When we were finally seated, next to an ornamental hedge that was attracting an inordinate number of wasps, who should come ambling along to set up shop? I’ll tell you. Possibly the worst busker in the history of the universe. He played only one note on his flute, over and over again – in fact it wasn’t even a note, it was just breathing. Breathing through a tube.

These niggles aside, lunch was very pleasant. I got in a good bit of exercise, chasing my napkin/menu/both across the busy street each and every time the wind blew, and we (above the din of the tuneless flute) discussed the pros and cons of wearing sunglasses.

The biggest ‘pro’, we decided, was that you can fall asleep discreetly should conversation become dull, and the biggest ‘con’ was that they give you a funny tanline that makes it look as though you dipped your entire nose (and nothing else) in gravy browning.

To avoid ‘gravy browning nose’ as it will now be known, I recommend Dermalogica Solar Defense Booster. (I got to the point eventually!) This SPF can be applied directly to the skin (spf30) or mixed with your make-up or moisturiser (spf17) and is, from years of testing, pretty much invisible. It comes in a tiny bottle which is perfect for keeping with you in your handbag or make-up bag for impromptu sessions in the sun – so when you spend the entire evening sipping wine outside the pub, you won’t get home to find (in the cold dark of night) that your face is glowing lobster-red. The 50ml bottle lasts ages, and I love its versatility – I can turn any of my favourite moisturisers into sun-protection!