We are amid all the advertisements for valentine’s day. I’m pretty used to the romantic products going into overdrive – the perfume houses who justifiably sve their marketing budget for Christmas and Valentine’s day. What has surprised me this year are the number of other more mundane stores who have jumped on the band wagon. These range from my local decorating store – suggesting my valentine would love me even more if I spruce up my house . . . . . to the various supermarkets who have decided to bombard me with ads. I realise they’ve had a seriously bad year for shops going to the wall – caused in great part by footfall not being steady. But Easter is late this year and they’ve sought to fill the yawning gap in the advertising year between Christmas and Easter, by going bonkers over Valentine’s day. I don’t mind at all if Mr. Valentine buys me an additional bottle of my favourite scent – no objections at all there!