It’s brother-in-law Cliff’s 50th birthday weekend. Very decently, he has come over from Geneva with his family and hired a large house in the Cotswalds, so it’s time for a family weekend away.

I have been charged with supplying wine, which is no hardship at all. The house is lovely: it has a pool and a hot tub, and a large kitchen with a table big enough to seat all 14 of us. And Cliff has got caterers in to look after us, which is a luxury. Best of all, our boys get on really well with their cousins, and there’s plenty to keep them entertained.

Alas, RTL and FFS are not with us: we have a house sitter looking after them. Hope they’re not too sad.