In case you missed it, the Bulgarian tight-rope walker famous for not using a safety net sadly paid the price in a Minnesota circus ring recently, when one of her silk ribbons snapped. This information comes courtesy of an obituary in El Mundo today. Quite why she rated one of the two daily spots, I cannot guess. Unless it is because she had along the way changed her name from Dessi Kehayova to Dessi España.

Domestic violence - or gender violence as it is called here – is a major media theme. So I was not very surprised to receive this week a glossy brochure from my town council advising me how I can tell if my husband or boyfriend is guilty of it. One of the abuses listed is preventing you from getting your mail. It struck me that, if this is the case, you are unlikely to get your hands on the brochure advising you of this fact. Someone in the distribution centre must have realised that my copy was going to a single male and helpfully handwrote ‘And family’ after my typewritten surname. Strange but, I suppose, more acceptable than ‘And potential abusee’.

It has seemed to me for a while that indicating by drivers has been reducing from its already low base. At a roundabout today I realised why; it is impossible to operate the indicator stalk with your left hand when it is permanently holding a mobile phone to your ear. If ever an invention was designed for a people who enjoy talking, have a high tolerance of risk and hate obeying rules, it must be this one.