Why is it that I never have a pair of nail clippers when I need them? Over the years I think I must have bought about a dozen sets of nail clippers, and I have a load of them sitting on the bedside table at home. Yet, the moment I chip a nail to the point where it will tear and hurt me if I don't perform emergency nail surgery, what happens? No nail clippers anywhere near.

This weekend I went to Boots in Edinburgh and bought yet another set of little clippers. I now have them in the pocket of my coat. I don't expect this new-found clipper-handiness to last long. Something will go wrong. I will lose them from my coat, like that hand-cream which went missing. My coat-based manicure storage system is faulty.

On the up side, though, I clipped my chipped nail just now, and last night, while I was tidying out my car, I found some hand-cream. Norwegian formula. Who would use that? Norwegians would.