YODEL-AY-EEE!

Her husband's new hobby had Mary wanting to take to the hills

- Amanda Batham

What on earth are you watching?'

Mary peered over her husband’s shoulder. A YouTube video was playing on his computer screen and Brad Pitt and Jimmy Fallon were making strange noises at each other across the rooftops of New York.

‘I've decided to take up yodelling,’ Jim announced, looking up at his wife.

‘Whatever for?’

‘New challenges. And I’ve got plenty of time, now I’m retired. They say it’s incredibly beneficial for your mental and physical wellbeing.’

‘What about my mental and physical wellbeing?’ Mary raised her eyebrows. ‘You'll be buying a banjo next, and wearing lederhosen.’

‘Yodelling isn’t just for hillbillies and alpenhorn types, you know. It’s actually very on-trend.’

‘I imagine Brad Pitt could make most things look on-trend. Even yodelling.’ Mary walked into the kitchen and switched on the kettle.

Jim followed her. ‘I’ll have you know, yodelling is a respected music form. It influenced the composer Richard Strauss and, apparently, Céline Dion uses it to great effect.’

Mary passed Jim a mug of tea. ‘You're hardly likely to be duetting with Céline or performing in a Strauss opera, are you, darling?’

Jim tutted. ‘Now you're just being facetious.’

Mary shrugged. ‘But what’s the point of it?’

‘The point of it, my dear, is to top up the old white matter.’ Jim pointed at his head. ‘Practising a new skill encourages new neurons to form and speeds up electrical impulses in the brain.’

‘Couldn’t you speed up your electrical impulses by learning a language or woodcarving?’

Jim folded his arms. ‘I’ll not discuss it with you if you're going to mock.’

Mary reached over and patted Jim’s arm. ‘You take up your yodelling if you must. I can’t see it lasting long. I doubt your vocal cords are up to it.’

‘Yodel-ay-eee! Yodel-ay-ooooh! Little old lay-deee-ooo!’