The world from my window

It's only part-way through my birthday weekend and I've been completely spoiled and I'm thoroughly knackered. First, the Melplash Show. My favourite day of the year. So good of them to organise it for my birthday. And so good of Celebrity Farmer to almost spill the beans about my birthday surprise. 'I've been told you've booked a room at The Riverside,' he said to me and Mr Grigg, who promptly stood rather heavily on the toe of his wellington boot. 'Um, but then you decided to go somewhere else,' Celebrity Farmer said, in rather too much of a hurry. The hole just got bigger and bigger until even I wished I could jump in it with him After the show, instead of going home, we ended up at West Bay, my favourite seaside place. 'That's the one with the gurt hole in the middle,' my father usually says, referring to the harbour. You can just make out the pink house here, the old home of my mentor, the late David Martin . A...

A blanket of mizzle smothers The Enchanted Village.  Pairs of grumpy jackdaw babies, feathers ruffled, huddle on chimney pots. Swallows, trying desperately to be cheerful, swoop low to the ground in search of food. They dart in and out of the damp cattle, attempting to stir up some frivolity in the misty rain and peasouper fog. Along the road in Trumpton, the weather has washed out fun day. It is doubtful the Red Arrows will be seen in the greyness, even if they miraculously managed to put in their planned appearance.  Down in My Kind of Town, carnival organisers are looking to the skies in advance of tonight's procession. Their hands are outstretched. They are saying 'why?' Over the hill, Doc Martin and Men Behaving Badly star Martin Clunes is anxious for tomorrow. For the past year, he and his family have been planning their horse and dog show at Buckham Down. It raises thousands for the local hospice and comes complete with funfair and squid tent run by the Riversi...