It’s Saturday, and I am sitting among the lap-top tappers in the cafe of the British Library. It’s one of the most roomy and pleasant places in London for those of us in search of a free desk for the day. Though I bring my mobile 3 connection because the WiFi really does cost almost as much as the Pru Leith Coffee.

Just an anecdote. I asked the security officer who searches the bags on the door if they had ever found anything dangerous.

“Don’t get me started. The things we find ….” he said.

Like a Samurai Sword, a surgical set of scalpels, a real grenade used as a paper weight, various cooking knives, and plenty of other knives. Usually the various instruments are kept at the door for the user to leave, but apparently one knife caused them to call the police recently. Apparently it was confiscated.