I’m on the train heading into London, on my way to an important client meeting. I make a point of only taking calls on trains when I really have to because quiet carriage or not (and I should add that this ISN’T the quiet carriage!) I think we all speak a bit louder than usual when taking calls on trains because the signal’s usually bad.

A few minutes ago I had to take an urgent call from a colleague, so I answered. The signal went down and I had to call my colleague back. All of a sudden a loud hiss of a ‘shhh’ comes my way from across the aisle and I quickly end the call.

I leant over to see who was chastising me so rudely. A woman with a real fur collar on her coat, reading the Telegraph and a ‘sucking lemons’ expression on her face. I said “there was no need to be so rude – it was a call that I had to take”. The sour expression remained and she didn’t even have the good grace to look at me.

This is middle England at its worst – reason 141 to emgrate! (Only joking Will!).

Ah, Burmese people!

By Carole Scott