As Hill left, his colleagues on the foreign desk started to bang him out – the traditional printers' farewell that involves thumping the desk as loudly as possible. According to reports the whole of the Telegraph's vast multimedia newsroom, said to be the largest in Europe, was shaking as staff banged out yet another colleague.

We called it kittenball in those days. For what reason I never thought to ask and still have not discovered. But it was softball, the twelve inch variety with the fast, underhand pitch.

It was resolved that all members of the House who held commissions, should be dispensed from parliamentary attendance.

Mars goes around the sun once in a Martian year, or 1.88 Earth years.