Many years ago, I went to stay with my best friend who was at university in Newcastle, to help her celebrate her 18th birthday. I remember on the morning of her birthday, we were sitting on her grotty student sofa, drinking tea and eating fried eggs, when there was a knock at the door. My friend looked worried and thought it might be her 'horrible' landlord. She reluctantly opened the door, but standing there on the doorstep was a lovely smiley lady from a florists in Newcastle holding a huge bouquet of stunning flowers. The look of absolute joy on my friend's face was lovely to see, and I remember feeling a tad envious - no-one (apart from my Dad) had ever sent me flowers. How very grown-up I thought.
A couple of years later, with still no flowers coming my way, I was sitting at my desk on the 9th floor, and playing Solitaire on my computer, when I heard the lift, which was directly in front of me, go ‘ping’ and the doors opened. I looked up and clocked that it was a man from a florists in Fulham with an impressive bunch of flowers, but thought nothing of it and presumed they were for my glamorous boss. My boss also thought they were for her and bounded up to the man and grabbed the flowers from him and squealed ‘Oh how lovely!’ She ordered that I get her a vase, and then waltzed off with them into her office and shut the door. I was just finishing up my game of Solitaire when my boss re-emerged from her office holding the flowers. She skulked up to my desk, slammed them down in front of me and said: ‘They’re for you’. The rest of the office cheered and clapped, and I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. That was the first and last time my partner sent me flowers.The next time that I received flowers, the florists in Gloucester (which is where we were now living) turned up on my doorstep about five times – each time with a different bouquet or flower gift from well-meaning friends and relatives. We had just had our first baby, and our house was filled to the brim with all sorts of floral displays, and the house smelt wonderful. I will always remember writing a shopping list for my husband, which comprised of breast pump, nappies, Fruit Pastilles and two new vases. Happy times!
