‘The bloke’ is back. I know this because I went to the Medieval Fair in York. Never have I seen so many grunting he-men in one sweltering paddock.

I was at a loose end a few Sundays back. My two smallest urchins needed an adventure while their father was away. As I pulled off the highway into York at 10am, the gauge in my car read 34-degrees. I cruised along Balladong street looking for a shady park. Six-year-old son spotted a hulk of a man crossing the street in chest plate and chain mail. “Look Mum! It’s a dress-up! He’s wearing a metal skirt!”