Release your inner geek!

Our older son is back home at the moment but a move is imminent, so he has been having a bit of a clear-out. In the depths of what used to be the 'toy cupbard' (a long time ago, I should add, since he is now 23) he has unearthed boxes and boxes - and boxes and boxes - of Warhammer 40000 models and ephemera. This is a tabletop miniature wargame set in a dystopian science-fantasy universe. It involves building teeny figures and painting them to create various armies of fabulous creatures and then battling them in line with complicated rules, all set out in various codexes and dependent on the role of a dice. It is, apparently, great fun, if a little expensive. Over the years, we must have spent hundreds of pounds in Games Workshop.

Chatting with some of his friends about his impending disposal of his brave soldiers, they decided to get together for one last battle for old time's sake. Somewhat predictably he is now reconsidering his decision to get rid of all his stuff. Not only that, but when I came home from teaching last night he and his younger brother (who is also old enough to know better) were sprawled on the floor in deep concentration, gluing and painting Citadel Miniatures, bless 'em.

A change of plan means that they have decided to get rid of some models, but to keep others. They do, after all, have some young cousins who might be interested in playing at some point.

I'm secretly quite pleased about this development. There is plenty of time to be a boring grown-up, and it's really important that we hold on to our inner child and have something in our lives to be passionate about. 'Put away childish things'? I don't think so; not yet, anyway.