Went into the town centre on Saturday for the usual weekly shop. As I was walking over to John Lewis to buy a birthday present, my attention was caught by a long queue of people lined up in the street. In Hertfordshire town I live in, events that are interesting enough to attract a queue are rare. Indeed, the last time I remember seeing a queue of any length round here was in 2002 when the refurbished Early Learning Centre was opened by someone wearing a Bob the Builder outfit.

So what was it? Perhaps a new shop had opened? Perhaps Bob the Builder had returned?

No. The queue, of about 30 or 40 people, was outside the recruitment agency – a place so small and unobtrusive that most of the time you’d barely register its existence.

Half an hour later, when I walked back from John Lewis, the queue was still there.