A Previously Undisclosed Sporting Achievement

Mr PippaD and I had been out for a walk. We walked past where, as a child, he would collect conkers and, seeing as we live within about half a mile of where he grew up, it was also where our children collected conkers.

We started talking about conkers and he asked if I'd ever played when I was younger.

“Not much,” I said. “But I was in the conker championships.”

There was a pause.

And I could see him trying to work out if I was serious.

“Is this where you tell me that you were the undefeated under-15 Leighton Buzzard conker champion for four years or something?”

We carried on walking down the hill towards our house.

I kept silent.

Mr PippaD said, “It's always weird, isn't it? We've been married for 25 years, and we're still finding out new things about each other!”

I continued being quiet.

Reader, I have never been the under-15 Leighton Buzzard conker champion.

I have never competed in the Leighton Buzzard conker championships.

I don't even know if there are Leighton Buzzard conker championships.

But here's the thing.

Mr PippaD and I have been married for 25 years. We've known each other even longer. He knows an enormous amount about me.

And yet apparently there are still enough unexpected bits of Pippa lore knocking around that when I casually reveal I was once a competitive conker player, he can't immediately dismiss it.

There is still a tiny possibility that he's about to discover an entirely new chapter of my life.

Which is rather lovely, really.

Although perhaps less lovely when the new chapter is completely made up.

I wonder what else I can convince him I've done.