Thorburns

There's a menswear shop in Leamington called Thorburns. It sells the sort of jumpers purchased by men with more money than taste. Christian golfers possibly. It did once kit out the Leicester City football team for a Wembley appearance. They lost. For reasons not unadjacent to having more money than taste I once, when desperate for a match with a shirt and suit I had bought for a wedding, purchased a tie from them. It cost £56. Nice tie though. Still got it.

Liz and I play a game. When exploring towns or cities we have not been to before we often encounter shops which we cannot believe ever have, or have ever had, customers. We ask each other, 'If you had to buy one thing from this window or die what would it be?' Occasionally we choose death.

We have decided that in future we will call that thing which you would only buy to save your life a thorburn. Possibly Brian Robson was playing that game when he bought West Brom's present strikers. Thorburns. The lot of them.