The most British place in the world is 8,000 miles away. The Queen is the Queen, the currency is the pound and, oddly, the Archbishop of Canterbury is the bishop, although he has not actually been there. A local beer is called Iron Lady. Meat and alcohol cost virtually nothing, but a pineapple costs £30.

These are the Falkland Islands, and they are thriving. At the time of the Argentine invasion in 1982, Britain had let the place run down economically and there were only 1,800 people living there.

Today there are 3,200 permanent inhabitants, who include mainly black mine-clearers from Zimbabwe who are plentiful enough to form a good choir. There is also a population of between 1,500 – 2,500 British military.

With the important exception of defence, the islands pay for themselves. Tourism is big – with 57,000 visiting last year, mainly in cruise ships. There are no direct long-distance flights to the islands, but the second regular flight to go by way of Argentina will start soon.

Relations with Argentina are much better now. This year, there were moving ceremonies on the islands when the British and Falkland authorities, having managed to find and identify almost all the bodies of Argentine soldiers killed in the conflict, made an agreement for their families to come and commemorate them at their now marked graves.

This friendliness comes from a position of strength. In the referendum of 2013, 99.8 per cent voted to stay British. Fishing rights, properly established after the British victory ensured that the Falklands enjoy their own territorial waters, have produced global success.

Fifty per cent of all the squid eaten in southern Europe comes from the Falklands, and 94 per cent of all Falklands fish is exported through the Spanish port of Vigo. Last week (the 36 th anniversary of victory over Argentina), the Falklands’ representatives were in London for the Joint Ministerial Council which covers all British overseas territories.

They are in good heart, and believe that their relations with the British Government are improved, but they worry about being collateral damage from Brexit. This would happen if the EU were to slap tariffs on all that top quality squid (and other fish) which southern Europeans like so much.

It would be a sad twist of fate if people so close to us in spirit, if not in miles, and whose freedom we protect, were to suffer now that we are reclaiming ours.