John’s favourite stretch of road was not scenic. It ran between warehouses, then offered a square of sea for about two seconds. He never slowed the bus to admire it; the timetable had opinions about that. But on early shifts the patch of water changed from grey to silver. A young colleague once asked which part of the route mattered most. John pointed out a difficult junction, then mentioned the gap between the buildings. Knowing where to look, he said, helped a long morning along.