The walk from our office to Waterloo Station is unremarkable except for the marvellous bakery Konditor & Cook, whose delicacies glint at you through the glass window like diamonds in a Bond Street jewellery shop, and a cat of such enormous proportions that all the commuters know it as Cow Cat.

The giant feline languishes for a tickle or a morsel en route, but otherwise the walk is an unremarkable function of the daily journey. Except for the fox. Last week, a dog fox idled along the pavement in the opposite direction to commuters, passing within a foot of many. I was alone in stopping and looking in amazement. I’ve certainly never been so close to one, but nobody else looked twice. Seeing a fox is clearly commonplace for Londoners, unlike us country dwellers.

Back in Hampshire, it’s the apple trees that are getting my attention. I’ve never seen such a bumper crop and, having recently moved there and not knowing the varieties, I’ve been biting into the different types to discover whether they are cookers or eaters-the star is a tree whose apples are wondrously red and sweet. What everyone needs now are some new recipes to deal with the glut, so please send me any family favourites.

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