COUNTRY LIFE

In the current economic climate, our list of the various house improvements we need has been filed away indefinitely. But we have at least managed to fix an extension on the chicken run, prior to replacing the flock that was wiped out by a fox last month. To be more precise, our fortnightly gardener, Alan, fixed it, attaching another tier of chicken wire to the fence. I'd have tackled the task myself but it involved cutting and nailing a series of wooden struts at 30 degrees to the existing posts, so Alan was definitely the man for the job. He is as comfortable holding a hammer as Roger Federer is holding a tennis racket, whereas I have never recovered from the disdain on the ...