Luckily L remember-remembered that we had a packet of sparklers left over from last year. Inspired! I've no idea where I had stored them, but somehow she found them. At around 7pm - that handy hour after dinner but before Eastenders - we put on warm coats and old shoes and went outside.
The big tree in the back garden seemed huge and loomed over us like a gigantic vulture, and the area at the back behind the goal posts was thick black and silent. The children had two sparklers each and I had one. B solemnly did the man's job and lit the first ones with a barbeque lighter. We then cheerily ran around the lawn on squidgy autumn leaves, waving the sparkles here and there against the cold dark sky, writing our names in bright seconds of gold and surprising the guinea pigs.
Then we went inside and watched Eastenders. That was all.
