The day that I made the round trip by car to Manchester to fix JC’s blinds I discovered that TPR had made the same trip the day before and had another planned for the next. He claimed that these visits were related to his doctoral studies. I was not so sure.

Meanwhile we needed to identify the examiners for his thesis. I started to do so in the company of my colleagues. Some of the most unsuitable candidates tried to put themselves forwards. In the end I decided on AL, but I needed to get his permission for the formal documentation. Where was he?

I eventually found AL in the ‘field’ with Jim from Engineering. The ‘field’ was an open space where the civil engineering students could practise skills such as the laying of culverts. As soon as AL assented to my request I set off on my long, dangerous journey by foot to Inverness.

Progress was slow through ancient haunted tunnels and over decrepit Victorian railway embankments. After several painful hours of walking alone I came across a group of people south of Perth and asked how much further it was to Pitlochry. They told me that I had at least another eighteen miles to cover and, of course, Inverness was even further still. My new friends ushered me into a bus shelter and persuaded me to travel the rest of the journey by coach.