Frequently forget where your car is parked? It could cost you more than a red face

Now that I’ve reached my 40s, I’ve started to notice a number of entirely unwelcome lifestyle changes. An involuntary ‘ooh’ when I sit in a comfy chair. A feeling of relief when a friend cancels a night on the town. A fear that I might need bifocals. A refusal to go down the pub unless I can get a seat.

Perhaps most worrying is my memory. I’ve always been scatty and I spend a fortune on Post-it notes. But last week I went to the post box and returned home with the letter still in my hand. It’s not an encouraging sign.

On the up side, I’ve still some way to go before I turn in to my dad. Frequently forgetful, he surpassed himself the time we left a football match early to beat the traffic. After spending a good 20 minutes searching in vain for the car (by which time the game had ended and people were streaming through the gates), he realised he was looking for a blue Vauxhall Astra he’d owned ten years previously.