A lot of the businesses have simply decorated with baubles made from their own logos. Some have gone for the excessive fairylight approach – if you can see it from Jupiter, it must be a winner. Some have been a bit more creative, like the way Fiona’s tree is decorated with strings of bath pearls, mini-bathbombs hanging up like baubles, and tiny festive soaps tied to the end of each branch, the amazing scent being her crowning glory. Fergus has put so much effort into helping Fiona with hers that his biscuit-themed tree looks a little lacklustre in comparison, decorated with lots of lights, tinsel and hanging gingerbread depictions of every festive thing you could ever imagine, from nutcrackers, sleighs, Santa’s boots, and brightly-iced presents, to every conceivable character in the nativity scene, including the donkey, the cattle, the inn keeper, various shepherds and their sheep, some fleas that were probably on the sheep, some of the earthworms that might’ve been living in the grass, and a gingerbread recreation of Mr Bean on the theory that everyone watches Merry Christmas, Mr Bean at least once a year.

I kneel down in front of the green fluffy blanket that Glenna put in to hide the tree stand and start cutting lids in the top of each pumpkin and scooping the guts into the empty carrier bag, enjoying the quiet in this little corner as I watch the market waking up for what everyone knows will be an important day. There’s even someone wandering around playing Christmas tunes on the bagpipes today.

I love how easygoing things are here. Everyone trusts their neighbours to look after their stall when they need to pop out for a few minutes. The used bookseller has already learnt that I love reading romantic comedies and started putting them aside for me when he gets them in. The baker brings a fresh loaf of bread over whenever he sees me. If the flower seller has an influx of bouquets, he brings one over to decorate the stall. Noel does the same with Glenna’s goodies, like Fergus freely hands out gingerbread teacups and Fiona makes mini-bathbombs solely to give away to her friends. I’ve already resolved to make everyone a wreath before Christmas. Everyone is helpful and friendly here, and the whole atmosphere is laidback in a way I’ve never known before.

I love this market and I don’t want anything to happen to it. Elffield will have nothing without it. If Noel is right about the bus interchange, the whole place simply won’t exist. And that’s unthinkable.