We went on the Vietnam cruise not knowing anyone.

At lunch on the first day, before even joining the ship, we got chatting to a couple, only to discover they live about five miles from us.

At lunch on the second day, the couple we sat next to had lived at one time in Wells, about 12 miles from us (in the other direction). He had been headmaster of Wells Cathedral School, so we discovered quite a few people we all knew.

Our third meeting was an ex-Army chap who had been at George’s school and head of CCF, just like George.

THEN, there was someone who had gone to the same secondary school, Basingstoke High School for Girls (no longer in existence) a year or two behind me. As I only started there in the Fifth Form (Year 11 nowadays) and then transitioned to the first year of the new sixth form college, we hadn’t met before, to our knowledge.

I almost felt we should go round the other seventy or so guests and find the links between us. Life is too short.