I remember trying to buy Eliot a tortoise. We wanted to get him a pet and knew that a cat or dog was out of the question with his asthma. So a tortoise seemed ideal. Which is when I found that you’re not allowed to buy or sell tortoises any more. They used to be all over the place when I was little. And while I agree that it’s not right to pack them into crates and ship them around the world, which I believe is why the trade was banned, I see no good reason why I should not be allowed to buy one that has been properly cared for so far, and continue to care for it properly.

I remember when if you wanted to weigh yourself you went to a machine on a railway station or in a shop such as Woolworths. Woolworths weighing machines had great big dials on. It cost a penny to weigh yourself. That’s 1d, not 1p.

I remember buying a light meter in a second-hand camera shop near Par Sands.

I remember squirrel boy. Neither a real-life Mowgli nor a cartoon character, it’s what I used to call Eliot when he would stand in Richmond Park and coax squirrels to climb up his leg for a peanut.