Eaten all the spinach - it was the salad type we've discovered - we need to grow spinach beet next time. Thanks to my sister for a birthday present vegetable gardening book by Alan Titchmarsh for this information.

Our carrots are great and the Morello cherry crop was satisfying especially now we've discovered the Lakeland cherry and/or olive destoner tool which saves broken fillings when eating cherry pie. Cherry tarts have taken on a new dimension since we discovered lining the base of the pastry cased with melted chocolate as a juice-proof layer. Not too thick though as it makes it harder to serve.

Thinning out the leeks (a bit too late perhaps) the garden needs nightly watering this year as we've had so little rain.

I've discovered I can just about do Swansea and back in a day by car - this was to house hunt with Arthur who starts there as a med student this month. House prices and rents are pleasantly lower in S Wales than in Oxford or Cambridge.

Still clearing my garage, it's very satisfying to dispose of stuff on Freecycle as people are surprisingly grateful for things you don't value much yourself.

Getting value from the NHS this month with 2 different hospital consultant appointments