An impression of the Yorkshire garden that is made by a friend of mine. Main differences with gardens here: a lot of stonework, and a fabulous view over a valley. She’s made a relatively small garden into a retreat from the world and its cares – even though the cares have found the Yorkshire Dales as they have the rest of the world. She cannot now travel to this her second home, nor can she rent it out.

We visited a couple of years ago, the youngest girl and I. It was like travelling back in time – driving west from Hull (which is modern if a bit delapidated) to the cottages and sheep farms of the Dales where time goes slowly. We had a week of fabulous sunny weather, and were reminded every day of our good luck: ‘this isn’t normal!’