Winter

It is winter in the vineyard, and things are quiet. The dogs move only reluctantly from the fireplace. The evening draws in early; the pigs’ dream of balmy Pacific Islands.

It is pruning time. Not our absolutely favourite job – in truth dull and repetitive. Where is the Proprietor to be found at this time of grindingly hard work? No surprise – the old slacker is predictably elsewhere doing what he likes to call “work”.

Still – it does make for a calm atmosphere around the vineyard – we can safely ignore his occasional smoke signals from abroad, knowing he’s up to his ears somewhere trying desperately to remember his lines.

We are reliably informed that two films he appears in will be seen in the Toronto Film Festival. “Skin” and “Dean Spanley”. Hurrah!