When they get into town, George decides to visit the railway. He stands in the queue and thinks about his wife. The train isn’t popular any more. Who wants to go on a train when they can ride on rollercoasters on the pier or take a trip up the i360? He and Poppy stare at the faded lettering and the litter that has collected in the tracks. Red Bull and Monster Energy drinks. Is the whole world on drugs?

To cheer himself up, George buys a pair of expensive golf shoes. He’s only played once and hated it, so has no need for the white-and-fawn tasselled trainers, but he loves the tappy sounds the spikes make on the polished floor of the shop. On the way out, he steals a pair of fingerless gloves to make amends. To feel like himself again.

They go into the Pavilion tea rooms for a cheese sandwich. The girl on the till is wearing a badge that says ‘I’m new’ and is flustered and nervous when he places his order. She spills his tea and gets his change wrong. George tells her to go back to school and two pink dots appear on her cheeks. It reminds him of Betty the last time he saw her.

Because of this he says no more. He just watches the girl, closely. Half an hour later (half an hour? What were they doing – churning the bloody butter by hand?), a long white-and-brown ‘thing’ appears on his plate.

‘What the hell is this?’

‘Your cheese panini?’ The girl says it like a question.

‘A what?’

‘A panini?’

‘Have you got a stutter?’

‘No?’

‘I asked for a cheese sandwich. What the bloody hell is a pan wotsit?’

‘It’s Italian, I think.’ The girl looks as if she’s about to wet herself.

‘I didn’t order this. I ordered a cheese sandwich.’

‘This is a cheese sandwich. It’s just a toasted one.’

‘I don’t want it. I want one with bread. Normal British bread.’ The girl goes to remove it, but George stops her. ‘Leave that there and get back to the kitchen.’

After she’s scuttled behind the counter, George pulls the plate towards him and sniffs. Poppy does the same. George breaks a bit off and gives it to her. ‘You can be the canary down the mine.’

When Poppy has chewed, swallowed and doesn’t drop dead, George takes a tentative bite. The bread is crisp and warm, slightly salty. The cheese is rich and gooey and strings of it land on his chin as he chews. When I’m new finally returns with his plain cheese sandwich, George waves it away and gets to his feet.

‘I don’t want it.’

‘But you ordered it?’

‘Well, it’s too late now.’

‘You’ll have to pay for the panini?’

George stopped mid-coat zip. ‘What?’

‘The panini?’

‘I never ordered it.’

‘But you ate it?’