From the fever swamp of Islington

...does not bathing become worthy of discussion.

I didn't know until today that Matthew Parris, the former MP turned pundit, stopped washing his hair 10 years ago after failing to find a Boots or a Sainsbury's Local deep in the jungle. I know now because Andrew Marr, another pillar of the punditry industry, told Daily Mail readers he has started doing the same.

We talked about it at the morning conference in the Guardian office this morning where trivia of this kind can arouse almost as much interest as the merits of selling our main airports.

Especially on an island where in most years, fresh water is so abundant, that it’s nearly a pollutant.

Adults too, for that matter. Last year Mrs White decided that showering every day wasn't a good idea for her skin. She now indulges on alternate days. When the hosepipe ban loomed in our part of the country this spring I decided to follow her example. It's a small sacrifice, but every litre helps.

But that really isn’t the subject. We’re talking about the Guardian here, where a writer’s subject is usually oneself.

The fuse is lit!