My daughter went on her very first residential school trip last week. She is 7. I had some reservations about letting her go (cue internal "she's so small!" wailing). Turns out I was right to be hesitant. She left as a 7 year old; three days later school returned a 17 year old. I feel like I went to bed and woke up a decade later but without the benefit of ten years' sleep. Admittedly, most of the initial attitude and determined independence has now past, but she has definite

It has been raining like billy oh on and off here for about a week now. In some ways, this is a good thing. I am the owner of allotment (for 'allotment', read 'nettle patch') and earlier in the year I planted a Cox's Orange Pippin apple tree in memory of my Grandad. Now, young apple trees need quite a lot of water, or so I believe, and time is scarce at the moment so a little sky water will do my tree no end of good. The downside to the downpours however is two fold - firstly