Today we’ve been out on a mix of pleasure and work. Not my ‘day job’, market research, but my part-time but increasingly important moonlighting job of photography.

David and I have been out on one of our pre-wedding meetings, discussing flash and other aspects with the vicar, doing a reckie of the church, its grounds and the reception area, as well as discussing the fine points of detail with our bride and groom-to-be. We’re happy with the arrangements and are now all set for the wedding in three weeks time.

The bride-to-be is a long-term colleague and friend of mine who has just broken loose of our company to go and work for a competitor so is on ‘gardening leave’ until mid-autumn – lucky her!

Her and Dickie, her husband-to-be adopted two pooches from Battersea Dogs Home so we have something in common as Rosie and Archie both came from there too. The dogs are really adorable – so loving and keen to be loved. They were apparently ‘gifted’ to Battersea by a couple who’d been looking after them well but were moving away. Their stay was even longer than Archie’s (he was there four and a half months) – they were there for six months because the boy is very old (thirteen) and the girl is seven so no-one wanted to take on such responsibility.

I reckon Kate and Dickie are real heroes for being prepared to take a chance on two oldies but also I reckon Sandy and Badger are also pretty lucky because it’s clear Kate adores them both. She is one of the toughest cookies I’ve ever met yet she’s like putty in their hands as they say.

Anyway, after a hearty lunch……not part of the ‘work’ bit of the day, we took these lovely babies out for a walk and this field of cows seemed so much like Cornwall and so unlike much of Surrey that I just thought it would make a good shot for today.

After leaving them and dropping off Patti at her hotel, we set off for home and my gloominess has descended again. I HATE, HATE, HATE these trips away. As careers go, this one has become much less of a thrill and much more of a drudge than I ever expected.

Two years ago I had no idea what was happening to my career and all I cared about was the new kitchen that was starting to form in our home. Last year we were also in the grip of cold (as we are now).