Talking Point with Vicky Turrell: 'Is it just me or does this happen to everyone?'

I went on my favourite websites for clothes and just as I was imagining myself looking good in this modern top with a matching swish scarf, I was too late. Most of the knockdown price knitwear in my size had gone. This happened to me last year and I still have not learnt my lesson – I should try to buy sooner. Another thing to look out for is the name of the colour – ‘dahlia, rose and olive’ colours seem to sell quickly.

But ‘rusted, lichen and wreckage’ seem to be slower to sell. I settled for ‘wreckage’ (they had my size).

And ‘wreckage’ is a good word for our lounge today as we are taking the decorations down. Not that we had many this year for our first Christmas in our new house. We have still not unpacked the decoration box. But there are the cards to sort. Those without glitter can be recycled so that is easy but then there are those with messages which must be answered and then those from people that we did not send to, should we send a New Year card instead? Surely, they would know it was an afterthought.

I did go out and buy a New Year card for one person though. You see when we lived at our cottage, we did not have any near neighbours. But they were all good ones if you needed help across the fields. I did not leave our new address as we did not know each other well and we were off to a new life. Then recently we saw a man walking up our drive. He rang the bell. It was Ray. He is the man who was always in his garden when I walked past. Once when I admired his sunflowers, he picked me a bunch. He gave me home grown tomato plants. He told me all the news of the land and the creatures.

And now here he was at the door of our new house bringing a Christmas card. He had asked along the way and miraculously found us. Ray approved of the birds that have found us in our new garden. I have made bird pudding today. There are pieces of bread, cereal, cheese and in fact anything edible for the birds, I bind them all together with suet or lard and heat gently. As it starts to set, I put the mixture into a net that some oranges came in. I am sure the birds will love it for their January treat.