As far as mundane domestic tasks go, replacing an old refrigerator with a new one seemed pretty straightforward.

First, go to a whitegoods store with measurements of the cavity into which the new refrigerator must fit. Then choose an appliance. Next, confirm that the store can arrange for the removal of the old fridge when the replacement is delivered. Pay. Arrange for the date of delivery and retrieval.

We settled on the big day.

Two men arrived in a truck. The “team leader” (as he referred to himself) asked to see the fridge that had to be removed before the replacement could be put in its place.

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Important context: the new fridge was for a granny flat above a garage, accessed by a single flight of stairs leading to a standard doorway beyond which the ceiling tapers downwards. The store was informed of this on the delivery instructions. Nine years ago, when we moved in, the removalists had no problem getting the existing fridge in.

I showed the team leader the old fridge.

“We’ll never get that down the stairs. It’s........

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