You come home from holiday and think “hey, it’s great to be home”. Then you notice how tidy everything is and you are even more glad to be home. The kitchen is in a rare state of cleanliness and there is nothing out of place. The bathroom looks positively pristine because…well it is…

Then you bring in the contents of the car and suddenly it goes from calmness and tidiness to a huge jumble of “stuff”, a mix of clothes, shoes, other kit all now adorn the hallway, along with picnic remains, sandy tennis balls, dog paraphernalia and bags. Loads of bags. You didn’t realise how many bags you had. They seem to have bred during the drive home.

You wash, dry, iron, put away, chuck out rubbish for what feels like a lifetime, all the while thinking “was it worth it?” Then you pick up that sun hat and remember DM on the beach wearing it and you realise that yes, it was worth it.

When the metaphorical dust has settled, you look closer and notice the things you didn’t notice when you arrived home – the pile of junk mail, the towels that are no longer at their fragrant best and the vases of flowers that are now dead.