‘There are female pirates,’ I say knowledgeably. ‘We can be one of those. Look at Elizabeth Swann.’

‘I want to fight Captain Jack Sparrow,’ says Suze longingly.

‘He’s not in it!’ I say for the millionth time. Suze is a bit hung up on Johnny Depp, and I think she was hoping that we were going to be in a new Pirates of the Caribbean. But it’s not that. It’s called The Black Flag, and I don’t recognize the names of any of the stars except April Tremont, who is playing ‘Gwennie’.

‘I know he’s not. But still. Wouldn’t it be amazing?’ She sighs.

‘There’ll probably be an even hotter pirate king in this one,’ I point out, as my phone rings. It’s Dad calling, which surprises me. Normally it’s Mum who rings, and then passes me over to Dad, and then instantly grabs the phone back as there’s something she’s forgotten to tell me about Janice’s new sofa covers or the geraniums.

‘Dad!’ I exclaim. ‘Guess what Suze and I are doing right now?’

‘Drinking orange juice in the sunshine,’ says Dad with a laugh. ‘I hope you are.’

‘Wrong! We’re in a limo, going to the film set!’

Mum and Dad already know we’re going to be extras in a movie, because I phoned them up to tell them, straight away. And Janice and Martin. And Jess and Tom, and my old bank manager Derek Smeath …

I suppose I did phone quite a few people, now I think about it.

‘Wonderful, darling!’ says Dad. ‘Make sure you hobnob with the movie stars.’

‘We will!’

‘I was just wondering, did you ever manage to look up my old friend Brent?’

Oh. Damn. What with Golden Peace, and Suze arriving, it completely slipped my mind.

‘Not yet,’ I say guiltily. ‘I haven’t quite had time. But I will, I promise.’

‘Well, that would be marvellous.’

‘I’ll go and see him really soon, and I’ll give him all your details.’

We’ve arrived at a barricaded entrance to a large complex with buildings and courtyards, and as the driver slows down, I see a row of trailers out of the window. Real film trailers!

‘We’re here! There are trailers!’ I say in excitement. ‘Oh Dad, you should see it!’

‘Sounds fantastic,’ says Dad. ‘Well, you let me know about Brent.’

‘I will,’ I say, only half paying attention. ‘See you, Dad.’

The driver is giving our names to the gate man. As Suze and I stare out of the window, agog, I see a man in a pirate costume walk to one of the trailers, knock on the door and go inside.

‘Oh my God,’ says Suze.

‘I know!’ I can’t help giggling.

As we’re whisked into the complex, my head is swivelling this way and that, trying to take in every detail. It’s all just as I imagined. There are girls with earpieces and clipboards. There’s a guy carrying what looks like a marble statue under his arm. There’s a woman in a crinoline, talking to a man in a leather jacket.