It started with fireworks, which we weren’t too sure how the little one was going to cope with. We were all prepared for howling and making a swift exit, as it happened he loved them, and the bigger the better.

With Anna and Chrissy down to stay for the weekend I got out for my first full day’s walk in Dorset. The weather wasn’t great and the walk instructions were dismal but we have a good, if eventful walk around Bishop’s Caundle. We came across a friendly gamekeeper who suggested we wear bright clothes all winter to make sure we don’t get mistaken for a deer and shot (showing us the bullets for full effect). After a lovely lunch at the Trooper Inn in Stourton Caundle we had a run in with a herd of rather frisky cows. For the first time ever I pegged it over a fence, jumped a river and limbo’d under some barbed wire to get away from cows, who were a bit too interested (in a ‘what you doing in my field’) in our route. A slightly damp three trudged back into Bishop’s Caundle just as it was starting to get dark.

The rain came down so plans for a second night of fireworks were abandoned in favour of a big dinner followed by a soporific evening in front of the woodburner – which has too modes; either not lit or blasting out enough heat a cathedral.

We were rewarded for our early get up this morning with a virtually deserted Stourhead and good weather. The autumn colours on the estate are just getting better and better. As we were on the way home the rain started and hasn’t really stopped. So after roast dinner we had a perfect Sunday afternoon, warmed by the burner, surrounded by the Sunday paper, watching Singin’ in the Rain.

Sunday 8pm and all now suitably restored for the week ahead.