I used to work for an auctioneer, and some years after that I ran my own postal auction.Yes, I have had an indirect route to where I am now. However, the point in telling you this is not to discuss my lamentable career planning but to talk about accuracy.

When you prepare auction catalogues you have to be extremely accurate. Today I fell short of this standard when I found myself telling people I’d cut my thumb with a Sudoku. In fact I had cut my thumb with a santoku. The two things are quite different, as you will know.

Put it down to old age and getting up at 5 am.

As a result there are a number of people who now think that I have a paper cut of legendary proportions.

It wasn’t the only thing I did in the day but it was the one I will remember longest. The hedge will grow again, the weeds will reappear and the herbs in my new Mediterranean planter will fade and die. But people will remember my error.

Apart from the ones who will remember my massive paper cut.