Sitting outdoors across the long table from me, LP argued the merits of running at least three times a week. I felt terrible because I no longer managed this. However, it was wonderful to see all the faces of the running club together again, especially LM, BM, RG and LP.

To my left my school friend ECM started pestering me. She’d brought along piles of photographs of our childhood sewing projects, but where was MSB? These pictures were for her benefit, yet she was nowhere to be seen. TPR glanced up and told us that MSB had called to say that she was on her way. Her train was due at 19:57.

An enormous cheer went up when MSB eventually joined us. She looked as fantastic as ever, dressed today in a gleaming royal blue satin gown.