Normally I listen to music rather than books when I go for a walk, but I am a woman, I make exceptions. And so last week I found myself, after discovering both audible.com and a particularly must-hear-now book, striding along to the sound of a gravelly American.

The reason that I would not normally countenance listening to a book while walking (or driving for that matter) is that I read a lot of non-fiction and, rather annoyingly, I simply find it impossible to read without making notes. It’s a little like having a nervous twitch, the more I try not to make notes, the more I do.

So although I was willing to give it a go (if only to save time by exercising brain and body simultaneously) I thought I would find the listen-and-walk scenario deeply frustrating; especially as I deliberately didn’t take a notebook and pen with me. Thought it might have looked rather odd.

Anyway, the whole thing was fantastic. I can’t remember much of what the gravelly American said, but something must have been useful, for by the time I got home I had worked up a whole new concept for a business piece.

So I’m going to carry on taking the gravelly American on walks with me, if just to get my brain thinking creatively. And nyway, I can always listen to him again, at home with a pen in hand.