I hand him down the crates of pumpkins first, followed by Glenna’s goodies, and then haul trees over the side one by one, absolutely not appreciating the sight of his arms as he shoulders two at a time and makes it look easy when he leans them against the stall in neat piles organised by species.

We’ve also got one of each species to decorate for display, not for sale but to attract customers like the carved pumpkins he displays in Halloween season. I jump down from the truck to set them up in stands and give them some water, while Noel carries on arranging the table full of Glenna’s pumpkin muffins, pumpkin loaves sprinkled with rosemary, jars of pumpkin jam, marmalade, and pumpkin spice mix for lattes.

We’re going for a peppermint decoration theme, and while he’s still stringing red and white peppermint-striped tinsel and strings of red and white lights around my display trees, I have an idea for the finishing touch to his competition entry before all the local schools arrive on a multi-school trip for the judging at lunchtime. I grab a pumpkin carving kit, help myself to a bag from his belt and load six small pumpkins into it, aware of Noel’s curious eyes on me along with Fergus’s watchful gaze.

The trees for the competition are spread throughout the market. Noel’s stands in a corner between the bookseller and the baker, and I really think it’s got the magical fairytale quality to appeal to kids. He and Glenna have gone with the Cinderella theme; the tree is laden with glass slipper ornaments and sparkly pumpkins, and surrounded by a horse-drawn glittered glass carriage running around the base of the tree like a model railway. Instead of a star on top, there’s a knitted fairy godmother, complete with magic wand, sitting on a wooden sign that reads ‘you shall go to the ball’. The fairylights give out a warm orange glow, the tinsel is white with iridescent orange bits which catch the twinkling lights and make it look like it’s moving, and the knitted bunting is wrapped around the tree with glittery green leaves and tiny pumpkins dangling from it. If I had a vote, it would be my winning tree. Not that I’m biased or anything, but it’s a truly special tree, and it stands out from the others in the market because of Noel’s creativity and attention to detail. It’s an immersive experience to stand and look at the Roscoe Farm tree – something that makes you feel festive and simultaneously like you’re standing in the middle of a pumpkin field where a fairy godmother could pop out at any moment.