Who’s who in ‘Notes to my Mother-in-Law’

The copyright of all the pictures in this piece is retained by the illustrator Phyllida Law © 2009

Annie. Otherwise known as ‘Gran.’ Phyllida’s mother-in-law. She is forced to move in after her daughter, whom she had lived with previously, absconds to Cornwall with ‘a beautiful young man.’  Has been getting increasingly ‘Mutt and Jeff’ of late.

Phyllida. Annie’s daughter-in-law. The author of the notes to Annie that explain what’s going on, and the author (and illustrator) of the book.

Mother. Phyllida’s mother. Has changed to enamel pots because she thinks aluminium pots create poisonous chemicals, and ‘that’s what’s the matter with uncle Arthur.’

Uncle Arthur.  Doesn’t like All Bran. Keeps a hammer in his bedroom to smash his pills into little bits.

Dad. Phyllida’s husband and Annie’s son. Likes to go golfing. Also known as Eric Thompson, writer and narrator of the Magic Roundabout.

Granny. Phyllida’s maternal grandmother. A ‘frightful bigot.’ She used to wear black garters on her green bloomers – ‘an unfortunate green, that seemed to glow in the dark.’

Mr Parnes. Responsible for the hearing aid that Annie has to have fitted, much to her discomfort. Ex-RAF.

Mrs Keith. An elderly friend of the family. Mrs Keith was like something ‘out of Dickens.’ When a bizarre foreign bird arrives in her husband’s warehouse, she knits it a woolen body stocking.

Boot. The cat. Is sick quite a lot. Especially when over indulging on spiders.

Emma and Sophie. Phyllida’s two children.

To find out more about Phyllida’s fasinating family life, why not read this article on the Guardian website.