The visitors are coming!
With Prince Harry and Meghan making the trip to our fair isle next month, it got us thinking about what used to happen when our parents had guests.
Nothing strikes fear into the heart of the Irish Mammy like people coming for a visit.
Here's The Lift's 'Things your parents do when they have visitors':
1. 'Good' biscuits make an appearance
All year long there's only digestives and custard creams to go with our tea and then the visitors come.
Our parents splash out on 'good' biscuits, which is anything covered in chocolate really.
Apart from Christmas, it's the only time the Irish Mammy buys a tin of Jacob's USA Assorted biscuits...or even better, a tin of Afternoon Tea!
2. The cleaning goes on for days
Out comes the hoover, the mop, the bleach, the disinfectant and the Marigolds.
Items are cleaned that were never cleaned before. The car and the dog probably get washed too.
We're usually roped in to help, i.e., do it all!
3. The bathroom looks like a hotel bathroom
Where did that fancy soap come from? That's not the usual toilet paper we use!
Our parents like to pretend we live a life of luxury so the sandpaper loo roll disappears and out comes the 3-ply.
Also in the bathroom are new towels and potpourri. Hyacinth Bucket, how are ya!
4. We're told to put on our best clothes
Just like Christmas, we have to dress up in the 'good clothes' no matter who's coming to visit.
It could be our mother's second cousin once removed but out come the glad rags, ironed to within an inch of their life.
Then, we usually have to entertain the visitors (who we don't know) while our parents prepare the food. Torture!
