I have a really good pal who’s wife is from ‘up north’. This is fine, she used to be a lovely friendly, person with whom I would spend a good couple of hours chatting and exchanging notes about the lovely cottages we’d stayed at for our respective holidays. Our families always tried different parts of the UK tried out the recommendation of the other. Since she got in with a new set of colleagues at the home counties university she’s worked at for years, things have taken an elevated turn. I am no loner in the chat zone and she doesn’t like holidays anywhere in UK or on the med. Cottage holidays now so yesterday, she has taken to insisting on going to the Alps twice a year. The winter break in March (not so snowy but still acceptable) and September for the sun filled Alpine beauty. Social mountaineering indeed.