When I was 10 and my brother Brian seven, our mother was taken very poorly with glandular fever. If you’ve ever had this horrid disease, you’ll know how it saps your energy. Dad was abroad on business when Mum fell ill, and she soon found it pretty much impossible to cope with looking after the house and two energetic young boys.
She sent out an SOS to her younger sister, our Aunt Nicky, who was a nursery nurse. Fortunately, this was during the long summer school break in the UK so my aunt agreed to come over and stay with us for a few days and help around the house until Mum felt better.