Falling in love takes time. Whether it’s after-work drinks or late night whispered conversations from bed, the spinning of the spiderweb takes up space in and amongst normal life. So as a single mum with barely enough room for a regular haircut, where am I meant to find the time for love?

I am beginning to worry that confidence just isn’t for me, in the same way I’ve never suited a fringe. I’ve had a few runs at fringes — curly, straight, long, short — but one way or another, I’ve always had to grow them out to avoid looking like a Padovana chicken. Maybe feeling confident is the same for some folks: a nice daydream, but an unlikely conclusion.

Emergencies have very rarely come up for me as a single parent, but when they do… it’s chaos. Usually there is at least one other person to panic with you. Another adult human who can mop at flooding water with tea towels, or remove glass from your foot with tweezers, or hold the end of a collapsing shelf until you can remove all the glassware. When you’re on your own, however, it’s fully-fledged chaos.

At an age where most women are starting to fade into the background, Melanie Dale is doing just the opposite. Her bright, haute-couture style outfits are all styled from thrift and second-hand clothing, sewn and updated by Melanie herself. It’s part Clueless, part Patsy Stone, and almost always finished with a pair of towering heels and a hat. Newly diagnosed with ADHD and autism, Melanie treats her clothing like a suit of armour. I found out why.