Two days later and so far I’ve only covered the first two miles. Typical.

We pass a fancy dress store in Cotteridge, where a plastic mannequin catches Clare’s eye. A potential Christmas present? ‘No,’ says Clare, emphatically.

We hook a right onto Watford Road and pass a shop called Vis a Vis. “So that’s what David Brent did next,” muses Clare. I respond with a good natured ‘Heh.’ In truth, I only actually get the comment once we reach Bearwood. Boost bars really slow down the speed of my basic cognitive functions.

We’re heading down Linden Road, now, and passing leafy Bournville. A line from an old Elvis Costello song springs to mind:

In Chocolate Town all the trains are painted brown
On the silver paper of the wrapper

At least it wasn’t Phil Collins’ In The Air Tonight.