TPR and I had just moved into a massive fully-furnished modern house with views across the valley. Keen for his children to enjoy a country childhood, I persuaded PC and his family to take over one of the wings.

After a few days in residence, I decided that arrangement of the rooms was not exactly to my liking. I needed a study, but rather than use a pokey bedroom at the back for my workplace, I would prefer a room with a view.

I was just about to start moving furniture around so that I could place my desk at the mezzanine window that looked over the valley at the front, when a woman in a suit stopped me in my tracks. I was to touch nothing in the house other than straighten the beds and do some light hoovering. This property was now back on the market.