[Alistair]

Unfortunately, I come from a straight laced family which just isn't going to understand idollatry. I'm not even going to try. I live in a marrow-minded, extremely determined, "my way or the highway" world, with religious extremism as the fuel. That's just the way things are.

The incident which led me to start this thread still leaves me a bit spooked. The girls and associated clothing are needing a damn good sort-out; what the Germans would call an Appell. I had been planning to do this on my day off, but for various reasons did not get round to starting.

Then the 'phone rang and relatives announced that they'd be dropping by in five minutes time. These people live abroad. I didn't even know that they were in the country.

So, they duly arrived and released their feral teenagers into my house with explore-at-will permissions. However, because the doll hide had not been unlocked, they would not have been able to open it, even if they'd found it.

I think the bottom line is that as part of the drill when opening the hide I take the 'phone off the hook; either that or I tell my family to go to Hell.