I recall a few years ago being in an expensive restaurant in the south west – those who know my holiday habits and my preferences will easily guess where – and I happened to overhear the proprietor in conversation. He was moaning about the difficulties of making a living from what is a well-known restaurant. The restaurant opened in May and closed in October and, as the conversation developed, it emerged that from October to May the proprietor lived in the Canaries off the proceeds of the previous five months. His only child was attending the most prestigious and expensive boarding school, but he was able to convince himself, and moan to his friends who were also customers, of the difficulties of "making a living" out of the business.