After years of staunch opposition I’ve not only succumbed but actively begun to embrace fancy dress. And if yesterday’s rugby sevens tournament at Twickenham is anything to go by, I’m not alone. It seems the older people get the more inclined they are to behave like they’re young, even though ironically when they were young they probably thought fancy dress was deeply uncool just as I did.

But why shouldn’t adults be silly from time to time? It’s true that with age comes responsibility, but all responsibility and no play makes for a very dull existence. Sometimes it’s just great to just step off the treadmill, put responsibilities to one side and remember the simple pleasure of dressing up and pretending to be someone – or something – entirely different, even if it’s just for one day.

So if you’ve ever harboured dreams of being Superman, or wondered what it would be like to be a monkey, why not seize the day and get a costume, throw a party and indulge your inner child? Because it’s only in throwing off the shackles of adulthood once in a while that we can truly stay young at heart – and staying young at heart is the key to a long and happy life.