I’ve been doing a lot of gardening over the last few days seeking to cut back on the summer surge of growth of intruding grass and weeds. And my old, yes they must be ten years old, gardening trousers have taken it badly. This could be their last day as they have split at the knee.

But are they superannuated trousers, or the height of teenage fashion. Should I wear them with pride, an icon for the older generation, with a flash of flesh at the knee?

Perhaps not.

The split at the knee is vertical, not horizontal. That’s a fashion that will never catch on. No, it is time for the trousers to go.