The geese were not impressed and I worried that Poddy would fall into the pond. Some of the other sheep wanted to follow

Put in a pot of water and sugar and simmer until really soft

Pour into reusable plastic boxes and freeze to make a delicious pear sorbet

J asked me to help him sample the first demijohn of cider to test whether it had stopped fermenting. He siphoned off a small amount into a vial and theen used a simple device to make a reading. He told me it would be a shame to waste the cider (which tastes just like the scrumpy we used to drink in Devon forty years ago when we lived there).

He and his dad stood from beginning to end. They even met people they knew in the huge crowd. We are all, in the actions we take however large or small, part of history – each soldier’s step, each person queuing for hours, each letter written or words of condolence entered in a book. Together it adds up to an event that will forever bind us together, possibly inspire us, make us believe that people and communities and countries and the world can be united in peace and for good. Why not?

Outside we carried out our early morning tasks in good time

The old ducks have moved to the goose enclosure