We drove into London early in the morning and left three doorstep packages of marrows, courgettes and runner beans for our Suburb friends. On our return to The Gables we fed the chickens and collected three new laid eggs. We filled dishes and trays with tomatoes and peppers, cucumbers, courgettes and French beans.

I am looking forward to planting the new rose bushes at the front of the house

and spending a day where the noises will be the sounds of blackbirds and wood pigeons and the shrilling shrieks of the pair of honey buzzards who are nesting in the tall trees at the far side of the field.