It’s been a busy time lately. First my mum came to stay, bringing not only her gardening expertise (thinning apples from the overloaded tree, pruning the clematis and eating the kale), but also the gift of a book entitled ‘Back Garden Self-Sufficiency’ which, to DIY Man’s dismay, includes chapters on meat and dairy.

Then DIY Man went for a client meeting and came back with a cardboard box full of beetroot, sugar snaps, spinach, beans and free range eggs.

‘Just be glad I managed to avoid them giving us kale as well!’ he pointed out, as I rammed the fridge drawers closed. I had given our own garden a good going over and removed all the ripe tomatoes and courgettes in preparation for me going to Manchester for the weekend, so I left him standing forlornly next to his mini veg mountain and headed south.

Yes south! To the land…