If the term “broken links” means anything to some of us, it is likely to be in the context of the internet. It refers to that infuriating moment when you click on a button, an icon or even a web address and you receive that wonderful piece of Microsoft prose: The page cannot be displayed ….

Indeed, there are today, dozens of specialist technology firms with ever more sophisticated tools to detect and sometimes repair these so-called broken links! Oh for such facilities to mend the broken links in consultation!

For, as with internet sites, the more complex the communication, the greater is the likelihood that intricate relationships can break down. Maybe all once worked well together, but something changed and no-one spotted the implications of making the change and a key dependency was missed. Sometimes, the link never worked properly; it was designed but never fully tested, and no-one pointed out the error.