I visited J and GC at their new house in the US. They had relocated there for G’s job. His role now extended beyond sound production and included procurement. These days star-struck hopefuls would approach him seeking fame and fortune in a broadcast slot that he might bestow upon them. I witnessed this during my stay when a young woman demonstrated her skills at wax flower creation at our dinner table .

Whereas GC was always in demand and extremely busy at work, JC was mainly idle. She whiled her time away eating, shopping, and sunbathing. She also kept an eye on the second property that she and GC jointly owned in the same street as their main residence. They had purchased this as a tax dodge and were planning to sell it soon.

I was keen to make the most of my visit and counted myself lucky not to suffer jet jag after my long flight. Unfortunately my hosts neglected me as a guest, expecting me just to follow them round restaurants from one meal to the next. As a result, I lived for phone calls from TPR, and listening to podcasts.

Others occasionally phoned me too. When someone called Trine rang, it took me a while to remember that I taught a Norwegian student with this name in the early 1990s. Could this be the same woman? JC informed me that I was mistaken. This Trine was the woman that I had recently told off for smoking on the decking of a restaurant in the Scottish highlands.