The best way to avoid the job of painting the new staff common room was to arrive on campus dressed in a suit.

I also had a good excuse that would get me out of this unconventional academic duty: I needed to pop over to Belgium to attend a graduation ceremony with my family to collect my degree.

I therefore popped a bottle of white wine in the office fridge for the later celebrations of the redecorated room, then set off for the Channel Tunnel on my bike.