We were catching up around a bowl of Doritos, in the time-honoured way. My two best friends and I, sitting in the cool shade of a back room, one baby curled against a shoulder, another in the womb, the third - mine - miles away, with his father. We talk about the weather a lot, it’s an easy, comforting thing. We talk about it and we moan about it. “WHAT IS THIS PERPETUAL AUTUMN??!!!” is typical of our WhatsApp exchanges. And so the heat was picked apart. It had seemingly come from nowhere. There were complaints that we’d been ready for Autumn, that summer had missed its time. We were ready for jumpers and jersey only to have to pull the shorts out instead.

For what it’s worth, I’m here for the blast. I’ve been fortunate enough to get into the water most days, whether lido or sea. The house stays cool, the garden shaded. Despite the heat the mornings are slower to wake up now, the evenings fall suddenly, and I’ve been walking in the minutes either side, when it’s gooey and quiet.

Some admin, before this week’s good things: last week’s bumper issue only went to paid subscribers, rather than all of you. Check it out here if you want to know what I got up to during my newsletter hiatus. And now - this week’s savourites:...