I needed to back in Edinburgh by Friday for meetings at work in the morning, and an evening Beatnik party. My sister J arranged to drop me off at the station on the beach by the Arsenal ground on her way into town to pick up her breast implants (for the operation scheduled for the next week).

Unfortunately I had jumped into the car without any of my bags. There was no way I could catch the train. I didn’t even have money for a ticket. I was stranded down south with no hope of getting home in time for the party (never mind the meetings).