‘Yeah.’ I had no idea what I was doing. Nancy bleated from the other end of the field and I felt like she was calling me back. I needed to help Barbara and then get back to Nancy. I’d never been so much in demand.

‘One, two, three. Pull. Keep it steady. Here he comes…’ Maggie gave a running commentary. The twine was digging into my fingers like cheap carrier bags do when they’re full of shopping. It was tough to keep the pressure on and it felt like nothing was happening. A bit like a tug of war against a brick wall. ‘Don’t let it go slack. Come on, Tom. Pull.’ It was an odd angle to pull at as I was on my knees and it was like pulling a dead weight. A picture of the little lamb the farmer had been carrying last week shot into my mind and I started to fight for this one. I wanted to save him.

‘That’s it. Keep it coming.’ All of a sudden Barbara’s legs started kicking about and I lost my grip on the slippery twine.

‘Ah.’ I made a grab for it as Barbara stood up.

‘It’s okay. She’s got it now,’ said Maggie, giving my shoulder a pat. I watched as the lamb slid out and landed with a cushioned thump on the grass. Some gunk came out too but I kept my focus on the tiny perfect lamb. Perfect apart from the blood, which I was trying my hardest to pretend wasn’t there. He was a beautiful colour – grey and white.

Maggie wiped the gunk off his face and stuck her fingers in his mouth. ‘Clearing his airway,’ she explained. She then appeared to be sticking straw up his nose. ‘Come on,’ she said. I could tell from her tone something was wrong. She picked him up by his back legs and whirled him around her head almost taking me out.

‘Whoa! What’s going on?’ I ducked out of the way. I’m sure the RSPCA would have something to say about this.

‘He’s not breathing,’ she said, returning him to the straw and rubbing his chest. Like a switch being flicked to on, he seemed to jolt into life and Maggie moved him under his mother’s nose.

Barbara started to wash her baby and it bleated. It was the cutest sound I’d ever heard.

‘Aww.’ My response was spontaneous. Maggie shot me a proud look so I didn’t bother to change it into a coughing sound. She knew I was hooked.

She lifted the lamb’s leg. ‘Boy. I knew it,’ she said. ‘Right,’ she added, rocking herself back and forth.

‘You all right,’ I asked, offering her a hand to help her up, which she accepted.