We have been looking to replace a small settee in our front room for some time. I had it as a sofa bed many years ago and it has done sterling service over the years. We no longer need to use it to accommodate overnight guests but it sits in the window and it’s my favourite spot for having lunch, reading the newspaper, lounging around. However it’s dark navy cover has faded to a sort of RAF blue, the cushions are distorted and a bit lumpy and tend to sink into the bed part, but it would do someone for a few years yet if they needed it… a nice throw, some jolly cushions, yes it would be fine.
However, for us – especially when I have my writing groups, it has long past its retirement age. We have been looking round for a replacement for a good while now… we can’t afford anything too expensive and I had clear ideas what I wanted – legs, slim arms, not too tall, not too deep, plain… We have seen plenty, sat on plenty, but no luck.
Today we were in a shop looking for a tray – a tea-tray with sides rather than a curving up edge. We were wandering around and then there was a settee! Right looking size, right shape, grey, comfortable… perfect! It might be a tight fit though… we borrowed an assistants tape measure which wasn’t quite long enough and worked out that it would probably fit in he space we had… but then we couldn’t quite remember what size the space was.
We went home and my husband measured the settee with his measure which was long enough and we set off back to the shop. The settee hadn’t been sold in or absence so husband whips out his measure and checks how long it is.
“How long is our settee at home?” he asked.
Our reply was we weren’t sure, he had done the measuring, we thought he’d jotted it down… He hadn’t… Had we? No…
In the end he drove home and measured it again, then rang us to say yes it would fit, so we bought it and sat on it waiting for him to return.
“Oh look, there’s Taz from the quiz!” and there was Taz,wandering around, looking at things.
“Are you sure it’s Taz? I’m not sure it is… is it? His hair looks different? Is it Taz?”
You see, Taz is a fellow quizzer at the pub, but he sits at the bar with his team, so we only ever see the back of him, or his face looking over his shoulder at us. Or if I go to the bar for a drink, I only see him in profile as we chat to each other….
So was it Taz? We don’t know – we’ll ask him next quiz night… oh and the settee is being delivered next Monday… I hope it fits…
Lois Elsden 