Every now and again one gets a stark reminder of the fragility of human life, and this winter seems to have brought more than usual. John’s ex-wife died on Monday.

It is difficult to know what to say in these circumstances. Chris was not one for whom forgiveness came easily, and I think it would be fair to say that she remained bitter towards John to the end. However, between them, she and John produced two great kids, so things can’t always have been so bad. Anna-Marie and David are, naturally, devastated. The best I could do was put John on a plane back to London to offer some practical support and spend some, long-overdue, quality time in the bosom of his family.