So the party is over and the bodies have been swept up from the floor. The carpet on the stairs is stained black and there is a strange smell in the bathroom. The basement smells like a pub on the morning after. The floor down there is sticky with cider, beer and vodka and stamped upon twiglets and half eaten pieces of pizza. There is still some bottles of beer left in the fridge.

But the sun is shining bright this morning and we have eaten fine bacon sandwiches and drunk lots of black coffee. I am going out to the garden in some old clothes to start digging over the veg patch. It will be time to buy seeds soon and start planting for the summer.

A chicken is defrosting in the kitchen and we have that for a late lunch. I should have got some tarragon to ease under its skin. We will have it with roast potatoes and carrots with lots of gravy.