The sound of silence

For the first time in ages my wife and I have just spent a whole 24 hours away from the children, holed up in the luxury of the Radisson Hotel in the heart of Birmingham.

On the morning of our return as we lay on the bed staring at the ceiling I said to my wife, "just listen".

"Listen to what?" she asked as fully 10 seconds slipped away.

It was, of course, the glorious sound of silence - no one nagging "daaaaaaaaad" or "muuuuuuuuuum", no one asking for a fiver, no one demanding juice or crisps. Bliss.

But still we missed their moaning and whining, their funny asides and their cheek, and could never spend too long away from them - bless 'em.