Swanning about sans enfant ...

I have spent the afternoon 'swanning' around Harrogate sans enfant.

There I said it!

I should be pelted in the village square.

We don't have a village square but if we did it would have stocks and an abundance of overripe tomatoes.

Twas great. I went with my sister to get her belated birthday present. We spent a blissful 45 minutes in Habitat. I stroked towels and considered buying a soft red flannel just because it felt nice and then remembered that we have 50 flannels at home.

We sniffed candles which were labelled with the following descriptions; croissants, moss, freshly cut grass, sparkling water and my favourite ... fresh air. Much giggling ensued.

I watched calmly as a small child, not dissimilar in age to my own boy, ran round the glassware section with a Pizza Express balloon screaming 'You can't catch me' to his mother who looked like she was about to pass out or have heart failure.

We had lunch in Caffè Nero on our own. No sharing, no shouting and no shrieking.

The teenagers next to us chatted over their coffee and muffins with their thick black lashes, long floaty hair and Juicy Couture handbags. I can't remember having enough pocket money to buy coffee and muffins, let alone a Juicy Couture handbag when I was a teenager!

We looked in Cath Kidston at things that we would like to buy but thought were too expensive.

We looked in Lakeland and Peter Matturi at silicon cake moulds.

We mooched in Waterstones and I took advantage of a BOGOF in the children's section and purchased several books for the present cupboard.

I bought cheaper than cheap tops for the children in H&M.

Swanning about in Harrogate was a breath of fresh air, but it didn't smell like the candle in Habitat.