I looked through car dealerships online, and on Friday afternoon I took a taxi to one in particular that had taken my fancy. I didn’t want something Oxford style extravagant, just something nice, and reliable, that would get Rosie and I around the country, to explore more than the dereliction of this crappy estate and the modest size of Worcester city centre.

Getting into the old Ford and taking it for a test drive months after having abandoned my vehicle at home was quite an experience. I had no idea how much I’d missed it. I had the vendor at my side pointing out the benefits, but I largely ignored...