What are your most embarrassing moments?

If you’re anything like me, all these things have happened to you time and time again.

When someone finally points out your blunder, all you can think is: “Why on earth didn’t someone tell me earlier?”

People are afflicted by a need to be polite, but sometimes, our attempts not to embarrass someone end up leading to them becoming a greater source of embarrassment as their indiscretion is witnessed by a larger number of people. Bizarrely, by not making someone aware of a fashion faux pas, we are actually making them become a greater subject of ridicule as people snigger at them behind their backs or write them off as an oddball.

I’m sure I’ve been dismissed as a batty woman on numerous occasions as I’ve walked around oblivious to the fact I’ve got something on my face or absentmindedly gone out wearing odd shoes.

Two particular incidents stick in my mind and make me flush with embarrassment.

The first was after I’d been for a visit to a hairdressers in Preston city centre. Before my mop was tackled, I was made to put on one of those fetching capes – you know the ones where you put your arms in first like an apron.

I’m not sure how it happened – or why they didn’t stop me – but somehow I managed to leave the premises still wearing said cape. It was a good 10 minutes and I was halfway down Fishergate when realisation dawned and I sheepishly made my way back to the salon to return it.

The second incident was at Boots. I had popped into the shop to pick up a few things and, in preparation, picked up a basket on entrance and put it on my arm.

On walking around the store, none of the items I wanted were in stock, so I decided to come back another day and realised I still had time to get to Debenhams.

Deep in thought and hurriedly making my way across the high street, I was almost at the Fishergate Centre when in horror I looked at my arm to find a basket on it!

With a burning face, I rushed back to Boots to return the offending item. I’ve never shoplifted in my life and suddenly I’d attempted to shoplift an empty shopping basket!