My young charge and I ran a cosmetics counter in a department store. Customers were few so we enjoyed a lot of free time to get to know each other and – eventually – fall in love, despite our 36 year age gap.

I was determined that he not waste his life as a shop assistant so when AB came to visit (slim, in her black and white spotted conference dress), I invited her to sit on the bed with us and discuss university entry requirements. I knew that her son was about the same age as my young man so she would know all about the processes of making an application for higher education.

When AB told us that her son scored all A*s in his A levels, my young man looked despondent. It became evident that there was good reason for his choice of employment as a shop assistant.