‘Or sponsorship from businesses. Or grants like the National Lottery. Or organisations willing to donate to the regeneration of a historical landmark. We haven’t even investigated whether the government would pay. The whole point of setting up a committee is to find solutions to these problems. All Malcolm is doing is managing expectations, and letting us know that it won’t be easy. But we can handle a challenge, can’t we?’

She scanned the crowd, expectantly. ‘We don’t back down or give up because the answers don’t come strolling in straightaway? I’ve met a lot of vastly different people while working in five different continents, and if there’s one thing I know about Ferrings, Old and New, we are strong and tenacious and we know how to make it happen.’

The room broke out into spontaneous applause, causing Alice to give her forehead a relieved wipe.

‘Right. Next item on the agenda, we need to form a proper committee. After everything we’ve heard, I hope some of you are up for committing to the challenge. We’ll need a chairperson, secretary, treasurer, events officer, publicity…’

‘But that’s only a handful of people,’ Ziva interjected. ‘You can’t send most of us home kicking our heels for the next however many years until we can have the bridge party.’

‘Well, I was kind of presuming you’d be joining the committee,’ Alice replied.

‘Well maybe so, but what about the rest of us? You’ve got everyone all worked up and raring to go. We need a project. Something to keep momentum going in the meantime, so we can see that progress is being made.’

‘She’s right.’ Caris Smith spoke up for the first time. ‘Otherwise everyone’ll just find something else to bicker about.’

‘Okay.’ Alice looked at the agenda in her hand, as if that would be able to provide an answer. ‘Like what?’

While everyone stood there trying to come up with precisely what, Daniel cleared his throat loudly enough to have all heads swivel over to where he leant against the wall.

‘I have a suggestion.’

Alice’s face lit up.

‘Well, come on up to the front then so we can all hear you!’ Caris Smith said, sitting up straighter in her garden chair.

Daniel went to join Alice. ‘We need a project that the whole village can get involved with. Preferably something on neutral territory that can start right away, and ideally help raise funds for the bridge.’

‘Well, yes, we all knew that already!’ a woman at the back tutted. ‘What we need to know is what that’s going to be.’

‘A community orchard,’ Daniel announced.

‘Yes!’ Ziva hollered.

‘For far too long the Damson Farm orchard has lain abandoned. If it wasn’t for Ziva’s stealth attacks with her pruning shears it would be totally reclaimed by the wild by now. I don’t have the time to restore it to a working orchard, but if we work together, the possibilities are fantastic. It isn’t just fruit trees, we could build raised beds for vegetables, and have a go at woodworking projects like picnic benches and compost bins.’