We all know that T.S. Eliot thought April the cruellest month, but could it be that actually August wears the crown? I’ve been pondering why many of us find this summer holiday month so challenging.

I think it’s to do with shoulds. August should be wonderful. It should be about buckets and spades; siestas and starry nights; straw hats and strawberries; lie-ins and novel-reading … in short, all that is good about taking a few weeks away from the daily grind.