We’ve been battered today by winds that are currently gusting at nearly 70 mph and they’ve been over 60 mph since 9am this morning. I’ve been out of the house only three times – to take DM to his work party, bring him home and to check the chickens are OK. Each time, I’ve managed to retrieve at least one of our greenhouse glazing panels from a place where it should not be. I am so glad they are polycarbonate and not glass!

So, when DM said he’d had a meal and didn’t want a cooked dinner tonight, I took the opportunity to bring out the cheeseboard. I feel less guilty about a cheese-fest if I have not had a “proper” meal in a day. I am definitely a “Wallace” in as much as I LOVE cheese. There is even some Wensleydale (white block in between the chilli Leicester and the smoked Applewood) on this platter so I am being true to Wallace’s views even with this.

Some of these cheeses have been consumed on butter puffs and digestives, with olives and washed down with a glass of port. Bloody perfect. My fave? The smoked Applewood – divine.

I brought the platter into the room and DMs first comment was “in any other home, taking the cheese platter into the spare bedroom before serving would be considered weird…but not here, I know what you’ve just done”. Yep – he’s right, the spare bedroom is the photography studio and that’s where the cheese was photographed.

I would say "Christmas starts with the cheeseboard" but then this happened...

STOP PRESS>>>We’ve just had a gust of over 70 mph – let’s hope we’re still here in the morning.