As regular readers realise, I am reluctantly getting older, 77 not out, so some tasks – such as lawn mowing – have become more of a physical trial. To add to the story, to encourage your sympathy, I am up to my fourth replacement ankle so that does slow me down. I regret I can no longer wade the river pools or play golf or manage long walks, but I realise the increasing importance of keeping fit, hopefully to slow down inevitable advancing dementia, so the lawns have been my work-out. That is why I go biking as it is one of the few things I can still do.

But this is not about me – I am just covering my excuses for when SWMBO reads it. (SWMBO is on holiday)

So recently I was slowly limping and pushing the mower around the lawns at TRM. There is over an acre of lawns spread around eight locations. With the lush spring growth, they need mowing again by the time I finish them.

Then I was rudely interrupted by this bloke doing wheelies on his electric scooter. He insisted I was too old and slow and he could do a better job! As I also had crippling laundry duties, I did not argue.

So this morning on another beautiful sunny day, I am on the phone when I see him arrive on his evil electric-powered scooter. Next moment he is out there whizzing around the lawns at dazzling breath-taking Warp ten speed.

Have you identified why the lawnmower driver uses a scooter? From severe injuries received in a bad traffic accident, Jodin only has one leg!

He has also elbowed me out of trimming the hedges. My useless ankles only allow me to climb ladders providing I have one foot on the ground. Don’t ask me how Jodin manages it – I am too scared to watch.

So there you are. In this little struggling tourist town there are few employment opportunities. Too many others prefer to collect the benefit rather than look for anything resembling work. So it is refreshing to see someone with so much fighting spirit, to overcome their handicap and become useful to replace worn-out redundant old duffers like me.