Q. As a male, what is the protocol when confronted with the noticeably bigger boobs of a platonic friend of 40 years’ standing? I have been told about them by mutual friends and will shortly be seeing them for myself when she and her husband come to stay. I usually compliment her on her appearance (because she does tend to look rather wonderful) so I feel that if I don’t refer to the boobs she may think that I think they are a mistake. On the other hand, to praise them could come across as a bit lascivious or what you might call ‘Benny Hill’. What do you advise?

– Name withheld, Penrith

A. Presumably your friend wants the additions to be admired, since why else would she have had them installed? The couple will be aware that everyone is talking about them, so wait until she and the husband are in the room together, then enthuse, in a non-pervy manner: ‘Gosh! I love the new look!’

Q. My mother is a total saint and looks after my confused and bed-bound father at home entirely on her own. She obviously needs the occasional break and leaves him in the trusty hands of a private nurse we know well. Because this is Yorkshire, she can also call on a network of reliable old friends to visit him during these short absences. The problem is that as soon as she gets back, my father manages to forget these visits occurred and moans that she left him alone with no company while she was ‘gallivanting’. Her generation is not the sort to take photos or put films of the visits online to prove they occurred. What to do?

– J.K., Leyburn, Yorkshire

A. Keep a visitors book for the friends to sign, date and even record the topics covered.

Q. With energy prices likely to remain volatile, I’m sure many older readers are increasingly relying on fires and wood-burning stoves and rediscovering long-forgotten fireplaces to heat their draughty period homes. In my own family, my parents have reopened three previously unused chimneys, which is lovely – but the smoke and particulates were alarming (even from the stoves) and dreadful for my mother’s asthma. With my father determined to burn wood (‘it’s mine and it’s free’), we reached a brilliant compromise which I thought important to share. For just over £100 we bought air purifiers for every room where there is a fire. The change was immediate. Far cheaper for your readers to purchase these and keep burning wood, rather than plug in an electric heater.

– W.B., South Yorkshire

A. Thank you for sharing this useful tip.