It was most inconsiderate of Mr Tony Blair to call the Hodge Hill by-election and the Leicester South by-election for July 15th. I’m otherwise engaged every weekend until then, so now I’m going to have to ration my dwindling annual leave to take time off work.

This weekend, for example, I’m moving house. I’ve done this far too many times over the last seven years and I absolutely loathe it. It’s not just packing a whole life into a few boxes and the relentless cleaning, but the unreasonably deducted deposits and the numerous organisations to inform of the new address. A whole new set of routines, new shops, new bus timetables…

On the plus side, I do get a trip to IKEA out of it.