Over lunch at Brompton Asian Brasserie, Mum About Town asked if I missed London. Of course. ‘But you have a good lifestyle,’ she said. She was right. And between the work, city life and family news, MAT told me how one celeb friend had revealed a controversial view about the sexes in a column (that was clearly written tongue-in-cheek), which in turn had caused a backlash. MAT’s friend had only written the column because she’d been offered more than the regular appalling freelance journalism rates.

The previous evening Hot Danish and I had dinner with a couple who are expecting their first child. ‘Please can we have a bottle of champagne for the mum-to-be,’ HD joked with the waiter at Naga. While the guys talked, Hannah, the mum-to-be, confided her fears of never having a career.

She also feared her man would be out working late during the week and partying at the weekends because that was exactly what her husband’s friend was doing while leaving his wife at home holding the baby. ‘These fears suggest we haven’t moved on from the ‘50s,’ I replied, thinking of The Golden Notebook, the book I’m currently reading for book club.

I brought the boys back into the conversation so Hannah would feel reassured. ‘You’ll be a hands-on dad, won’t you?’ I asked Sam.
‘Oh yes – I’m great with the cats,’ he smiled and looked at HD. ‘It will be great when we’re with couples; we can just get the kids involved for entertaining chat when we run out of conversation.’ I clearly hadn’t helped diminish Hannah’s fears. But perhaps Hannah can begin a career as a columnist…