As I fed a bottle to Domino’s lamb at 7 am I saw Pinky writhing on the straw and hay on the other side of the barn. I texted Jeremy, who was in the house, “Pinky needs you now!!!!!!” He was there in seconds wearing blue surgical gloves and was soon pulling out a very large lamb that was partly delivered.

Pinky began to lick the lamb and clean her. At 11 am I caught Domino’s lamb to give him another bottle. Jeremy came out to keep me company. He turned around to check on the baby lamb and saw Pinky with a second lamb protruding from her rear. The lamb’s head was out but NOT it’s legs. This was not good news. More surgical gloves were brought from the house and Jeremy tried to help Pinky deliver the lamb. It was not going to happen. I stood holding Pinky’s horns whilst Jeremy tried to feel inside for the legs. No room. I used one hand to ring farmer Rob – no answer so I sent an emergency text to him. Then I called our friend Kate who said she would come straight over. Then it was Dr Google who told us to push the head back into mother Pinky and get the legs out first. We swopped places and I reached in further until I could feel the lamb’s legs. By then Kate was with us and encouraging me as I gently pushed the lamb back into mum and managed to grab the front legs and pull them through. Stage one accomplished. By then Rob had called and was on his way so we all decided it was best to wait for the experienced shepherd to continue with the delivery. We weren’t hopeful about lamb or even mother.

Out came a smaller, live girl lamb and mother began to lick her all over.

Mother and babies doing well and it only took four midwives!

It always makes me smile when I see lambs climbing on their mothers. They are playful youngsters.

A whirlwind hour by Professor Michael Berkowitz organized by the online Leeds Literary Festival. The subject was Jewish boxers in America and England. There were many indeed. One of the most famous English boxers in the 18th Century was Daniel Mendoza whose story so intrigued me that I have just ordered a book by Wynn Weldon called The Fighting Jew, the life and times of Daniel Mendoza, Champion Boxer.

Another snippet that amused me was that Muhamed Ali (when he converted to Islam) trained at Grossingers Hotel in The jewish resort of The Catskills.

Each boxer that was mentioned could be a one hour lecture of his own. In addition we were treated to film clips of fights of the 1920’s and 30’s and clips from Hollywood movies. I’m punch drunk! My dad would have loved it all.

My lovely husband has made me a desk and bookshelves in the space outside our bedroom at the top of the stairs. The desktop sits just under the windowsill and I have a view of the garden just in front of my laptop. It’s a wonderful distraction from writing my magnum opus, especially as I have a decent pair of binoculars at hand to study the birds that wander up and down the pathways and fly into the trees.