That perception was shattered however, by of all people, our sausage-fingered monarch-in-chief.
As another week of cutting ribbons and feigning interest at the latest royal appointment drew to a close, he looked genuinely excited at a visit to the London vegetable orchestra, which, sadly, was not an allotment in Ealing.
Beaming with joy, he picked up a carrot recorder as those around him fawned as if it were the second coming of Elvis.
I was enthralled as to how, as a fan of the eccentric, this genius idea for a ‘pastime’ had passed me by, and I am now planning a visit to my local Sainsbury’s produce aisle to get in on the act.
The orchestra proudly, and quite rightly, describes itself as the UK’s ‘only’ ensemble dedicated to ‘homegrown’ entertainment.
Brett Ellis is a fan of the eccentric Sadly, as one with no musical talent whatsoever, membership is not open to the general public, with all members being past or present professional musicians with links to the Royal Academy of Music.
A decade on from their inception, they number courgettes, peppers, butternut squashes and potatoes among their alumni and they have appeared regularly on the box on Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway and Let’s Do lunch with Gino and Mel, before Gino was put on toast.
I can’t wait to see them live and I am rooting (sorry) for them as they continue to be fully booked as punters enjoy Elvis Parsleys ‘Blue Swede Shoes’ and ‘Billie Aubergine’.
The can even afford a Who-style instrument trash at the end of each gig, before hollowing out another root vegetable in lieu of a bongo drum.
Now, excuse me if, by this point, I am raving a little too much about what is, in effect, a cultural throwaway, but to me, it is a new version of the cheese rolling in Gloucestershire or La Tomatina in Spain, and adds yet another eccentric string to our bow.
I am left hoping that, if aliens ever do land on planet earth, they happen upon a vegetable orchestra gig and turn straight back to whence they came.
But as we bid farewell for another seven days my dear readership, I am left in the kitchen formulating a band courtesy of a potato peeler, a sharp paring knife and an apple corer, as I aim to go big and send a demo in to Simon ‘Trowel’ who may be able to water my musical seed.
My plan is to introduce a marrow trumpet, a pumpkin snare drum and drill a complex series of holes into a yam to construct a yamonica (sorry) to while away the hours until the next eccentric madness darkens my door.