A knock on our door in the evening—an almost unheard of event. Has someone died? No, it’s neighbour John. Could we look after his new chickens for a couple of days while he’s away? As a reward, we get to keep any eggs. An equitable arrangement. I pop over the road with him for a quick tour of the swish new chicken-coop, only to discover the hens have left me a down-payment.
