No-one is a mystery to their beautician. Working in the glamour industry will teach you more about personality and motivation than any academic study. I’d love to tell the story of Troy from the point of view of the slave girl who threaded Helen’s eyebrows, describe the Napoleonic wars in the voice of Josephine’s maid or describe the challenges facing Lady Macbeth’s manicurist. ‘Out, out, damned liver spot!’