Bring back hat-raising

I was walking down the Devon lanes last Thursday when an elderly gentleman raised his hat to me.

I was so delighted! It made my day. I smiled through the rest of the walk. (Even more than usual.) Then I spotted a glimpse of purple in the hedgerow. Surely not a violet? No, but a very pretty cyclamen.

The hat raising is a small gesture and sadly very outdated but such lovely manners make a woman feel ... womanly. It's not sexism or anything to do with class: I expect politeness from both sexes and I don't intend to tug my forelock to my betters. It's just that manners add a little bit extra that make the world the nicer place.