My generation grew up when the handshake was the norm. When my father was in hospital just before he died of cancer he made the point of saying a fond farewell asking me to take care of my frail mother. His parting gesture was to shake my hand. He was a loving father for whom I had great affection. He supported me totally but never once was there the remotest chance that we would greet each other with a hug.

At Christmas gatherings there could be as many as 20 family members present. I never saw anyone hug someone. It was always a handshake. This did have its benefits. My uncle would always say goodbye to me and my brother with a handshake that passed a half crown to us both. We always looked forward to shaking his hand. It is a technique I have carried on with my grandsons but the amount of money has had to increase dramatically.

The result of this upbringing is that I have never felt the urge to hug people. As the years have passed I have gained a reputation for being a hands off person. I may well have hugged my children when they were young but that probably stopped by the time they were teenagers.

Today, giving people a hug as a greeting is commonplace. In the recent TV programme Clive Myrie greeted everyone in the West Indies with a hug. Encouraged by my family and friends I have gradually learnt the art of giving people a hug as a greeting. It came very naturally with my daughter but I have yet to hug my son. Rather like me, he is reserved when it comes to such outward shows of affection.

Not giving people a hug has not stopped me loving those nearest and dearest to me. My patient other half has worked on my reluctance to hug people rather than just pat them on the back. This particular habit she was most unhappy about. Close friends of ours are full-on huggers. When I am with them I fully enter into the hugging ritual. Family members have made light-hearted fun of my stand-off behaviour.

My life has been very full of sporting activities having played in many sports teams for well over a half of a century. Today when a player scores a goal he can expect ten of his team to rush to give him a bear hug. In my playing days the most you could expect was a pat on the back at the end of the game.

Today I hug my family, especially my youngest grandsons who always greet me with a hug and another when they leave. This old dinosaur is slowly adapting to the new way that society relates to one another. It still requires an effort as it does not come naturally. There is now just a chance that this eccentric old man will adjust to modern life and hug.