"Are you sure we are on the right road?"

Without wanting to brag, I think that it is fair to say that I have an amazing ability to recall information from the past.

Complete scripts from my parts in plays from years gone by can still be recited, word for word, without repetition, deviation, err hesitation or repetition.

Evidence of such a bold claim can be demonstrated in my ability to remember all of my lines from my role as a King in my first (and strangely only) school play, over 40 years ago!

Whilst accepting that the blogosphere is somewhat limited in space, I think that it is worth repeating my part in the play in full to demonstrate the significance of my memory recall. So, if you'll pardon my indulgence, here are my lines in all their splendour: -

"Are you sure we are on the right road?"

The fact that I have never forgotten these words (I believe), underlines their significance and importance.

Such was the impressive manner in which the lines were "delivered" that (I believe) it has since been considered that it would be impossible to reach such perfection, such emotion, or such connection with audiences across the globe, that it would be inappropriate to ask me to attempt to reach such dizzy heights again.

Alternatively, despite being only 5 years old, they may just have thought that I was rubbish!

Nevertheless, the words have stayed with me, and remain as relevant today as they were back then. How many times will they be used on Trailwalker training walks between now and July, or on the event itself?

Knowing that you are in the right place at the right time is fairly important.

I have told previously of the time when I went into a ladies toilet in error immediately prior to a job interview for a role in HR, only realising my mistake when from inside a 'cubicle', I heard the "clip", "clip", "clip" of female footsteps outside. I escaped without anybody finding out, but only just.

I have also, from time to time, given presentations and have missed out slides or mixed the words from one slide with that of another.

However, I have never had the experience of the Indian Foreign Minister's debut performance at the UN Security Council reported in The Times today.

Put simply, he delivered the wrong speech. Not another of his own speeches, but a speech belonging to another country's Foreign Minister. He started reading this "wrong" speech, and carried on reading it for 3 minutes!

It was when Mr Krishna said "...allow me to express my profound satisfaction regarding the happy coincidence of having two Portuguese-speaking countries here today.” that some started to think that something was afoot.

As Mr Krishna moved on to how the EU was co-ordinating its approach with the UN, the horrible truth dawned on Hardeep Singh Puri, India’s envoy to the UN. Mr Krishna was reading the speech that Luís Amado, the Portuguese Foreign Minister, was planning to make and had circulated in advance.

Something was very much "afoot", but Mr Krishna seemingly didn't notice (had he not practiced?) that the words he was saying were someone else's and continued unaware.

Eventually an aide had to stop his boss in full flow.

“You can start again,” he told Mr Krishna, handing him the correct text. The minister cleared his throat and — for the second time — opened with an expression of gratitude to his hosts.

Whilst not reported in The Times it was at this point that I'm sure his hosts would have asked - "Are you sure that you are on the right road?", to which, sheepishly, he would have replied, "I am now!".

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