Meet Ella

‘When she can no longer eat and is visibly uncomfortable, that is the time,’ Mark tells me. ‘I am on standby for you,’ he reassures me.

Honey is one of the few foods that never spoils – there are samples dating back thousands of years. It is nature’s finest medicine: it aids digestion, helps alleviate cold symptoms and hay fever, provides a slow-release form of natural sugar and is even said to promote restful sleep. I’ve read, too, that it has a role in alleviating depression. And

Herdwick sheepskin we

am angry. With everyone and everything. And restlessness leaves me in a constant state of agitation and anxiety. The insomnia is dizzying. It feels as if ten different radio stations are competing for airtime in my head, the din ceaseless and exhausting.

My sisters gently cajole me out of the flat now and again. I go to see them for a change of scene. And fleetingly I do feel better. But the relief is temporary. Somehow these transitory moments of happiness make the lows even more crushing.

Dauphinoise, tartiflette, sautéed…

Elysian Fields.

I’ve never met working cocker spaniels before, and on these trips, in the company of Zulu, I conclude that they’re exactly the breed for me. Easy-going, affectionate and fizzing with restless energy, they’re also a suitable size to fit under your arm if you need to carry them. And they crave the attention I’m longing to give.

I’m not hugely sociable – my friends are loyal but few – and I’m happy with my own company as long as Ella is with me.