I had never seen a dining table so beautifully laid out. Two tables had been brought together in a T shape to accommodate about fifteen people in the oak panelled dining room. The table cloth was starched brilliant white to show off the antique blue and white porcelain. At each setting sat a lovely vase of fresh daffodils.

I came up with a plan for the flautist who needed to leave early.

‘Don’t worry’, I said. ‘I’ll pop you at the end of the table. If I leave a lump of cotton wool next to your setting, you’ll easily spot your place’.