Just some things I noticed, during my breast clinic-breast assessment unit-breast clinic series of waits on Tuesday.

- An older woman was struggling to understand what the receptionist was telling her. A very-poorly looking woman got up and went over to help explain.

- Three men were in the waiting room with their partners: one of them had a dragon tattoo on his forearm.

- When you’re worried, it becomes difficult to answer even the simplest questions, like what your postcode is, and the name of your GP. A receptionist who understands this, and smiles, makes all the difference. Well done that woman.

- Some people have a natural serenity, and it’s almost impossible not to look at those people, even if all they are doing is sitting, waiting, still.

- Sad, dog-eared, two-year-old magazines are worse than no magazines at all. Everyone knows this. People pick up a magazine, flick, get to an article about how in love Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are/what a great Dr Who Matt Smith is going to be/how exciting it is that London will be hosting the Olympics 4 years from now, and they put the magazine down with a gesture that says, so, I’m now stepping into a world where even the TV news is confusing.

- You can tell how often people have sat in a waiting room by how well prepared they are. Alan and I had coffee from the coffee van outside, books, knitting. (One of us had knitting, anyway.)

- I’m not sure that a noticeboard full of posters about cancer/coping with cancer/cancer support groups is a good idea in a room where people might be about to be be told that there’s nothing wrong with them. After all, they may simply have the gift of natural lumpiness, and it seems a shame to worry them unduly.