Happy Birthday The Doopster

Fifteen years ago today, the youngest of our clan was thrust into an unsuspecting world. TheDoopster (not her real name) has always seemed to me to be a little... different - but I mean that in a good way. She's pretty quiet and doesn't give a lot of herself away - "emotionally retarded" is how MrsRobster rather amusingly (though somewhat accurately) describes her. She is, however, frequently hilarious and silly. She also has a quite amazing knowledge of animals and space, though sadly not animals in space...

In terms of music, Doopster has never expressed a particular preference for any type of music, though she has long been a Lily Allen fan. She loves playing music herself though, having been playing the clarinet since primary school and over the last 12 months has taught herself to play piano. Her mum used to borrow her iPod to listen to music as she walked to work. She (MrsRobster) loaded a bunch of albums onto it and Doopster subsequently inherited them.

Unsurprisingly, one of her faves had an animal link to it - Cold Black Kitty by Pete & The Pirates. It featured on the band's second and final album 'One Thousand Pictures'. A good choice. What was unexpected was her most listened-to track, Emmy The Great's Paper Forest. When I asked her what she liked so much about it, she just gave me a wordless shrug as she so often does when you want her to reveal something about herself!

She's an enigma, our youngest. I still haven't quite worked her out in 15 years. Still, plenty of time and at least she has taste. Penblwydd Hapus, Doop!


Soundtrack:

• Cold Black Kitty - Pete & The Pirates (from 'One Thousand Pictures')
• Paper Forest (In The Afterglow Of Rapture) - Emmy The Great (from 'Virtue')