My parents’ house was so vast that it was hard to keep track of all the family members and visitors staying there.

One morning I was appalled to find a tramp asleep under a brand new duvet in one of the bedrooms in my suite. Then downstairs I discovered a gang of academic staff from Robert Gordon University watching a video of the University of Edinburgh graduation ceremony. Most surprising of all, my youngest sister was at home in a bedroom that was almost tidy.

SM was also in residence, wandering the corridors in a formal outfit that confused everyone. Was he the butler or simply formally dressed (super-early) for dinner? When he asked my opinion of the latest interview with Michel Barnier, I lied that I had slept through it. I was too ashamed to admit that I hadn’t followed a word of the discussion.