Derb, apropos of shaking hands with Dr Johnson, I remember a Simon Jenkins column a few years back where he noted that, as a young boy, a very old lady had told him not to speak ill of Oliver Cromwell, as her first husband’s father had worked for him and said he was a very nice man. I may have the details slightly confused, but I remember being stunned at how few generations were involved. We shouldn’t be surprised; the last Confederate war widow died only a couple of years ago.