Clive Pike, to my left, eyes beetling bigger than humanly possible, g-force ribbling his face.

Can you actually imagine yourself standing on the steps of Number 10 as prime minister rather than as a cabinet minister beetling in and out for meetings.

This beetling between England and Ireland would be repeated throughout his life.

No Bollywood love song plays - in this real-life romance, the only soundtrack is the unmistakable clackety-clack of a train beetling across eastern India.

Ahead are beetling rocks and dark blue glancing Amphitrite, surging, roars around them.