New Gate

The new gate was chosen from a catalogue. The basic shape, the colour, but we weren't convinced by the look as a whole. Mr Kelly did a very dangerous thing. He brought out another book full of add-ons for gates: finials, arrows, fleurs de lys, cherubs, you name it, in all shapes and sizes. Anyone who knows me knows I could have obsessed about this for days. Yet a decision was made quickly, not least because both Henny and I immediately went for the same conical spearheads.

Although ordered ages ago, the gate was one of the last things to be delivered. "Still waiting on your points," said Mr Kelly with a slightly raised eyebrow. There's a lovely feeling of security now that it's in place. And the little points were worth the wait.