Been for a few meals out recently, they do lay us open to a bit of public scrutiny, don't they!

What normally happens inside our homes, round the kitchen table, on a tray in front of the telly suddenly gets the full glare of under the spotlight amongst others!

As a boy we nearly always went to Brid or Scarborough or along that Yorkshire Coast for our holiday. Last weekend we found ourselves in Cafe Fish, an unassuming little restaurant in Scarborough.

Proprietor William a Bell took our order, based on his recommendations. Next to us were four Chinese looking youngsters, probably not 25 years old. They ordered 2 1/2 lobsters & 2 full.

Before the food arrived, whilst hardly eating it, no-one spoke to each other, not at all. All four spent their hour together staring into their own phones, tapping away, to who knows who about who knows what?

But that had been the same a week or two before locally. Two 30ish year olds, had obviously had a row. Their table was 2 feet away from us, they never spoke, didn't really relish their ordered grub, staring into space, no eye contact, almost no conversation. It was quite odd (well funny too, go on) to experience!

But we've also been to Spain for a few days too. You can exist almost entirely in an ex pat bubble in Spain. But we've done a few language classes & have a bash at it.

Don Isabel as an unpretentious cheap (€9 all in) menu del dia place, usually packed from about 2pm with English, people in suits, lorry drivers, Spanish families, weddings & funerals. A foursome of Brits were again only a few feet away.

Diego runs it well, flitting between the bar, the kitchen & guests. One of the quartet was adamant she didn't want the set menu chips & told the no English at all young waiter. "No chipolatas" she insisted. He went to get the lady waitress who spoke a bit of English.

"No chipolatas" our neighbour beseeched the new waitress. But still no progress! Diego arrives, "No chipolatas", the lady's near enough shouting now. Diego then twigged, no patatas fritas!

We've all got our ways, but in public, others get to be witnesses to them!