It’s calving time down to the Godminster farm, which is always the cause of great excitement as one lady after another delivers her young (bit like One Born Every Minute on TV, only with a lot bigger newborns and far spindlier legs). Deborah saw one who was only half an hour old the other day – how many people can claim to witness that in a day’s work? Certainly not a normal day in the office.

Meanwhile, in other news, we’re waiting for the first frost to pick the sloes – letting Mother Nature do her thing rather than freezing them – and we’ve got loads apples for chutney

and quinces for quince vodka. Looks like our glorious Mediterranean-style summer has really paid off because we’ve rarely seen such a bumper crop of autumnal fruit. Harvest festival tables up and down the county will surely be groaning.

Jess