No matter how often I see exotic creatures wandering around in Trago Mills’ car park, I will never cease to be amazed by it. This peacock, casual as you like, wandering around the car park nearly got squashed a few moments before this when someone screamed into a space (a complete dick if you must know) and hadn’t seen the peacock who put on a bit of a spurt to get out of the dick’s way but otherwise looked completely unruffled.

There, the beautiful and exotic jostle shoulders with the ugly and mundane in a higgledy-piggledy heap of “stuff”.

Today in our shopping list was dog food, rabbit food, a rug and a tube of silicone sealer. You see, I continue to be convinced that you can buy more-or-less anything you could need at Trago along with a pile of nasty old junk if you feel that way inclined too!

Then onto somewhere exotic without any hint of the mundane in any sense to pick up a couple of wooden trunks that had been waiting for us then home to set up our sitting room.

It’s still not finished – no curtains (order placed today), still waiting on the cabinets for the alcoves by the fire and the mantle shelf (both of these agreed with our beautiful craftsman friend) and the sofas (promised before the C-word) but it’s coming on a treat and really is the first time we’ve felt as though we can call it our living space without a snarl of derision while we do.

We’re on holiday and we’re getting comfortable in our space. I’m looking forward to a week’s rest from the stresses and strains of work, even though the week is going to be spent planting 60 trees……..yes, the next step of the grand plan is going into place this week.

Last year, I was photographing Wembley's arch from the window of our company's office in London.