‘I’ve been here since five o’clock this morning. I came to check on them and she was acting odd so I encouraged her up this end nearer the pens and kept an eye on her.’

‘Explains the trendy outfit,’ I said.

‘Cheeky,’ she said stretching out her spine. She picked up the lamb by its front legs, dangling it under its mother’s nose and reverse-shuffled into one of the pens we’d made the other week. Barbara followed.

Maggie stepped out and closed the pen up again. ‘Come on. Animal husbandry lesson number two.’ She made two tentative steps, wincing hard with each one, before striding off towards the other sheep.

Nancy turned out to be a straightforward affair. Maggie showed me that the lamb was coming out front legs first with its head up, which apparently was exactly what you wanted. Minutes after we joined her out popped a lamb. Perfect and healthy. It was something special to witness.

‘Right,’ said Maggie. ‘We need that sheep and lamb in a pen up there.’ I looked back up the field. It was a long way. ‘You saw what I did with Barbara’s?’

‘Yeah. You put it in the pen.’

‘Yes, but she needs to come with it. I kept it in front of her the whole time. She needs to smell it. Here you go.’ She wiped off the worst of the gunk and handed me the warm damp lamb. It bleated a protest and I felt it vibrate through my fingers. ‘Off you go!’ Maggie shooed me up the field. After a couple of steps Nancy followed us. Then she seemed to stop and lift her head.

‘Keep the lamb lower. Lower!’

My back was killing me walking backwards at this strange angle. I dangled the lamb in front of its mother and like a dog sniffing a sausage she was back on the scent of the lamb and trotted towards it. Eventually I backed into the pen and put the lamb down and Nancy went back to washing her baby while I sneaked out.

‘I think you’ve earned some breakfast,’ said Maggie, tightening her dressing gown cord. ‘Although I expect you’ve had yours.’

I’d only had a slice of toast. ‘I could manage another one.’

‘Right. I’m going for a shower first. You’ll need to wash up too.’

I looked at my hands. Yep they definitely needed washing. ‘Actually, I think I’ll stay here for a few minutes.’ There was something special about the lambs and I wanted to enjoy it a bit longer.

‘Okay,’ said Maggie, a knowing look in her eye. ‘I’ll give you a shout when I’m serving up. Listen out.’ She picked up her gardener’s pad, got on the quad bike and headed back to the house.