accompli. But yes, circumspection required.

Oh no, you actually bred children?

If you can't beat 'em join 'em, as per LukeSkywalker's suggestion. It works a treat. I know from experience. I can sell you a vintage  flugelhorn for a couple of hundred euros. If you are a beginner it will sound very bad. And they will not be able to complain. And you will have to practice often in short bursts at the beginning. It will be like the Chinese water torture for your accoustically sensitive friends. Especially if it is out of tune and you make a lot of mistakes... Eventually you will become proficient and derive immense pleasure from your hobby. A whole new world may open up for you. PM me if interested.

Devil's advocate here. You do not know all the details. She's been dealing with her son 19 long years. At first sight, shocking, yeah. But for a mother to disappear and leave him without a key? There is a reason for that no doubt.   And you deserve a medal by the way.

Hilarious. I take it she never had a screaming baby herself but studied a lot of books. Or she was a sadist.

Now that makes sense to me.

Pardon me??   What does that mean? Yes, I am only an arts graduate.

Asking a question is fearmongering? Really?