My Dad And The Toad In His Shoe

It was 2011 and I had driven up from Norfolk to Nottinghamshire to see my mum and dad. Not long after I arrived, my dad took me to one side. “TOM, CAN I HAVE A WORD?” he said.

When my dad says, “TOM, CAN I HAVE A WORD?” it usually means one of three things: a) he’s about to ask me if I’ve completed my tax return, b) he wants to know if I’ve got my car re…