Last autumn 1,070 women won undergraduate places at Oxford University, compared with 1,025 men. The news provoked a snippy article in the New York Times complaining both about how slow Oxford (“the oldest university in the English-speaking world” as they sniffily termed it) had been getting to more than parity of the genders, and about the lack of diversity.

Firstly, in my own college there has been a majority of women undergraduates for years. I recall a rowing dinner where I was seated at dinner as lone male on the girl rower’s table (they saw me as harmless grandad. Yes, well…). and had a stimulating evening among people who were not just good sportswomen but held stunningly witty and clever conversations.

Women grow up quicker than men and in consequence take studying more seriously. Indeed, they remain throughout life more grown-up than men. It has just taken a few centuries to sink in.

Personally, I cannot for the life of me understand why men want to run everything. Let the girls get all the best degrees and best jobs and let us chaps have nice, relaxed lives and live longer. I am really fed up with all the stress, and want to eat chocolate and have no onerous responsibilities, like washing dishes. Will anyone join my new Society for Utter Male Dependency”? Entry fee: two pints of beer and some really funny jokes about politicians.

What does it matter for a woman if she has one extra child, anyway?