David Jason handed me a replica hand gun to ‘use as required’. He then disappeared down the street, and I awaited my fate.

This was supposedly a game, but it all felt very real. Organised by SPL on the Isle of Man, this interactive adventure in real time was a key component of her 60th birthday celebrations. Another was a disco. Here I enjoyed dancing with SPL’s sister R.

I skulked around the streets armed with my gun wondering if, or when, I would need to ‘fire’ it.

I later complained to one of the organisers that the rules of game were rather opaque. As I was speaking, I remembered my sense of being tracked through the streets of London on a recent work trip. When questioned, the organiser confirmed that the earlier efforts to follow my everyday movements had been part of the extensive game prep.