I feel terribly sorry for little Edgar

In her weekly column, Maddie Grigg trades rural Dorset for south-west France . . .

EDGAR the puppy has reached the age where he needs a "little operation". I feel terribly sorry for little Edgar, knowing what’s to come, but console myself that it’s different for boys.

I remember that Ruby’s recovery after her operation took a little while, and she had to wear a doggy sleepsuit to stop her nibbling at the stitches.

On the morning of our trip to the vet, the builders arrive to start work on creating a dual-purpose verandah, which will give us shady space below and a sunny balcony above.

It will also mean we don’t have to go down one flight of stairs from our bedroom and up another to get to the kitchen.

The French house is all over the place, full of stairs and doors, which, suspect, is why we got it for a good price in the first place.

We make them two cups of tea no sugar) and a black coffee lots of sugar), then put out the biscuits so they can help themselves.

They’re doing a great job and we want to keep them sweet.