So I thought I'd update the test database for foc-u as it's been a few months since I last did it. So logged into cpanel, made a backup (I do this regularlyish anyway) dropped the test database tables, restored the backup, looked at the test site and - hang on, all the postings are from May!! Looked at the database and the posts table's latest item is indeed dated May.
Scratch head.
Well on my laptop I have ZendServer. So transfer the backup file, create a database, restore the backup, look at the postings table and... the latest one's from May.
Scratch head.
I must have messed up taking the backup, used the test database because I had it on my mind to restore to.
Take another backup, go to the test database, drop the tables, restore the backup and, no
The latest post is from May.
Look at everything. Carefully. Go away, touch the ground, come back. Aaahhh I can see the problem - we changed server in May, and my cpanel bookmark still points to the old server
So not only have I wasted half hour or so but, as a bonus, all the backups I have taken since May have been of exactly the same out-of-date database
Go on, tell me you've done something this stupid