One Saturday lunchtime, after a lazy morning we went out to a local bar for a light lunch and a drink before heading of to see an art exhibition which was running that weekend. As it was a damp and cold early march day I decided to wear a pair of blue jeans with a jacket and black ankle boots. I had experimented with a more natural look for my makeup and wearing just a pendant, and a pair of studs in my ears. I was similarly dressed as almost every other woman in the bar.

I grabbed a table and took charge of our coats and awaited my drink and Nachos, I was aware of a crowd of young men around 20 years old arrive, more by their loud voices than actually seeing them. I gathered they were in the area for the day intent on fun, and felt a little fed up by their noise as I read the newspaper. My other half was talking to an acquaintance at the bar seemingly forgetting me (typical male). A young woman appeared to clear the tables and as she wiped the top she said Hello in a fairly dusky deepish pleasant voice, I returned the compliment and smiled . I guessed she was in her early twenties, and, (correctly as it happened) not only that she was a few days into her real life test but also this was her first job. Predictably one of the young men with an upper class accent passed a comment about the girl and another in the group said in a voice so that all in the vicinity could hear," that’s no girl its a bloke".

The poor girl looked scared and upset so I smiled at her and turned to see the young men sniggering and passing comments about her. By this stage my normally mild mannered boy friend appeared with the drinks and sat down asking what the commotion was about, I quietly told him and in an instant he leapt to his feet and the bar hushed as his 6 foot body propelled itself to where the young man was sitting still laughing. He turned as my man addressed him and in a strong voice told them that they were pathetic overgrown children (I can't write what he actually said, dear reader so imagine!). The retort was,"I expect you fancy that sort of thing, look at your girl friend", and all eyes turned to me.

More sniggers and I thought a murder would be committed until the owner of the bar appeared and told the young men to leave the bar and not bother returning.

I returned to my drink very proud of what "My Man " had done, normally he is a really quiet mild kind of guy. Well after lunch we sat and talked with the girl, and shared experiences about being "read" and I'm pleased to say that it all worked out ok in the end, but imagine my fear as I thought of having to bail out my boy friend if he had been arrested defending the honour of another

TS. What the papers would have reported is another nightmare. As it happened I went to sleep that night thinking that I am a very lucky woman to have an old fashioned man in my life.