Eric has been drinking himself maudlin in the village pub.
“I happened to see Max putting some manure on his roses a couple of weeks ago. Now there’s nothing at all remarkable about that. And of course, no one calls him “Maxie the Muck-Spreader.”
Again: I happened to see young Tom Bullivant buying some lamb chops yesterday. I also recall seeing him buy a half shoulder of lamb a couple of months ago. I don’t go calling him “Tommy the Lamb-buyer” or “Big Lamb-Eating Tom”.
And, as we can see, Maisy the Missus has put a few cactus plants in pots round the window sills in the bar here. You don’t get people calling out after her in the street - “There goes Maisy the Cactus-Potter!”
