Pisa is famous for one special thing. A bell-tower which started to lean by the time the builders reached the third storey.

And I saved £150 on my car insurance renewal today.

Two unconnected facts. Except for this… the tower was a genuine mistake, a miscalculation of the ground strength which meant the foundations were too shallow.

My insurance renewal was the outcome of a bit of sharp practice by the insurance industry. Without naming names, I received my renewal notice (no claims, no changes) which came in at £364, quite a chunk higher than last year. So I did the shopping for quotes, and bought an identical policy from a competitor. It was £150 cheaper for the same cover. Hmmm.  I rang the first company to inform them I wouldn’t be renewing my policy, and after a few minutes of conversation they made a revised offer that came…