GIVEN that there is a strange bright light in the sky and the daffodils are out, it’s officially That Time of Year. That means not just digging the mower out and seeing how rusty the barbecue is, it’s the time to assess the shorts situation. This is a twofold issue – will last year’s shorts fit and how to deal with White Legs Syndrome.

I don’t recall this being an issue for earlier generations. We used to wear short trousers till secondary school, unless very cold weather hit and my mother dug out some Rupert Bear things called trews, which were tartan and very itchy. After the age of 11, shorts were for football.

My father didn’t own shorts till he came to see us in South Africa in his sixties and on holiday we had something called drill pants my mother had stashed away, goodness knows where. Drill pants were cream or khaki and some sort of canvas and were worn in summer, I don’t know why. They were matched with leather sandals which, of course, required socks to complete what was a very trendy look indeed.

So, the Easter shorts ritual was unknown back then. Now it’s digging in the cupboard and getting out, initially, the larger ones to see how the old waistline has survived the winter stews. What a feeling if they fit and a really good year is if a couple of the older shorts, retained for the day when the long-term diet is really successful, are wearable.

But even so, the next dilemma is the white legs. It seems easier for the girls to adopt the fake tan route; I have found it challenging and best left well alone. Therefore, there is nothing for it but to bare it all and walk on the sunny side of the street.