We arrived at Marrakech airport and did the usual lengthy queue through passport control. Then out of the beautiful new building to find our driver. A melee of hundreds of men holding cards with personal and hotel names on them. After a third trip around the waiting horde, we found our driver. It isn’t only policeman that look terribly young to me these days!

Russ and I call the drive from airport to hotel ‘Wacky Races’, everyone seems to drive like maniacs with no idea about lane discipline, and at road junctions and roundabouts the order of the day is a cacophony as everyone reaches for the horn. The authorities have an excellent deterrent if you are involved in a prang both parties are fined 1000 Dirham (about £90) irrespective of who was to blame. You see few prangs!

As we were driving along our driver suddenly began parping the horn, and for no apparent reason. At the next traffic lights as we drove up he wound his window down, parped his horn and shouted at the car next to us. In the passenger seat was an elderly lady in Arabic dress with an enormous handbag resting on the dashboard.

As we drove away he explained that he had warned her to move the handbag because at the next major six-lane junction there would be people; some selling water, some offering to clean your windscreen and others waiting to steal things including the aforesaid ladies handbag.

I learned an important lesson. Don’t make assumptions or jump to conclusions. I had anticipated an angry exchange about something as he began blowing his horn. Instead he did an act of kindness showing true brotherhood of man.

We arrived safely and unscathed at our hotel. The restaurant manager saw us waiting in reception to register. A bottle of red wine and two glasses arrived as if by magic. This time, he had assumed and come to the perfect conclusion.

Minister Alan Rawnsley