Multi-me

Lowri was delighted to spot that I was awarded a CBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours earlier this year, for Services to People who Misuse Substances (I think this means helping them to stop misusing substances, rather than supplying them). I had to admit to her that this was not actually me but one of my numerous alter egos.

I first encountered the problem when I was working at Arthur Andersen, and another Peter Martin transferred in from the Dublin office. We got fed up with receiving each other's post and grudgingly agreed to start using our middle initials to differentiate us (so I became Peter P, he became Peter A).

More agreeable to find myself doubling as a London fashion house ("Peter Martin - a captivating collection of contemporary day and occasion wear"). I still have a label somewhere that a thoughtful friend attached to a birthday present.

I get the occasional music teacher asking me about my violin publications and I have to explain that no, that's not me, that's the other Peter Martin who writes educational string music.

Then there was the eminent journalist Peter Martin, who was the chief business columnist and deputy editor of the Financial Times. He died in 2002 but the FT has set up a Peter Martin Fellowship so his memory lives on.

And's that's all before I start looking on Google, which throws up a staggering range of alternative careers that the real me failed to follow: consultant neurologist, plant scientist, fund manager, lawyer, engineering scientist, herb doctor, lecturer in dental care, surgeon, artist, psychologist, antiques dealer, sociologist, and even "the" musician and songwriter Pete Martin. All this just in the UK. We're a talented bunch, aren't we.