It's not a great photo, the auto-set colour isn't quite right and reflections in the mirror make it a little odd.  But none of that matters.  This is how I spent my inheritance - the £250 that was my share of the money left over after after we settled Mum's affairs.

Storm Callum (almost named after one of my brothers) showed me that my ten year old waterproof jacket was waterproof no longer, and, having re-proofed it a couple of times already, I decided maybe it was time for something new.

The new coat is almost knee-length, a deliberate choice, since nowadays I don't have a car and need something to keep me dry when walking - wet drip lines across skirts or trousers are not good!  It is also the most amazing deep azure-cum-turquoise colour, which I absolutely love.  And the design is such that it has a lightweight quilted inner that can be worn separately if desired.

The clincher though, was the name!  This is the 'Dunoon 3-in-1 Jacket' and the colour is 'Loch Blue'.

Among my precious and happy memories from childhood is a day trip to Dunoon when I would have been about 10.  I can remember getting the train from Glasgow Central Station and the ferry over to Dunoon.  I remember a children's ride in the form of ladybirds.  Somewhere, buried in a box, there may still be a surviving back-and-white photo of that day.  But even if the photo is lost, the memory survives.

So, I hope my ludicrously expensive coat lasts as long as the one it replaces (in which case it will be good value for money).  And when I pull it on, at least sometimes, I will remember and be glad.

Whenever this story is told, it will be done in memory of her...