Under the Dryer

Saturday 6 May

"You'll never guess what we were talking about at the hairdressers just now!" I exclaimed to my husband Neil as I came through the door.

"Daleks?" He ventured.

"How did you guess?"

Now, although I am a lady of a certain age, I'm really not that interested in the sorts of things women are supposed to obsess about: spas, facials, manicures and all other sorts of female pampering leave me cold.  But even I need to get my hair cut occasionally (three times a year, whether I need it or not.)

So there I was, casually listening to my stylist chatting about what her partner was likely to be making in his shed whilst she was working, when my ears suddenly pricked up as she said: "I've got a life size Dalek in my spare room that he made."

"Me too" I replied, "but mine's inflatable."

So I related the tale of Derek the Departmental Dalek, and she told me about Darren the Dalek, who was back home after being loaned to Aylesbury Museum. Her partner, Neal, had built him after a friend bet him £20 that he wouldn't be able to make one.  It's made of plywood and fibreglass and can even talk, nod and light up.

I now have Dalek envy.  But you have to admit it's a lot more interesting than "where are you going for your holidays?"