Backstory: My mum believes in breaking bad news gently. Preferably after a short movie review, and a precis of what she’s about to watch on television.

Hi,

Hope you and Simon are welll and had a good weekend. We went to see Star Trek yesterday and enjoyed it though Dad didn’t think it deserved 5 stars and the time travel didn’t survive close inspection! Grandma was taken into hospital on Friday with a mild heart attack and is being keep in for a few more days for tests and things so I sent her a card from us all to wish her well. We are looking forward to watching 1066 tonight, a no-holds barred account of that year from the point of view of the ‘foot soldiers’. Much gore and blood curdling. Hurrah!

Mum x