The TV was on in the bar but the sound was off. It was the perfect opportunity to show off my knowledge of mid-century historical dramas filmed in technicolour. I took full advantage.

I explained that the gilded carriage was – in theory at least – simply transporting the fairy tale king around the land. His people were waving banners and cheering.  But all was not well. The camera zoomed in onto half a dozen eggs in a carton sitting next to the coach driver. Unbeknownst to everyone, these eggs were spreading an invisible fug of disease around the entire land and thousands were doomed.  Later a simple son of the forest will find the cure and marry the king’s daughter. It was a little known classic.