Major karaoke frenzy last night, during which I managed to add some new standards to my repertoire: “She’s So Lovely” by Scouting for Girls, “Home” by Michael Bublé, “You’re All I Need” by Snow Patrol, to name the ones I can actually remember.

A reminder of my age, however: a youngster who works in a colleague’s (ministerial) private office gawped in utter incomprehension – and, yes, just a little disgust – as I sang my rendition of The Vapors’ “Turning Japanese”, one of my favourite songs from the ’70s. She had never heard it before, and clearly had no desire to hear it ever again.

I thought it better not even to try to explain what the lyrics were actually about.