One of the interesting things about looking after Dode is that you never know who you will meet next. Over the last 30 years I must have met literally thousands of people, I have been cuddled by an exceptionally tall Bishop, earnestly discussed Dode’s future with two Archbishops, answered the phone only to discover a Princess on the other end of the line, and (inadvertently) told a Foreign Sectary who had turned up unannounced that I was too busy to talk to him.

Yesterday I arrived to find a gentleman about the same age as me, named David Miles looking over the gate. Apparently David had not visited Dode for many years, I showed him round and he eventually confessed to an act of ‘vandalism’ carried out as a teenager 58 years ago. As the picture shows he eventually found his ‘misdemeanour’ partly concealed by ivy.

I often look at the initials carved in the stonework,some of which is quite old, and wonder who those people were, now at least I can put a face & a story to one set – anybody else out there who wants to confess ? As with David your sins will be forgiven.