I am shocked at the exchange above. Having recently, as has been my habit for the past 30 years, dined with Thornton Curtis I can only offer the opinion that a less 'sad' individual one meets only rarely. He/she is a jolly soul, much given to hilarious gossip offered without a hint of malice and always illuminated by TCs profoundly-held beliefs on the human condition. To know him/her is to love him/her.

Please, please don't judge the book by its cover. Read the reviews, discuss it with someone who claims to have read it and then, and only then, feel free to judge.

It really is a terrible assault on the ancient pastoral ways of North Lincolnshire cafe society to have to endure the gallumphing assaults of townsfolk on one so dear to us all.

We were joined, after an extensive luncheon, by the one called Skipjack. He told us things.