We know relationships are about give and take | Blaise Tapp

The long-suffering Mrs Tapp and I are coming up to our 24th wedding anniversary, which is more of a testament to her remarkable levels of patience than my services to domestic harmony.

In an age when some folk lose themselves in nonsense such as living their best lives, while scrupulously chronicling even the most trivial of events on social media, the most content people I know are those who take life in their stride, take the good with the bad and very rarely sweat the small stuff.

As much as I might profess to aspire to be like these cool cats, it ain’t ever going to happen as high drama has always interested me far more than quiet reflection has.

Although it would be a stretch for me to claim that I have mellowed with age, the passing of time has provided me with a great deal of context which I can compare my woes to – especially the trivial ones.

Perhaps the most amusing recent example of unreasonable behaviour was the confession that a hacked-off wife posted on that ultimate portal into 21st-century life, Mumsnet.

The anonymous author admitted that she was so frustrated with her husband’s reluctance to return the toilet seat to its correct flat position, that she had decided to pour away some of his beer every time he left the seat upright.

The exasperated mum said she had simply run out of options, especially as he ignored the written reminders that she helpfully left for him on the toilet.

It might surprise you to learn that I am on ‘Team Mum’ as I cannot believe that any grown man would risk being sent to the dog house for refusing to reinstate the loo seat to its rightful position.

If you’re under fire for breaching basic bathroom etiquette then there is very little chance you get away with much else.

However, her reaction is certainly extreme but gives hope to millions of others who may worry about a lack of give and take in their own relationships.