Maddie and Laura’s flowershop

The entrepreneurial spirit of Britain has not yet completely been snuffed out by the shysters in Government assembled if this is anything to go by. Walking back from my lunchtime naturalizing on the beach I was hustled very hard by a pair of young saleswomen: all of 4 and 2 (ish). They had a collection of shells, pebbles, a piece of fishing line (’that’s valuable! You can tie things with it!) and some flowers displayed on the wall of grandad’s cottage.

I emptied my pockets to prove I had no money to exchange for a piece of rosemary, but promised to provide some fossils for when the shop reopens when next they visit from London. I had a very pleasant chat with these two, and in more innocent times I might have be able to photograph the shop staff, too. Not these days, not even in a small Yorkshire village. As I left, the senior partner told me that I could always come back with the money - they were staying until after dinner - with all the joy of one for whom a 3 mile walk, doing a quarter mile one in four hill twice on that round trip means nothing. If in 20 years time you’re approached for venture capital by Laura and Maddie, I’d invest. Mustard.