Aside from militant cyclists, racists, bullies and Roosters fans, the people who used to shit me most profoundly were vegans.

Self-righteous, hectoring, humourless, spoilsports - I'd have crossed a crowded dinner table to avoid them, until the fateful day I became one myself.

Factory Farming: Industrialised Cruelty, by Jo Frederiks.

Even saying the words “I’m a vegan” still sounds alien, while the sense of shame I feel for my past sneering at these gentle people endures.

I realise I was once the bully I despised, imposing my will upon creatures simply because evolution has gifted me a place at the top of the food chain. Even worse I would smirk while spooning the misery of other creatures into my mouth and disparage people’s attempts to explain why it might be wrong.