‘Katie Hopkins? Katie Hopkins on University Challenge?’ I asked.

‘Yes’, replied HJ, ‘Representing Birmingham University’.

This was all related to me on a Scottish beach where, by complete coincidence, was gathered an array of my undergraduate friends.

Here I also learnt that SPL gave up on Elena Ferrante’s Neopolitan novels after 22 pages, and that GG was fighting a disciplinary action that had been imposed on him by his headmaster.