Gilmour gives Samson full credit for his transformation. “There aren’t many women who would have the strength that Polly had to deal with it,” he says. It came down to an ultimatum from her.

Through all this, David Gilmour maintains a beatific bonhomie. He is a father of eight - four from his first marriage and four with Polly. His days are spent negotiating teething and homework.

The 78-year-old recently discovered that a legal oversight means the six-bedroom home he shares with his wife, Polly Samson, is technically owned by the Crown. Gilmour has now filed a lawsuit ...