From the coach window in Ireland EH, NU and I watched fighter jets sketch vapour trails into the blue summer sky. “How do they do that?” I asked as the planes created a small shoal of vapour trail salmon for us to admire.

The next day we were in trouble with the rest of our colleagues for failing to appear at the school away day breakfast at 09:30. We had eaten much earlier because I had forgotten to pass on RK’s message about the later morning meeting.