It was the day of my big performance. It didn’t go quite as anticipated. Granted, my father kept his promise not to heckle me. Instead he did much worse by interrupting the vote of thanks with farmyard noises. The speaker at the front the room glared at him, then at me. I knew that she held me responsible. However, she was on shaky ground herself. What had given one of the most senior members of staff of the University the idea that smoking at an inaugural professorial lecture was acceptable behaviour?