Annual reunion of the Hampshire mayors and consorts from my mother’s year today, in a lovely little pub called the Abbot’s Mitre in the village of Chilbolton. Most of the usual hardcore were there, minus Sheila who was visiting relations in Australia and Pam who was attending an event as the current Mayoress of Fareham. With advancing age, a few of our number had either recently been through medical procedures or were awaiting them, but everyone was in good form. Hearing of my trip to the Euros in Switzerland, Pat said her son had just started working with Brighton and Hove Albion Women and that she’d ask him about complimentary tickets for me later in the season.

The food was superb - I went for BBQ ribs - and after dessert Pat, hosting, brought out a chocolate cake she’d made. It had ‘2007’ on in marzipan; at the beginning of the gathering Pat had said 2007 was our mayoral year, only to be corrected, as we entered office in May 2006 and served one year from then. So when the cake was unveiled Pat bent the marzipan 7 into a 6 before serving us all a slice.

We said our goodbyes. The waiter who served us, who Pat knows well, came out into the car park and told us one of our party hadn’t paid. As that couple had already left - we guessed that the husband had paid for his meal but forgotten to pay for his wife, and that she’d assumed he’d pay for her - Pat agreed to settle her bill, but assured us that she’d be chasing her for payment.