It’s 2014, there are serious matters to discuss, everything from Monica Lewinsky to Benghazi, but the former presidential candidate has something to say first…

It was 2014. Hillary Clinton had failed to win the nomination to be the Democrats’ presidential candidate. Barack Obama had become president. She’d served for four years as his secretary of state. In a long life played out in public she’d been a lawyer, First Lady, humiliated but loyal wife, mother, senator representing New York, had written an autobiography called Hard Choices and was preparing to announce her plan to stand again for the Democrats and, perhaps, become the first female president of the US.

Halfway through my introduction, Mrs Clinton began to waggle a handbag in front of me

I could not have been more excited and, maybe, a little scared at the thought of an encounter with the person boasting such a CV.

She was late for the Woman’s Hour start time of two minutes past 10am. Not her fault, but minders underestimating London traffic. We made a quick change to lead the programme. Shirley Williams and her best friend, Eva, were to have gone second to discuss their recent trip to Germany where a canal had been named for Shirley’s mother, Vera Brittain, who had angered the British during the war by writing in opposition to the blanket bombing of German cities. The Germans had a different view. The two friends stepped into the breach.

Into my ear, as my conversation with Shirley and Eva came to a close, were the whispered, thrilled words of the producer. “She’s here! Hillary Clinton’s here!” I thanked Shirley and Eva (this is all live, by the way) and, as they headed for the door, I began to introduce Hillary Clinton. She crossed to the seat Shirley had vacated as Shirley began to open the studio door to leave.

I was ready for a tough tussle, with everything from Monica Lewinsky to Benghazi on the agenda but, halfway through my introduction, Mrs Clinton stared at me with a look of complete alarm and began to waggle a handbag in front of me. It was, remember, all live, every word and sound effect is broadcast to the nation. I had no choice but to say, “Ah! Just a moment, I don’t quite know what’s happening here, but Hillary Clinton is waggling a handbag in front of me.”

At which point Shirley leaned over, took the bag and said, with a grateful shriek, “Oh! Hillary, thank you so much.” It was at that moment that the cleverest, smartest, most experienced and potentially most powerful woman in the world was simply one of us; an ordinary woman who had thoughtfully observed that another had got up in a hurry and forgotten a vital piece of equipment.