Ace Place asked Goodgym to help Mr E change the lightbulb in his bathroom. Following a similar endeavour last year, I felt well-equipped to take on this mission.

So on a baking hot July afternoon I jogged to Mr E’s house. A friendly neighbour happened to be visiting at the same time as I. They had taken Mr E's dog out for a walk and were returning her home. I followed them into the living room where I introduced myself to Mr E. He was very welcoming and kindly offered refreshments as relief from the heat. He directed me to the bathroom, and, standing on a solid wooden kitchen chair, I took a look at the light.

Torque

After an initial inspection, I realised this would be trickier than anticipated. Being a bathroom light, it was protected in a wide, solid plastic encasement. To unscrew the translucent part from the dark base would not be unlike unscrewing a stiff lid from a jar (that is, if the lid were the size of a small frisbee). I had a few attempts, each time with a little more force. Eventually, there was some movement, but it seemed the more force I put into it, the greater the risk of the base coming away from the ceiling.

With the risk of doing more harm than good, I surrendered. I put the chair back in the kitchen and returned to the living room. I was very disappointed not to have been much help and apologised to Mr E. But for me to view the mission as a failure would be wrong.

Talk

Mr E quickly dismissed my apologies and we began a long and varied conversation. We covered a lot of ground, from bug bite remedies to the conundrum of the Manchester United midfield. Mr E recalled recent life events that had left him feeling quite lonely. Thus, he was very grateful for my company. As to was I of his; Mr E is a lovely bloke, kind and good-humoured.

We could have talked for hours, but it was time for me to leave. I set off back into the scorching afternoon heat with my disappointment displaced by the wholesome warmth of human connection.