I returned to my car at the National Trust car park at Aira Force on the banks of Ullswater after a walk of about 8 miles. I felt in my pockets for my car keys and, to my horror, they weren’t there.

The options were:

1. call the AA
2. take a cab back to Staveley, 20 or so miles away for the spare key
3. Retrace my steps over the hills, eyes fixed on the ground.

We argued about my failing faculties until, quite by chance, I tried the car door. It was open. I looked at the ignition…they keys were in it.

It is hard to describe the cocktail of reactions:

• horror at what could have happened
• relief that I didn’t have to do any of the above
• respect for the honesty of my fellow parkers
• horror again at the stupidity I am capable of.

And that brings me to the events of the previous week when I took a Virgin train to London and enjoyed it so much, I tweeted about it from on board.

As soon as I got to my hotel, a minute from Euston, I realised that I had left my raincoat – a fairly new £200 Rohan – in the luggage rack.

I dashed back, persuaded the security guard to let me back on the platform but, sadly, the train had gone. Lost property at Euston is at Left Luggage (and they will charge you a fiver to give you back your property) but to no avail…though after pressing the case, I was invited to fill in a form.

I was directed to station reception where I was treated in such an off-handed way that I almost asked to see somebody’s boss.

I didn’t…but later that night in the House of Commons, I did bump into their boss, Virgin’s chief executive Tony Collins with his Director of Communications Arthur Leathley. I mentioned my missing mac, but not my doubts about the reaction I had got.

Arthur passed the case to customer service who rang me a few days later. There was one moment of light relief when the man asked about my missing computer (as in Apple Mac) but he rang again after a couple of hours to say he had had no luck.

Now, I know that I have no-one to blame but myself but the dishonesty of somebody walking around in my raincoat is quite upsetting.