Quite often, when people visit our flower plot, they roll their eyes and sigh: “What a heavenly place to work”. In the warm, sunny months, I’d have to agree, but in winter it’s no laughing matter being on top of a windy hill. (Though better than being in the flooded valleys at the moment). On Christmas Eve our poly tunnel was destroyed by gales. I thought it best not to tell Bek — whose house had just been flooded — but unfortunately she found out when her brother James passed her a cocktail sausage on Christmas Day with a jolly aside: “Your poly tunnel’s been flattened”. While I sunned myself in New Zealand in January, Bek got together a working party of friends to put the wreck back up… and it lasted for a few more weeks. This Saturday night we were again fighting the elements, with six of us trying to hold and rope-down the plastic cover in the dark. Our efforts paid off and this afternoon Bek and I had a serious giggle tightening up the ropes, adding clips and trying not to slip over in the surrounding quagmire. Rising again, like a phoenix, we’re keeping our fingers crossed that it will survive until the spring and gentler weather. Running your own business is never boring!
