So my long-time friend and sparring partner Mr Bastable wants to hear 5 things about me that he doesn’t already know. This is difficult, as being best friends with his wife kind of has me at a disadvantage - she knows me rather too well, I fear so he knows these things by proxy!

Apparently Richard Dawkins and friends have termed this kind of information-sharing phenomenon a ‘meme’ - it’s a word they created when talking about social evolution theory to describe a ‘pocket of information’ passed between generations. Basically it’s how urban legends start, and how they stay alive (thanks Andy for educating me there!)

This should be a challenge then, and it’s been kind of amusing thinking of what bizarre and banal facts I can forage up from my ancient history. Here goes... Andy, if you’ve heard these before I’m more transparent than I thought I was!!

1. I used to be the only girl in my local scout troop. I rebelled against the knitting, elf-games, fairy-cake institution that was my local girl guide brigade ‘cause they couldn’t take the heat. So I was a scout. The boys pretty much used me as a punch bag to start with, but soon found that  I was tougher than wot I looked. And I was the only one out of all of them who had the nerve to skin a rabbit. This earned me enough respect to stop being thrown around for at least a fortnight.

2. When I started to learn violin at 6 years old, I managed to fool my teacher for nearly two years that I could read music. Actually I was just listening to the other kids play it first and then copying them note for note. I couldn’t make any sense of music. Stood me in good stead though (I can bluff my way through many a tricksy orchestral moment!)

3. I have not been sick (in the colourful way) for 17 years. Oh YEAH!! (And thus I am terrified of it. My mother claims that if I get pregnant morning sickness will be my nemesis. I rebuke this!!!)

4. I talk to my bike. His name is Hercules (pronounced ‘Er -cule’ the French way). I know. I am probably certifiably demented. So sue me. We have great adventures.

5. There are a couple of pieces of music with direct unlimited access to my tear ducts. If I tell you what they are you must never use them against me (it’s as criminal as taking advantage of knowing where to poke me to make me squeak). ‘Gnossienne No. 7’ for piano by Eric Satie, and ‘I Want You’ by Bob Dylan. Strangely at total opposite ends of a musical spectrum, but both have the same effect.

It’s funny - thinking of just 5 things that someone doesn’t know about me has made me think how much fun it is when you’re making friends with someone and you start to find out quirky things about them. It’s a real privilege to be allowed to know stuff about people. There are things about me that I share with ease, there are things that only my closest friends know, and there are things that I’m saving to tell whoever my husband ends up being. People are complex and exciting, hey?!