It was a red-hot summer day last year. I had a week off work and had agreed to help my mate Phil put up a new garden fence. I’ve known Phil for years — he lives just around the corner and we spend a lot of time together in the pub. We’re both 49, married for ages. He’s let himself go a bit, but I’ve stayed pretty active, so I knew I’d be doing most of the hard work. Since I have access to a van, I offered to pick up the f...