At the start there were four of us – two in Edinburgh, one in the Borders and one in Luxembourg – who have known each other for so long that it’s hard to remember a time when we didn’t know each other.

We pride ourselves on not being any taller than when we first met, and even then we brought out the silliest and most childish of each of us.

Then a Scottish couple who live in New York joined us every Wednesday and, to be honest, things didn’t move forward until later. But that’s what we all needed to get through the long, boring weeks when the thought of sitting around a table with six people was dreaming.

Anyway, fast forward to the start of this week and due to a perfect storm the lady from Luxembourg and one of the guys from the Big Apple were in Edinburgh.

The Borders chappie hopped on a bus and we all gathered for lunch in Howies.

As Meatloaf didn’t, singing five out of six isn’t bad. But we called the missing and I’m sure he enjoyed hearing the laughter as he sat in his office.

And speaking of laughing, even looking for something to make you giggle, the Leith Comedy Festival can finally host its first event on October 14.

There are three great comedians playing at The Biscuit Factory. I recently saw Amy Matthews host the BBC’s New Comedians Show at The Monkey Barrel and I highly recommend her, and she will be joined by Christopher Macarthur-Boyd and Billy Kirkwood.

So there you have it – I can’t invite you to join our weekly Zoom and I don’t know if our humor would appeal to many, so go support those who make people laugh for a living.

It had been a long time since they had been able to do so.