Becky is already Mum to Findlay and is expecting her second child later this year. She’s one of our new neighbours in Cornwall and her and her husband have been kind and charming neighbours as we get our lives here moving.

Last night we spent the evening with them and two other couples, friends of Becky’s since childhood (she’s Cornish through and through and has lived here all her life other than a short period at university). It was a ‘pile up a pizza’ party. A pile of dough bases and a kitchen full of toppings and instructions to mix and match in any way you fancy. DM did a sterling job of getting scrummy pizzas for us. We were not the only veggies as Becky’s friend Gail is also a long-term veggie. Cool.

Anyway, I asked Becky if she’d sit for me today and she agreed readily although today it became very obvious that she was incredibly nervous about it. I have volunteered to track her pregnancy so she has a suite of nice photos to remember this special time by – especially as during her last pregnancy she only had one single shot of herself and we saw it today…..no-one other than herself and Iain had seen it previously and (sorry Iain, please don’t take offence) it was easy to see why – not the most flattering of shots.

I tried my best to relax her and think by the end of the session she was more comfortable than at the start. We both liked this photo best firstly because she looks radiant and secondly because her rings are clearly visible – the wedding bands from her own wedding to Iain and the one on her other hand is her mother’s ring. Becky’s Mum died last year of ovarian cancer and Becky clearly misses her love, help and guidance through life’s challenges. Every time she mentions her Mum it is obvious the bond between them was huge and the loss of her is pivotal in her life.

Somehow this seems wrong. It’s such an important time in Becky’s and Iain’s life and yet Becky is filled with anxiety about the fragility of happiness. I so hope she can find a way to set such worry aside and enjoy her young family as they grow around her. She’s had so much terrible heartbreak from her mother’s death and she now deserves every drop of happiness that comes her way and I so hope that it comes in torrents rather than drops for this lovely, gentle, kind person.

When we came here we were so worried about our neighbours being hostile to two Londoners coming down here to find a better way of life yet the reverse has been true. Our experience has been one of welcoming, friendly people who are happy that we love their home environment so much. Becky laughs when she tells her other friends that we know more about the area than they do! That is so satisfying and makes me feel really at home here.

Last year the rise in trouser related incidents nearly caused me to crash my car!