At around five-thirty this afternoon I went out into the garden to find Bill, my elder brother (with whom I am staying at present). He was smiling as he walked up from the vegetable patch; he had something in his hand.

“Bill, I’ve invited Diane for dinner,” I called out before reaching him, “well, we had so many leftovers from the barbecue… and it won’t be as good another day from now.”

“Great idea,” he replied, “What about Henry?”

“He’s at work but Diane can take a dinner back for him.”

“Sally, look what I dug up just now. Ever seen anything like it?” Bill asked laughing.

He held the object suggestively in his hand and, for a moment or two, I wondered what it was exactly – then I burst out laughing.

Twenty minutes later, when our younger brother’s girlfriend arrived for dinner, she was rather taken aback by our unusual arrangement of salad on the table for there in the centre was an enormous… well, see for yourself. Let me just add that nobody fancied radish tonight…