Pendulum swinging, radiesthesy, dowsing using a moving pendulum, is carried out by a person with an unusual sensitivity using a rod or pendulum to amplify the message. Usually the pendulum is a small ball attached to a thin string on the end of a stick. The string is made of a non-woven material, such as nylon, so that no extraneous forces are introduced. The swinger must also be very careful not to allow any of his own movements or muscle-twitching to influence the activity of the pendulum. It can be used to locate missing objects, and for medical diagnosis. The term radiesthésie was coined in 1930 by Abbé Bouly in France when the pendulum took preference over the rod as the instrument of choice. L’Association des amis de la radiesthésie was established in 1930 and the British Society of Dowsers three years later.

When asked a question, a clockwise rotation is a yes, an anticlockwise one a no. A more sophisticated version is teleradiesthesia or superpendulism, when the sensitive person is presented with a map. ‘After placing the pendulum on the map,’ says an informative website, ‘he can tell the enquirer the information he wants to know.’ The pendulum seemed to be my last resort.

But I was due for a disappointment. The radiesthesist had quit. She had become unsure of her own skill, although still convinced of the value of the pendulum, and had decided to hang up her bob and string and rod, and lead a quiet life of retirement. After the anticipation, I couldn’t face seeking a replacement. She had come highly recommended by the tarot reader, and I tried to convince her to take on one last case. She held firm, but when I persisted she made another suggestion.

She recommended that I consult a clairvoyant in Paris – ‘the best in France’ – and gave me the details. ‘This number is not available to the general public, you are very privileged to get it,’ she told me.

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The clairvoyant’s website spoke of visions facilitated by crystal balls covered in wisps of black muslin, but as I read on my shiver of apprehension was tempered by the usual rush of scepticism. She was ‘France’s most famous clairvoyant’, with a long list of celebrities and minor royal figures as clients. Every night she was invited to ‘parties, dinners, openings, events’. According to the website Mme Clairvoyant had a waiting list six months’ long but I booked an appointment in a few weeks’ time, and made my travel arrangements.