Claire decided to do battle with a vine that was crawling on the brickwork at the back of the house. It had quite a tenacious hold on the bricks and had woven itself into the phone and TV cables.

When Claire cut into its stem, liquid spurted from the severed stump. I guess a lot of moisture is needed to keep it alive. The roots were so difficult to remove, that Claire’s feet were suspended form the ground with the effort.

The vine is finally gone and the sun now streams through our bedroom window. We’ll have to buy curtains.