To think the husband should have intervened?

[annabanana84]

Dp and I were in a pub restaurant last night having a meal to 'celebrate' his late sisters birthday. We were both extremely close to her, and although she's gone, we wanted to Mark the occasion.

Two tables away from us sat a lady and a man. They were in their sixties I would say, and I'd say the lady may have had a very mild learning disability, but the man not.

Soon as we sat down, the lady came over and sat with us the whole two hours we were there telling us all about her love of football and her life story. We couldn't tell her to leave us be, as that's just the meanest thing to do, but the husband never said a word the whole time, apart from in the middle of the meal acknowledged a story the woman was telling us about their wedding. I thought he could at least ask his wife to sit back at their own table, and dp and I obviously couldn't have our own private conversation.

It's not tricky at all. You simply say "It's been nice to chat but now we'd like to be alone...enjoy your meal." and turn away.

Helltotheno I do spell it out to her, as I said in my post. things like 'Right, I'd better go now' are surely me stating my case explicitly but gently? Unless you have any other suggestions, which I'd be interested to hear?

I had this on a train to London recently - a man sat next to me and I think he may have had a mild learning disability but just would not stop talking to me and was nonplussed by my nice, "Lovely! Erm, yes, just going to read my book now ..."

YANBU.

Why would he control his wife's movements and interactions. Surely its up to you to move the conversation on and politely get her to leave you alone if that's what you wanted. Maybe he thought you where happy enough to talk with her.