THE GOOD GRANNY
For 14 years, the cupboard under the stairs was the cat’s undisputed territory. The cupboard was so full that the door wouldn’t shut, and when family life became too much for her, she crept in and curled up on a moth-eaten cardigan on top of some cricket pads, in the farthest recess, spitting at anyone who dared disturb her. When she departed for feline paradise, the cupboard needed a good clean-out.
The clean-out went well, although the grown-up son of the house sat on the stairs for three hours, working his way through a box of Beanos, circa 1979, before agreeing to recycle them. His sister grabbed a pair of slightly rusty Edwardian ice skates and bore them off triumphantly. Their