You know how sometimes you simply fall in love? No, naughty, I am talking about a place. I mentioned my friend Lisa’s shop last time. The moment I entered that little courtyard, I was smitten. I didn’t care about any other shops, courtyards or even wooden benches. This place has it all.

So much so that I went back today and have asked to use it as our next fundraising venue. I envisage the soft tea light glow, the hum of people with a lot of cash to spare and good intentions, the inviting aroma of roasted chicken and the silvery tones of champagne flutes saying ‘clink clink’ to one another. Except our fundraiser will be in October. So perhaps wind and rain. We will see.

Between us and Jill, our friend, we will be raising funds for two different causes in Africa. My heart has been held a prisoner in an Ugandan orphanage (where my Ugandan ‘son’ Isaac comes from) and Jill is helping girls in an African village to get mobile and therefore safer with the help of bicycles.  Let’s hope that the beautiful little (but perfectly formed) courtyard will make people smile and give.

In the meantime the life goes on. And although I do realise that it’s a touch optimistic, my 50 egg boxes arrived today. I showed them to the hens but other than checking that they didn’t contain any food, they were not interested.

Of course I don’t expect to sell eggs to passers by from my poor three chickens! It’s just that since I’ve had them I have never bought any eggs and there are no boxes around the house. And I like to bring half a dozen eggs when visiting friends instead of the customary wine or flowers. I must say I have become much more popular since starting my poultry adventure…