Since a lot of people ask me about my children, on the absolutely fair assumption that I would be ‘in the know’ about them, I’m moved to say that actually I don’t know anything about them, other than what I hear third hand from other people who have some contact with them.

No, i haven’t heard from them since I moved back to Britain 9 days ago, other than a few words from my youngest in an email thanking me for gig tickets I had previously bought for her.

Despite the shun  I remain ‘ philosophical ‘ about them, I’d say, and am getting on with my life regardless.