Sam waited outside the fishing tackle shop until it opened, as he wanted to buy a book of tide timetables. I sat on a nearby seat in Union Street and looked after the bags of shopping. Presently a middle-aged lady came along and the conversation went something like this:

Lady: “I’m not being funny or anything, but do you mind if I sit down here as well?”

Me: “Sure, help yourself.”

She perched on the edge of the bench, as far away from me as she could manage. It wasn’t long before she piped up again.

Lady: “Do you live on the Island?”

Me: “No, but we come here many times throughout the year. We’re thinking of moving here when my husband retires.”

Lady: “Don’t. I live here, and it’s boring. Where is there to go? Once you’ve been around it there’s nothing else.”

I felt quite angry at this statement. Sam and I have had nothing but good memories from our years of staying on the Island. There is so much to see and do, and even after nearly 20 years of coming here we still haven’t seen everything. My philosophy is that life is what you make it. If you sit indoors moaning and whining that you’re bored, then you deserve to be.

This woman then went on to moan and complain about life in general whilst using me as a sounding board. In the end I grabbed the bags of shopping, then stood up and walked over to fishing tackle shop and waited for Sam to come out! She sat on the bench and waited patiently for her next victim.