Before the clocks went back and the days got so short, a couple of jobs that have been on the ‘to do’ list forever got done. The pizza oven got painted. It now looks very smart and quite mediterranean. But its renovation gave rise to a heartsink moment when the guys asked where the chimney was? Chimney? It’s never had one, which, they explained, is why everything cooked in this contraption is burnt to a cinder. So that newly painted lovely dome is about to be drilled to accommodate a chimney.

Our cherished olive tree has enjoyed its spot over in the west garden rather too much. It is now over 30 feet tall and top heavy. It was a retirement gift from the Academy for Healthcare Science ten years ago when the garden was first planted. The decision to pollard part of it was another heartsink moment when the electric saw sliced off one of its arms. It has taken a few weeks, but new sprouts have emerged to everyone’s relief.

The big clear out had just started as the first storm of the season, Ashley, blasted in. Drenching rain and gale force winds lifted piles of debris and tossed them all over the place. It has left a right soggy mess which has to be gathered into the recycling bins when there is a break in the weather. But now and then, we still get a clear day, although cold and windy, where the medieval chapel at the tip of the western end of the bay can be seen. And there is still a show of muted pinks and autumnal reds to brighten the day.

The summer’s luxuriant growth will stand us in good stead for next year. Items on the spring watch list are the agapanthuses down in the secret garden and the wild rose hedges lining the lane down to the beach.

And of the book? I’ve had some critical feedback which has left me crestfallen. But I’ll start again soon and fire up a spikier version to see if it has sufficient ‘hook’, ‘propulsion’ and ‘tension’ to satisfy the TikTok generation who want everything on the first couple of pages. Middlemarch and Our Mutual Friend would have had no chance.

Comeback next month for news of the autumnal clear-out and the book.