1. The rain pools on the freshly painted metal work, like the melted liquid metal in Terminator 2.

2. They like it when we visit with treats. They love the borage leaves almost as much as the corn. When they’ve finished, the black-flecked chicken always checks very carefully that I’m not hiding more about my person – my jean studs get investigated, my fingers pecked and I’ve learned to be more careful when bending over without a belt. Today, she stands at my feet – at the very ends of my shoes – and stares directly upwards, eyes pleading. I swear I hear the word “corn” in her bwaarrwarkwarks.

3. Both my cups of tea have been perfect today but the second one is made even better because we picked up a pack of dark chocolate digestives at lunchtime. I sit in the armchair, eating them and enjoying the moment: I don’t have to be at work, I don’t have to be in Bingley, I don’t have to be thinking about going to Bingley, I can just sit.