We’d waited two hours at Digbeth coach station in Birmingham and still the 22:00 service to Edinburgh was not ready to depart. The tannoy announced that it would now leave at 02:00. This was far too late for us, so it looked like we would have to travel north in TPR’s old black Astra GTE after all.

Just before we set off I asked the station staff what had caused the delay to the bus. I expected an explanation that would refer to the lateness of the incoming service (or similar). The actual reason was that the driver had come into work dressed in a sequinned costume with long pointy shoes. They’d been forced to send him home again because it’s against the law to drive a bus if you’re dressed as a clown.