The Early Bird

The things you can do with a week off work.

At six o'clock I was upright in bed reading Paul Theroux. An hour later I was frying out-of-date sausages and obtaining the new Arctic Monkeys album. By eight, I'd done some cursory stretching and set out on a run, and forty-five minutes and one quick shower after I managed to get my breath back, I was pedalling my way down to the Viking Centre in Jarrow.

I was just in the nick of time: Wilkinson's had knocked another twenty-five per cent off the price of their bulbs and started selling seeds at half price. I picked up the last of the rhubarb and artichokes and treated myself to some year round lettuce, late sowing spinach beet, some yellow Evening Primrose and yet more bolt resistant beetroot, all for just £1.63.