Our field, which hubby had been carefully tending and which had started to resemble a crown bowling green looked as if a drunk ploughboy on steroids had been let loose on it all night. As well as brown ridges all across the field, the drystone walls which bordered the garden had been knocked down.

Government website www.gov.uk have launched a new section with advice for British nationals travelling and living in Europe, following the result of the EU referendum. It states that the government will negotiate new arrangements over…

Our field, which hubby had been carefully tending and which had started to resemble a crown bowling green looked as if a drunk ploughboy on steroids had been let loose on it all night. As well as brown ridges all across the field, the drystone walls which bordered the garden had been knocked down.

The rainy spring had kept the garden growing and the lawn green. Because the house is built on a large outcrop of rock it takes only a few days of rain for our lawn to turn into a lake and the field behind to become sodden. This situation worsened when a water pipe running under the field burst. The water was coming from an old reservoir which we shared with our neighbours and used on the garden during dry spells.

The rainy spring had kept the garden growing and the lawn green. Because the house is built on a large outcrop of rock it takes only a few days of rain for our lawn to turn into a lake and the field behind to become sodden. This situation worsened when a water pipe running under the field burst. The water was coming from an old reservoir which we shared with our neighbours and used on the garden during dry spells.

The rainy spring had kept the garden growing and the lawn green. Because the house is built on a large outcrop of rock it takes only a few days of rain for our lawn to turn into a lake and the field behind to become sodden. This situation worsened when a water pipe running under the field burst. The water was coming from an old reservoir which we shared with our neighbours and used on the garden during dry spells.

With the house finally finished we turned our attention to what we were actually going to do with it. We had been through many ideas, from running a bunk house for walkers, to high-end yoga holidays. We decided on renting the whole house to holidaymakers and I put an advert online.

With the house finally finished we turned our attention to what we were actually going to do with it. We had been through many ideas, from running a bunk house for walkers, to high-end yoga holidays. We decided on renting the whole house to holidaymakers and I put an advert online.

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve I decided to take a break from the kitchen and the tempting calories within, and went for a stroll up our road. Between our house and that of our shepherdess neighbour, I spied a small white van parked haphazardly at the side of the narrow road. Our normally jolly, moustachioed neighbour appeared to be slumped over the wheel.