All aboard

Sometimes, even with a sense of humour and a stoic belief in public transport, travelling by train becomes a trial rather than a joy.

I joined a crowded compartment and saw, with unabashed amazement, that three of the seats had been bagged by a family of a young mother, her huge dog sitting upright on the seat next to her, slobbering and occasionally whining,  and a completely misbehaved child named Bradley.

Bradley didn't actually occupy his seat - he spent all the time running up and down the centre aisle having fights with imaginary assailants, and yelling "No!" whenever his mother weakly pleaded with him to be a good boy and sit down.

After a while, she gave this up started flicking through a magazine, while Bradley became even more boisterous and assertive.

It was hard not to fast-forward to him starting school, and the unenviable task facing his early years teacher in trying to establish appropriate behavioural boundaries against such an apparent absence in his formative years. And that's not even starting to consider the teaching role, or the presence of perhaps 30 other reception children.

Meanwhile, the dog continued to slobber, sitting and swaying gently on the train seat.

Genes reunited

Researching family history always bring with it the danger of unearthing a swinging skeleton in the cupboard. But sometimes the shock can be even greater, with enormous personal consequences.

I met a man in his early 60s this week whose wife had used the internet to reach back into both her family history, and also her husband's. As part of this she applied for a full copy of her husband's birth certificate, as he only had the abbreviated version. When it arrived he discovered that he had been adopted when 6 weeks old. His adoptive parents - both now dead - had never mentioned this.

Fortunately, the outcome has been almost entirely positive for him. He appears an emotionally secure man who has done well in life, and was able to take the shock with a great deal of equanimity. And he has made contact with brothers and sisters and an aunt that he had not previously realised he had.

It could have turned out very differently if he had been much younger and inexperienced, or a less stable or successful person.